{"id":5748,"date":"2016-06-15T14:12:46","date_gmt":"2016-06-15T14:12:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=5748"},"modified":"2025-06-10T06:23:24","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T10:23:24","slug":"how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio\/","title":{"rendered":"How Olympic Athletes Prepare For Rio"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5754\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Mental-Training-Program.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Training Program\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Mental-Training-Program.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/Mental-Training-Program-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Benefits_of_Mental_Preparation_For_Athletes\"><\/span>Benefits of Mental Preparation For Athletes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio\/#Benefits_of_Mental_Preparation_For_Athletes\" >Benefits of Mental Preparation For Athletes<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio\/#Now_think_of_how_that_result_would_have_differed_if_your_body_and_mind_acted_together_as_one_dynamic_force\" >Now think of how that result would have differed if your body and mind acted together as one dynamic force.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio\/#How_to_develop_a_mental_training_program\" >How to develop a mental training program:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio\/#The_Confident_Athlete\" >The Confident Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>With the 2016 Rio Olympics around the corner, sport psychology is receiving increased attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s no longer a secret that the majority of Olympic athletes utilize <strong>mental training<\/strong> as a regular component of their training regimen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Olympic athletes understand the importance of having their body and mind running at optimal levels during intense competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Take a moment to think about a competition or game where you were physically ready to compete but your mind was ill-prepared and battled you even before the event kicked off&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe you were battling negative thoughts, lack of <strong>confidence<\/strong>, an inability to <strong>focus<\/strong>, overwhelming anxiety or a fear of failure&#8230; Whichever the case, your body and mind were not acting as a cohesive unit&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What was the result of that performance? Do you want to erase it from your mental archive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Now_think_of_how_that_result_would_have_differed_if_your_body_and_mind_acted_together_as_one_dynamic_force\"><\/span>Now think of how that result would have differed if your body and mind acted together as one dynamic force.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Olympic athletes train for four years preparing for this one competition and, for that reason, leave nothing to chance&#8230; Especially their <strong>mental game<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Olympic hopeful and platform diver, Sarah McCrady, is readying herself Olympic trials in hopes of earning a spot on the US team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Platform diving is a complex and difficult sport. McCrady starts each dive 33 feet about the water, travels more than 30 miles an hour in the air while performing a series of acrobatic moves then plunges into a pool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCrady admits there is definitely an element of fear in competitive diving that needs to be managed in order to be successful in the sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>McCRADY<\/strong>: <em>\u201cHonestly, I do still get scared jumping from it. When I walk to the end [of the platform], I\u2019m like, calm down, you\u2019ve done it so many times. But it is scary looking down and seeing how high it is you\u2019re going to jump off of.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not only does a diver need to manage fear, they need to deal with the discomfort that comes with slamming their body through the water at such high speeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>McCRADY<\/strong>: <em>\u201cIt hurts your wrists, because you enter the water with your hands grabbed like this (in front of you) and locked out. So it hurts your wrists a little bit, it hurts your shoulders and elbows a little bit.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>McCrady believes that <strong>mental training<\/strong> is not only helpful in order to compete at a high level, it is absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>McCRADY<\/strong>: <em>\u201cIt\u2019s like a 90 percent mental sport. It\u2019s a 10 percent physical sport. [To be successful], it\u2019s all the mental training with a sports psychologist all the time. [You need to] train the mental side of it&#8230; Because my body can do the dives; I know my body can do the dives. It\u2019s just, can my brain get my body to do those dives?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, it\u2019s not just mental training that separates Olympians from all the rest; it\u2019s the amount of <strong>mental training<\/strong> they schedule into training regimen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_develop_a_mental_training_program\"><\/span>How to develop a mental training program:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are 3 steps to developing a mental training program:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Assess your current mental game. What are your mental strengths and weaknesses? (Contact us for a one-page test we&#8217;ll email you).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Select 1-2 mental skills that would benefit your overall performance the most. Increased confidence? Managing fear of failure? Improving focus? Taking your practice to competition? Trust in your skills?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>3.Create a training plan. How will you go about developing these mental skills? How much time will you dedicate to mental training? Will you seek the expert advice from a mental training or mental game coach? (Contact us for program options).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t leave your mental game to chance&#8230; It does NOT mean you are weak if you work with a mental game coach! It only means that you want to improve all facets of your performance. Get your mind and body on the same page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"httpss:\/\/peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\"><strong>Mental Training Programs for Athletes<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/do-you-or-your-team-have-the-comeback-mindset\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-the-pressure-derailed-nathan-chen-at-the-olympics\/\"><strong>How the Pressure Derailed Nathan Chen at the Olympics<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-grow-competition-confidence\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/why-olympic-athletes-use-routines\/\"><strong>Why Olympic Athletes Use Routines<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/shiffrin-the-mindset-of-an-olympic-champion\/\"><strong>Shiffrin: The Mindset of an Olympic Champion<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Confident_Athlete\"><\/span>The Confident Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/confident-athlete-audio250.jpg\" alt=\"The Confident Athlete Audio\" class=\"wp-image-16347\" style=\"width:198px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d consists of 2 audio programs that include 14 days of confidence fueling exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through the 14 days, helps you apply the strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me help you put a <strong>stop to the confidence leak<\/strong>. You can learn to have greater levels of confidence in competition than you do in practice by identifying the specific ways you undermine your own confidence and <strong>how to convert your practice confidence into COMPETITIVE CONFIDENCE<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Confident Athlete\u201d is a ground-breaking system to teach you how to think like a champion and have ultimate self-confidence every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course. The confident athletes was <strong>developed for any athlete \u2013 junior to professional \u2013<\/strong>that wants to gain confidence. However, coaches and sports parents can learn how to teach others to perform with ultimate confidence. Use my program if you want to bust a slump or just wanting higher or more consistent levels of self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-0b39f7aa\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-a74417ae gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-confident-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-461ab57c gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-confident-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Benefits of Mental Preparation For Athletes With the 2016 Rio Olympics around the corner, sport psychology is receiving increased attention. It\u2019s no longer a secret that the majority of Olympic athletes utilize mental training as a regular component of their training regimen. Olympic athletes understand the importance of having their body and mind running at optimal levels during &#8230; <a title=\"How Olympic Athletes Prepare For Rio\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-olympic-athletes-prepare-for-rio\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How Olympic Athletes Prepare For Rio\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142],"tags":[620,602],"class_list":["post-5748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","tag-mental-preparation-in-sports","tag-mental-training-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.6.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mental training is not only helpful in order to compete at a high level, it is necessary. 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