Mental preparation in sport is a vital component that is undervalued by some sports performers and coaches. One could ague that there are too many myths associated to the use of mental skills, which make participants and coaches uncomfortable in its use. Fortunately, there are some clubs out there that appreciate the value and use […]
At some time or other I suspect all athletes find it hard to maintain the intensity of exercise. We’ve all been there; the days when you had planned to go for a run but didn’t have the resolve to do it. This is when an athlete’s psychological tools come into their own-helping you stay motivated […]
Negative Thinking in Sport It could be argued that negative thinking is a common occurrence before, during and after athletic performance.. Whereas confidence is perceived as the athlete’s conviction of successfully performing a task (self-efficacy), negative thinking can be understood as the opposite. For example, a kick-boxer in preparation for an important fight may experience […]
It is often said that a sports star will die twice, the first time at retirement. For elite athletes who have dedicated their lives to sport, what happens when your time comes to an end, if you aren’t an athlete, then who are you? Elite athletes train extensively for years, in many cases, consuming the […]
How we learn and refine motor skills and how we prevent performance breakdown in pressurised or demanding circumstances are among the most important questions within sport psychology and skill acquisition. The development of lightweight eye tracking technology has significantly advanced our understanding of what individuals fixate and attend to while performing sport skills. A growing […]
Reflective practice is – in its simplest term simply recalling memories, but more specifically it is recalling memories of your previous performances. This can be your most recent performance, including: a recent game you played yesterday or even a training session you had this morning. The difference between simply recalling memories and using reflective difference, […]
Unfortunately in competitive sporting environments, injuries are likely to occur. As a basketball player, despite strength and conditioning training, knee and ankle injuries are frequent occurrences which almost cannot be avoided. Keeping positive and focused during time out of sport and throughout recovery is something players often struggle with, and without the right environment and […]
Caffeine is commonly used as an ergogenic aid by many athletes due to the almost unequivocal support in the literature on the beneficial impacts of ingesting caffeine on submaximal performance. Its effects have been found to improve upon many paradigms including aerobic, anaerobic and muscular strength through the enhancement of both mental and physical performance […]
The concept of grit is often discussed in the field of high performance athletics. We have seen the post-game interviews with coaches and players alike stating that “we need to be gritty” or “it was a gritty effort.” However if I was to put you on the spot and ask you to define it – […]
For me awareness is one of the essential ingredients of developing belief. Awareness has been highlighted by many as a key indicator of success in a range of performance environments. It is arguably the most important ingredient for belief as every other skill, quality and task you have and undertake can be traced back to […]