Sports Psychology

• stress management

  Stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the demands of the task and the ability level of the performer to respond in a situation where failure has consequences.

  Too little stress - boredom, low motivation and poor performance

  Too high stress - high heart rate, on edge, tense muscles
• concentration


  The ability to focus on a task at hand whilst ignoring irrelevant cues or distractions

  Selective - focus on relevant cues

  Shiftable - broad focus to narrow focus

  Maintain - ability to maintain concentration for duration of event

  Situational - understand the situation and take action
• Arousal

  the degree of stimulation or alertness presented in a performer about to perform a skilled task

  under arousal - performer is distracted and unmotivated. heavy muscles, bored and tired

  over aroused - narrow and internally focused attention, tence muscles, on edge and anxiety, coordination drops
• Motivation

  the direction and intensity of effort by a performer towards a given task

  Intrinsic - internal motivation eg playing for enjoyment, a challenge

  Extrinsic - external motivation eg money, fame
• Self confidence

  the belief that a performer has in their own ability to successfully perform a desired skill or behaviour

  Self fulfilling prophecy - expectation to succeed -> performance is successful -> self confidence increases
• relaxation

  an activity undertake to reduce tension and effects of physical and mental stress
• Imagery

  the mental recreation, using as many sences as possible of a successful past performance or skill
• Self - talk

  talking / thinking to yourslef positively before, during or after a performance
• 4 C's of mentally strong athletes


  Control - can control and influence any given situation

  Commitment - persist in driving forward towards a goal regardless of obstacles

  Confidence - self believe that they will succeed

  Challenge - regard challenges as opportunity to improve
• Nidffers model of attention


  Nidffers model of attention

  
• inverted u hypothesis

  
• 4 stages of stress


  • What are the actual demands of the situation?
  • How does the performer perceive the demands?
  • The athletes physical and mental response ton the situation
  • How the athletes performance is affected by the stress
• Anxiety


  Negative emotion based of fear of what might happen

  State anxiety - immediate emotional state of fear, tension and increased arousal. can change during performance

  Trait anxiety - whether the performance views it as a challenge or a threat
• goal setting

  identifying what you want to achieve and planning how you will achieve it
• Pre performance Routines


  repeated ritual to prepare for the performance