Avoid Outcome Thinking. Do you or your athletes worry too much about what others think of your performance? Athletes often get preoccupied with what we call “outcome thinking,” and play too safely or cautiously as a result. One way you might think about the outcome is worrying about disappointing others if you make mistakes… In this week’s … Sport Psychology Article…
Improve Your Intensity and Focus in Practice In sports psychology, we find that a lot of athletes struggle with maintaining the same intensity in practice that they have in games. While it is good to be a “gamer” and perform your best in competition, this can also hurt your practice mindset if you are unable to improve your … Sport Psychology Article…
Overcoming Adversity Using Mental Toughness Do your current athletic challenges feel impossible to overcome? Adversity can lead to you feeling angry, frustrated and dejected. You feel all alone, lost and can see no way out or end in sight… It seems like nobody knows how you feel or how horrible the situation is. For example… A high school senior baseball player who … Sport Psychology Article…
How to Avoid the Perfectionist Mindset Mistakes and mishaps are an inescapable part of all sports. No matter how hard you try to avoid them, errors will happen during competitions. Even the best athletes in the world are not immune to mistakes: –Pro tennis players hit unforced errors late in matches.–MLB baseball players strike out with runners in … Sport Psychology Article…
Stay Motivated in Adversity How do you feel and what do you do when your training regimen is disrupted? Injuries, illnesses, inclement weather, facility shutdowns and vacations are some circumstances that can disrupt an athlete’s training or competing. Uncontrollable circumstances, such as an injury, can spur several thoughts that create anxiety for an athlete and hurt their confidence. For … Sport Psychology Article…
Develop the Shooter’s Mentality In sports psychology, we find that a lot of athletes struggle with confidence after making mistakes–especially after missing a shot or other performance indicator in a competition. These athletes struggle with a fear of making mistakes and tend to choke up when under pressure in games or matches. As a result, these athletes tend … Sport Psychology Article…