Sports Psychology Articles for Athletes and Performers

How to Refocus After Making Mistakes

How to Refocus After Making Mistakes

Do You Have a Short Memory for Mistakes? “Memory” refers to the length of time an athlete dwells on mistakes. Some athletes have difficulty overcoming mistakes during a competition. They think about the mistake repeatedly, replaying the error in their mind. The mistake becomes a distraction, taking the focus off performing in the present moment. When an athlete’s … Sport Psychology Article…

How to Use Mistakes to Improve Performance

How to Use Mistakes to Improve Performance

Focus on Mistakes to Learn From Them There is a fine line between recognizing and dwelling on mistakes. You need to be able to identify miscues or missed opportunities from a competition to learn from them. The key is how long you think about those mistakes. Let’s look at the following scenario. Bob G. is a freshman collegiate … Sport Psychology Article…

Defining Athletic Success on Your Terms 

Defining Athletic Success on Your Terms

How To Define Your Athletic Success Often, athletes allow other people (with good intentions) to define success for them. For example, your parents may see success as earning a college scholarship, becoming a starter, or competing for a highly competitive team.  Likewise, your coach may see success as you achieving a national cut, having a top ranking, winning … Sport Psychology Article…

How to Resolve Conflicts with Your Teammates and Coaches

How to Resolve Conflicts with Your Teammates and Coaches

Have You Ever Had a Team Conflict? Team conflict can affect how you feel about your team, how much you enjoy your sport, and how intensely you pursue your goals. Not only does conflict affect you, but it can also create tension with your teammates, coaches, family, and friends outside of sport. Can you relate to the following … Sport Psychology Article…

Why Should I Work with a Mental Performance Coach? 

Why Should I Work with a Mental Performance Coach? 

Put in Extra Work After Practice to Become the Best In sports, elite athletes often have unrivaled work ethics. We hear of Olympian athletes who start their training sessions at 5 a.m. or train between 4-6 hours daily. Other athletes are stuck in a rut or hit a plateau. The common sentiment is, “I work so hard throughout … Sport Psychology Article…

How to Keep Calm after a Poor Officiating Call

How to Keep Calm after a Poor Officiating Call

Do Emotions Get the Best of you After a Bad Call? Do your emotional outbursts lead to a loss of focus and uncharacteristic mistakes? You can’t take emotions out of the game. By nature, we are emotional beings. However, when you don’t reel in your emotions, they will intensify, and your performance will decline rapidly. For example, Mary … Sport Psychology Article…