mental prep + motivation

• Arousal


  A physical and mental (physiological and psychological) state of alertness or readiness, varying from deep sleep to intense excitement or alertness
• Optimum Arousal


  The point at which the best or optimal performance occurs
• Inverted U theory


  • The theory states that as arousal increases so does performance up to an optimal point, after this point id arousal continues to rise performance will drop due to becoming over anxious

  
• Mental rehearsal


  1. Mentally practicing a skill or movement before physically doing it

  2. During the warm-up you may prepare mentally and physically for the activity

  3. During an event the performer goes through a sequence or skill they are about to perform in their mind. It helps clarify the skill & improve confidence
• Mental rehearsal


  • A bobsleigh driver will visualise the route down the track prior to the race. This will mentally prepare for each twist and turn on the way down
  • A rugby player will go through the skill and sequence before taking a penalty kick. This can improve confidence
• Visualisation/imagery


  1. You can visualise yourself playing with a successful outcome

  2. You can visualise yourself in a stress-free environment to reduce anxiety so optimal performance can be achieved
• Visualisation/imagery


  • A footballer may visualise where the ball going to travel into the goal before a penalty kick
  • An archer may visualise themselves in a stress-free environment to reduce anxiety before shooting
• Deep breathing


  If over aroused breathing can become shallow, deep breathing techniques can help reduce arousal. They should concentrate on taking long deep breaths
• Deep breathing


  • Before a basketball player has a free throw they may focus on their breathing to reduce anxiety before taking the shot
• Positive self-talk


  It is easy to think of negative thought during a match this can have a negative effect on performance. One way of preventing this is by saying encouraging things to yourself
• Positive self-talk


  • A tennis player who is getting beat may prevent negative thoughts by saying encouraging things such as: "come on you can do this", "I can beat them", "Be patient, don't rush"
• Optimal arousal


  • The optimal arousal will depend on the type of skill being performed: Fine movement skills such as a golf put require lower levels of arousal, Gross movement skills such as a rugby tackle need higher levels of arousal, An elite performer will need a higher level of arousal than a beginner

  
• Direct Aggression


  Involves physical contact to cause physical harm, normally outside the rules of the sport, players do it in the hope they do not get caught
• Indirect Aggression


  Doesn't involve physical contact, could be a nasty remark or an act against an object to gain an advantage, the intended harm is usually mental rather than physical to put them off their game
• Sporting examples of Direct Aggression

  • Dangerous tackle (football)
  • High tackle (rugby)

  
• Sporting examples of Indirect Aggression

  • Bowled at the batter (cricket)
  • Verbal abuse (football)
• Intrinsic Motivation


  The drive comes from within you, driven by personal feeling e.g. pride, satisfaction, accomplishment, self-worth, achievement
• Extrinsic Motivation


  The drive comes from external rewards such as money/prizes, trophies, praise (feedback applause), tangible rewards (can touch) and intangible rewards (can't touch)
• Introvert


  Shy and quiet, reserved, thoughtful, enjoy being on their own, associated with individual sports which require concentration, precision and low arousal
• Extrovert


  Active, talkative and outgoing, sociable (aroused by others), enthusiastic, prone to boredom (when on own), associated with team sports which are fast paced (high arousal), concentration levels are low and gross skills are used
• Sporting examples of Introverts


  • Running
  • Archery
• Sporting examples of Extroverts

  • Rugby
  • Boxing
• You can run a marathon


  For the intrinsic motivation of accomplishment and achievement
• Some performers get paid lots of money

  Which can be extrinsic motivation
• Winning a gold medal

  Can be extrinsic motivation but can lead to feelings of pride and achievement which are intrinsic
• A player who has enough money and has won all the major trophies (overuse of extrinsic motivation)

  Can reduce their intrinsic motivation