Male professional footballers’ use of mental skills training and counselling: Dilemma or conundrum?

The popularity of sport psychology, both as an academic discipline and an applied practice, has grown substantially over the past two decades. Few within the realm of competitive athletics would argue with the importance of being mentally prepared prior to an athletic competition as well as the need to maintain that particular mindset during a competitive contest. Nevertheless, recent research has shown that many athletes, coaches, and sporting administrators are still quite reluctant to seek out the services of a qualified sport psychologist, even if they believe it could help. One of the primary reasons for this hesitation appears to be a lack of understanding about the process and the mechanisms by which these mental skills affect performance. Unlike the “harder sciences” of sport physiology and biochemistry where athletes can see the tangible results in themselves or other athletes (e.g., he or she lifted weights, developed larger muscles, and is now stronger/faster as a result), the unfamiliar and often esoteric nature of sport psychology appears to be impeding a large number of athletes from soliciting these important services. As such, the purpose of this article is to provide the reader with a simple framework depicting how mental skills training translates into improved within-competition performance. This framework is intended to help bridge the general “understanding gap” that is currently being reported by a large number of athletes and coaches, while also helping sport psychology practitioners sell their valuable services to individual athletes and teams.

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Mental Skills

10.1093/oso/9780197512494.003.0005 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 61-75

Author(s):

Dave Collins ◽

Hugh Richards

Keyword(s):

Skills Training ◽

Well Being ◽

Influential Factors ◽

Professional Judgment ◽

Mental Skills ◽

Mental Skills Training ◽

Normative Expectations ◽

Level Of Experience ◽

Special Circumstances ◽

The Impact

This chapter considers issues in optimizing the impact and efficacy of mental skills training (MST). Balancing MST focus between performance, well-being, and character development is essential and requires data-driven case conceptualization. Effective professional judgment and decision-making underpins development of effective MST, enabling consideration of aspects such as timing, sequencing, and periodization, which determine the optimum “blend” of intervention techniques and delivery. Three interacting factors underpin effective application of MST. Relevant performer characteristics (e.g., gender, age, maturity) and special circumstances (injury, retirement) interact with practitioner characteristics such as level of experience, specific training, and preference/expertise with certain skills. Interactions are also influenced by cultural/contextual factors, from normative expectations of service delivery to contractual conditions and geographical locations (online/remote). The actual benefit of mental skills can only be realized when the provider both comprehends how to plan and deliver effectively and can navigate influential factors appropriately.

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Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of anAthlete-Informed Mental Skills Training Program for EliteYouth Tennis Players

Journal of Applied Sport Psychology ◽

10.1080/10413200.2019.1573204 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (5) ◽

pp. 429-449 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lea-Cathrin Dohme ◽

Gordon A. Bloom ◽

David Piggott ◽

Susan Backhouse

Keyword(s):

Training Program ◽

Skills Training ◽

Mental Skills ◽

Mental Skills Training ◽

Tennis Players

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Biofeedback Training: Enhancing Athletic Performance

Biofeedback ◽

10.5298/1081-5937-39.3.07 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 101-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Boris Blumenstein ◽

Yitzhak Weinstein

Keyword(s):

Athletic Performance ◽

Training Programs ◽

Skills Training ◽

Biofeedback Training ◽

Mental Skills ◽

Training Process ◽

Successful Performance ◽

Mental Skills Training ◽

Vital Component ◽

Conceptual Paper

During the last three decades, mental skills training of athletes has become widely accepted as an important factor in sport and a vital component of successful performance of top athletes. Biofeedback training (BFT) is a key element/tool of a complex multifaceted treatment/training program aimed at enhancing athletic performance. The main purpose of this conceptual paper is to illustrate the successful integration of the Wingate 5-Step Approach to training programs that are based on a periodization principle. This integration is targeted at the development of both physical and mental skills to optimize and enhance the effectiveness of the mental training process. Examples derived from our experiences are illustrated and discussed.

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The Creation of a Mental Skills Training Program in Elite Youth Tennis: A Coach-Driven Approach to Developing Resilient, Confident Competitors

International Sport Coaching Journal ◽

10.1123/iscj.2019-0012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 74-81

Author(s):

E. Earlynn Lauer ◽

Mark Lerman ◽

Rebecca A. Zakrajsek ◽

Larry Lauer

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Training Program ◽

High Performance ◽

Youth Sport ◽

Skills Training ◽

Mental Skills ◽

Strength And Conditioning ◽

Mental Skills Training ◽

Self Talk ◽

Strength And Conditioning Coach

In this paper, we describe the development and content of a mental skills training (MST) program and how a strength and conditioning coach/certified mental coach delivered this program within a United States Tennis Association (USTA) Player Development (PD) program. The purpose of the MST program was to create resilient, confident youth tennis competitors. Specific mental strategies (i.e., journaling, routines, breathing, imagery, self-talk) were identified to best meet the objectives of the MST program and were delivered using a three-pronged approach: (a) classroom lessons, (b) strength and conditioning sessions and on-court lessons, and (c) homework assignments. Specific ways that the USTA PD coaches reinforced the use of these strategies during tennis practice are described. Recommendations for coaches to integrate an MST program in high-performance youth sport environments are also provided.

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Mental skills training limits the decay in operative technical skill under stressful conditions: Results of a multisite, randomized controlled study

Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.surg.2019.01.011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 165 (6) ◽

pp. 1059-1064 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nicholas E. Anton ◽

Tomoko Mizota ◽

Jake A. Whiteside ◽

Erinn M. Myers ◽

Eric A. Bean ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Skills Training ◽

Technical Skill ◽

Randomized Controlled Study ◽

Controlled Study ◽

Mental Skills ◽

Mental Skills Training ◽

Randomized Controlled

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Reflections on a 5-Year Consultancy Program with the England Women’s Cricket Team

The Sport Psychologist ◽

10.1123/tsp.9.2.148 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 148-163 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Stephen J. Bull

Keyword(s):

Service Delivery ◽

Sport Psychology ◽

Skills Training ◽

Mental Skills ◽

World Cup ◽

Mental Skills Training ◽

Evaluation Form ◽

The World ◽

Psychology Service ◽

Informal Feedback

This paper documents a 5-year sport psychology consultancy program with the England Women’s Cricket Team. The paper describes the method and content of sport psychology service provided and distinguishes between four phases of delivery: introduction and education in mental skills training, competition preparation and thinking, preliminary World Cup preparation, and final World Cup preparation and on-site provision. Service delivery was evaluated by the use of the Consultant Evaluation Form (Partington & Orlick, 1987), ongoing informal feedback from players and coaches, and a formal interview conducted after the World Cup. Reflections on successful and unsuccessful aspects of the program are provided. Overall, the sport psychology program was very well received and was considered instrumental in achieving the stated goal of winning the World Cup. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations for delivering extended sport psychology services to an international team.

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Periodized Mental Skills Training

Athletic Therapy Today ◽

10.1123/att.5.4.49 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 49-50

Author(s):

Sandy Gordon ◽

Margart Potter ◽

Peter Hamer

Keyword(s):

Skills Training ◽

Mental Skills ◽

Mental Skills Training

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