Sports
psychology coaching and mental toughness
training are necessary components to developing
healthy attitudes and mental game that improve performance
and allow for consistent, winning performances! Below
are some of the most frequently asked questions about
sports psychology answered by leading sports
psychology expert , Dr. Patrick Cohn.
To learn more about how
to boost sports performance via mental training, subscribe
to Sports Insights
Magazine and download a free e-book!
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The Basics
Comparisons
Why Hire a Mental
Game Coach?
How Mental Game Coaching
Works
Individuals
Parents of Aspiring
Athletes
Coaching
Professionals or Therapists
Teams
Getting Started
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The
Basics
What
is sports psychology?
Sports Psychology is the study and application of the
attitudes and behaviors of athletes (including team athletes)
that impact (either positively or negatively) performance
in sports and/or competitive settings. The goal
of sports psychology is to help athletes and teams identify
unhealthy attitudes and beliefs, apply mental toughness
skills and peak performance strategies to perform at
optimal levels.
What
is mental game or mental toughness coaching?
Mental Game Coaching (also known as mental toughness
training) is the practical aspect of sports psychology. Mental
toughness training helps athletes by working through
mental barriers, such as confidence, concentration (focus)
or composure related issues. It requires replacing
unhealthy attitudes and beliefs with more healthy ones
to achieve peak performance in sports.
What
does it mean to be "in the zone"?
Being "in the zone" is desired goal of sports
psychology coaching. It is defined as having a
higher level of concentration and being totally engrossed
in an endeavor to the point where time almost stands
still and outside distractions almost disappear. At some
point, whether in sports or not, most people have experienced
being so deep into concentration that outside distractions
seem to disappear.
Finding the mental "triggers" that can help
an athlete enter the zone and learning to stay in the
zone are the prerequisites for any successful athletic
performance.
To learn more about how entering the zone is critical
to optimum peak performance, download
one of Dr. Cohn’s latest e-books!
Sports Psychology Comparisons
What
is the difference between sports psychology training
and traditional work with a therapist?
Unlike psychotherapy, sports psychology doesn't use couches,
prescribe medicines, or work with abnormal behavior.
Instead, the goal of mental game coaching and/or sports
psychology is to teach athletes how to be more
confident, refine focus, stay composed under pressure,
practice more efficiently, and develop better pre-performance
routines. The main difference between a mental game coach
and a therapist is that mental game coaches work with
athletes on sports performance enhancement and not personal
challenges (e.g. working through a divorce, coping with
an addictive behavior, etc.) or abnormal behavior (e.g.
schizophrenia).
What’s
the difference between a mental game/ mental toughness
coach and an athletic team coach?
The difference between a mental game coach and an athletic
team coach really depends on the coach. Great athletic
team coaches such as Tommy Lasorda have mastered the
art of mental game coaching. They know how to help their
teams identify the mental obstacles that hold them back
from optimum performance, and how to implement sports
psychology strategies to help the team be motivated and
confident. A mental game coach specializes on mental
skills for peak performance and does not work on technique
(e.g. physical skills training)or fitness as would a
team coach.
Why
Hire a Mental Game Coach?
When
is working with a mental game coach or sports psychology
expert recommended?
The most common sign that an athlete needs to work with
a mental coach is when he or she is unable to perform
up to ability level in competition. This is often
characterized when an athlete is able to perform well
in practice, but seems to flounder or freeze up in competition.
Smart athletes and coaches recognize the warning signs--an
inability to cope with the pressures of competition,
becoming easily distracted, or having difficulty finding
or staying in the "zone".
In other circumstances, work with a sports psychologist
may be recommended when an athlete is performing after
an injury or in the recovery stage of injury and needs
to work through issues such as confidence which may manifest
as part of the healing process.
For more information, sign up for Sports Insights Magazine
and download a copy of
the free booklet, "Why Sports Psychology"
What
kind of results can the typical athlete who receives
sports psychology coaching expect to see?
Sports psychology and mental toughness coaching is not
a one-size-fits-all solution to performance issues in
sports. Results vary from athlete to athlete and
are contingent upon factors such as a desire to improve
mental game skills, the ability to implement sports psychology
strategies and willingness to overcome the mental
obstacles that get in the way of performance.
However, anticipated outcomes include improving confidence;
learning how to regain/maintain composure; overcoming
distractions and refining concentration; and entering
the zone faster and staying there longer.
Why
should I work with Peak Performance Sports for my sports
psychology needs?
For more than 15 years, Dr. Cohn and Peak Performance
Sports have helped athletes improve their performance
through mental toughness coaching. Dr. Patrick J. Cohn
is one of the nation’s leading mental game coaches,
combining the knowledge gained from his Ph.D. in sports
psychology, hands-on experience working with hundreds
of athletes and more than 25 years experience as an athlete
in football, hockey, baseball, tennis, lacrosse, and
golf.
What types of mental coaching programs does
Peak Performance Sports offer for Serious Athletes
who desire Sports Psychology Coaching?
Peak Performance Sports offers a wide range of sports
psychology and mental training programs for both individual
and teams at the amateur and professional levels. The
very best sports psychology program option is to work
one on one with Dr. Cohn in person or over the phone
due to the highly personalized and customized nature
of one-on-one sports psychology coaching.
Peak Performance Sports also offers an email coaching
mental training program as a premium member of peaksports
at www.peaksportsnetwork.com. Peak Performance Sports
offers onsite, phone, and email coaching programs to
teams as well.
Or, take a 14-day crash course in sports psychology
coaching working at your own pace with Confident
Athlete Series Workbook Programs
How Mental Game Coaching
Work?
What
makes an ideal mental game student?
Regardless of the sport, athletes, and performers will
benefit most from sports psychology coaching if they
are dedicated to improving their performance, can apply
the principles of mental game coaching, and are determined
to perform better every time they compete.
How
do I know if I'd be a good candidate for mental game
coaching?
You would be a great candidate for mental game coaching
if you have the physical talent and skills for your sport and are
determined to perform well, but have
realized :
- You should/could be performing better.
- You perform better in practice than in competition.
- You’ve lost confidence, can’t concentrate
or frequently lose control.
Find out now if you’d be a candidate for mental
game coaching – email us and request our one-page
mental game assessment.
I
don't know which program is best for me. Will
Peak Performance Sports help me select the best program
for my sports psychology coaching needs?
Absolutely! We begin with an AMAP (Athlete’s
Mental Aptitude Profile) to assess your individual needs
and how mental toughness training could best benefit
you. We then develop a customized plan based on our mental
game assessment system focusing on your special needs. Our
different sports psychology programs include:
Contact us with your
sports background and to request information on our mental
game coaching programs today!
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Individuals
How
does the program differ for professional/serious athletes
vs. weekend warriors/sports enthusiasts?
Our programs help any athlete—whether serious or
enthusiast-- improve their mental game for peak performance.
The overall goal of any mental game program is the same – improving
your mind by identifying your mental obstacles and inserting
healthy attitudes and beliefs to help you reach peak
performance. Most commonly, serious athletes often work
with us for a longer period of time due to their dedication
and commitment to performance enhancement over the long-term.
Do you work
with athletes in all sports?
We work with any athlete, team, or performer that is
motivated to improve and open to change. Our programs
can be applied to any level of competition including
junior, high school, college or professional. We
work with individuals as well as teams. Dr. Cohn’s
experience is varied, but he has provided mental game
coaching in sports such as: golf, auto racing, motocross,
running, shooting, gymnastics, skating, soccer, tennis,
football, basketball, baseball, softball, hockey, BMX
racing, swimming, triathlons, skydiving, competitive
sailing, and bowling. Our mental game assessment system
allows us to concentrate on the special needs of each
athlete, regardless of your specific sport or performance. For
feedback about experiences of athletes in all sports
visit our client list.
Parents
of Aspiring Athletes
Can
mental game coaching help me to encourage my child
to perform better?
Yes! Sports parents need mental training skills
to know how to relate to your young athlete to encourage
healthy attitudes. Our youth psychology and sports parenting
programs help parents (and coaches of youth sports alike)
know what to say to improve confidence or cope with a
difficult competitive loss. Just as you’ve likely
worked with your child to polish physical skills, you’ll
want to work with your child to refine your child’s
mental game skills (i.e. maintaining composure after
an error or setback).
Working with a mental game coach can help you uncover
the your child's mental obstacles and create winning
strategies to overcome them to maximize you child’s
athletic talents.
What
can both my child and I hope to gain by working with
a mental toughness coach?
Mental training for sports parents and kids can help
you identify the areas in your child’s mental game
that are holding back his or her performance. It will
also teach you the mental game skills, practice routines,
and communication skills to positively impact your child’s
performance. Learn how to become the Ultimate
Sports Parent by visiting our Youth Sports Site.
Coaching
Professionals/Sports Psychology Students
How
will mental game coaching help me work with athletes?
First, mental game coaching will help you to easily identify
the attitudes or behaviors that are impacting the performance
of your athletes and teams. Then, we’ll work with
you to help you develop mental strategies to overcome
the obstacles so your athletes enter the zone faster
and stay there longer.
How can
I apply mental game strategies to empower athletes?
Athletes become empowered when you are able to quickly identify the mental
toughness challenges and implement strategies to help them overcome the barriers
to peak performance.
We start our mental training programs for coaches, or
others working hands-on with athletes in sports, by providing
our exclusive mental game (AMAP) assessment tools. These
tools help you uncover the mental barriers that impact
the performance of your athletes.
Secondly, we teach coaches how to ask the right questions,
and understand and apply the important phases of mental
coaching. Coaches also learn the most importance mental
strategies that impact an athlete’s or team’s
performance.
Finally, you learn how best to apply mental training
with athletes to their specific sport and the practice
routines that will best prepare athletes for peak performance
in competition.
What
kinds of programs are available for coaching professionals
or therapists?
We offer our exclusive Mental Game Coaching Professional
(MGCP) certification training programs. If you’d
like to help your athletes by using sports psychology
techniques and skills, then either our certification
program or our self-paced mental game coaching program
will give you the tools to help maximize the potential
of your athletes!
You can also enroll in our online
mental training programs and work at your own pace
with over 500 pages of performance-boosting content.
Teams
When
can a team best utilize mental game coaching?
Mental toughness coaching and sports psychology are helpful
for teams who simply want to improve overall performance.
As a coach, you likely know the symptoms that your team
is not performing up to its potential and mental coaching
is needed, such as when athletes lack confidence, lose
motivation, commit more mental errors than usual, or
perform better in practice than during competition.
How
can sports psychology help my team?
Sports psychology can help team athletes by enhancing
confidence, improving focus, increasing practice efficiency,
and building team. We can also help the slumping team
identify why performance is below potential and how implementing
mental game strategies can positively impact performance.
What
kinds of programs for teams are available?
Our team programs are customized for your team. We
initiate our team sports psychology coaching by assessing
the needs of your team and creating a customized program
that will combine seminars, clinics, workshops, and individual
sessions to target the specific challenges you would
like to address with your team. Contact us to build a
custom program for you and your team.
How
do I get started?
- Contact
us now by email with your sports background.
- Contact us now by phone: 888-742-7225 or 407-909-1700
for more details.
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