Advancing and optimising performance in military training has been of great interest to sport psychologists over the years. Performance enhancement is the deliberate refinement of an effective perception on success and the methodical use of effective cognitive skills. Becoming proficient at regulating behaviour habits and/or emotional and physical states has been at the forefront of […]
When playing within a team sport having freedom and creativity are vital aspects of successful performance. This style can transform teams who are rigid and playing within their boundaries into fearless teams who are ambitious and have a desire to take calculated risks in pursuit of victory. Paralysis by Analysis We have all been in […]
Ronan O Gara and Jonny Wilkinson, among many others place the ball, set themselves, say something to themselves and then go about their business and put the ball between the posts. So what exactly are they saying and why? Research has shown that the use of psychological techniques can enhance sporting performance (Krane & Williams, […]
Anxiety is a state consisting of psychological and physical symptoms brought about by a sense of apprehension of a perceived threat. However, levels of anxiety can differ according to situation and the individual. Trait anxiety relates to an aspect of personality in which nervousness is a stable personality trait. State anxiety refers to temporary feelings […]
In working with athletes on emotional control especially as it concerns emotional intelligence I frequently need to help athletes cope with situations in which they say they choked. In my opening of many of my speeches I often begin by telling people “Basically I help people in sports and business, Not Choke” It is a […]
You have the talent, you’ve been working hard at your game, you’re physically in great shape and you’ve won plenty of times in the past – but when it comes to the big events, you just can’t finish off that winning position. If we were to take elite golf as an example, let’s take a […]
Self-talk, or our internal monologue, often has contrasting effects; used correctly self-talk is one of the most effective methods of instilling self-confidence. Negative self-talk involves thinking or saying anything that reflects a lack of confidence or a defeatist attitude. Circumstances where negative self-talk is common amongst athletes, are situations where they have previously failed, or […]
Everyone has an inner voice which can be either helpful or unhelpful – the angel on one shoulder (helpful) and the devil on the other (unhelpful). It is vital to remember that the devil is only your brain playing tricks on you and to pay more attention to the angel! As Ralph Charrell (US author) wrote: “The inner speech, […]
Creating and developing an internal self-awareness within athletes is, for me, the most important job a sport psychologist has within applied work, and is something I care a great deal about when working with others. When it comes down to it, it is not we – the psychologist who will be scoring goals in the […]
We all talk to ourselves it is something we do every day. However our own awareness of this varies. If we are aware of our self-talk then we can utilise it to our advantage and adjust the negative self-talk into something positive and useful. Self-talk has been shown to enhance motor skills (Johnson et al, 2004; Cutton &Landin, […]