Sports Psychology Articles for Athletes and Performers

How You Can Become A Peak Performer in Sports

Talent is important, but mental toughness and strong mental skills are necessary for peak performance, and all athletes can learn those skills.

What Makes an Elite Athlete “Elite”? Elite athletes aren’t elite just because they are talented. Plenty of talented athletes have not lived up to their potential. Do elite athletes just have better coaching? Again, many athletes have risen to the top without the best coaching. Likewise, many talented athletes have elite coaches and still consistently under perform. Elite … Sport Psychology Article…

How to Perform Big in Pressure Moments

How to Perform Big in Pressure Moments

Do you Contribute to Pressure During Competitions? It’s interesting to think about how we contribute to pressure. Pressure doesn’t merely exist; it is shaped by our thoughts and feelings about competing in certain situations. Pressure is a personal experience, and your relationship to pressure impacts your anxiety and performance levels. What affects your relationship with pressure? *Belief – … Sport Psychology Article…

How This Pro Manages Criticism

How This Pro Manages Criticism

Mental Toughness When being Criticized Mental toughness is often seen as a physical triumph over adversity. For example, a football player who returns to action in the fourth quarter after limping off the field earlier in the game. Or a gymnast who gets back up on the balance beam to complete her routine after a hard fall. However, … Sport Psychology Article…

Mindset for Playing in Tough Conditions

Mindset for Playing in Tough Conditions

Facing the Worst Conditions in a Competition Were you able to concentrate on competing, or did the weather or arena mentally affect your performance? Wind, rain, snow, excessive heat, frigid temperatures, and glaring sun can affect playing surfaces and competition conditions. It is challenging to be your best when weather conditions are not optimal. But why do some … Sport Psychology Article…

How a Mental Reset Can Improve Your Game

Embrace Team Competition

The Best Way to Turn your Performance Around Every athlete experiences rough spots or slumps, which causes periods of under performance.  Many times, those athletes get in trouble when they focus on their most recent disappointing results. Many athletes fall into the trap of being mentally “nearsighted.” That is, they are consumed by their recent bad results or … Sport Psychology Article…

Routines vs Superstitions for Athletes 

Routines vs Superstitions for Athletes 

The Differences Between Superstitions and Routines? A superstition can be irrational because it’s based on luck. Another way of putting it is when athletes believe they will achieve positive results by engaging in a random act. Examples of athlete superstitions include: * MLB pitcher Steve Kline never washed his hat for fear of washing away his luck. *NHL … Sport Psychology Article…