Sports psychology articles for athletes and performers to improve mental toughness in sports
Do Losses Motivate You? For many athletes, losses hurt their confidence and detract from their motivation. Unfortunately, losses are part of the athletic experience. So goes the saying, “You can’t win them all.” How you respond to a loss separates good athletes from great ones. After a loss, you have two choices: 1. You can see the loss … Sport Psychology Article…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…