Chapter Sixteen : Psychological Strategies to Improve Performance Flashcards
Success in sport requires 4 qualities…
Concentration - the ability to maintain focus
Confidence - belief in one’s abilities
Control - ability to maintain control of one’s emotions regardless of distractions
Commitment - the ability to continue to work towards agreed goal
What psychological strategies are used to improve performance
Sleep Confidence and motivation Optimal arousal Mental imagery Concentration
What do the strategies do for the athlete?
Differentiate at the elite level Build confidence Enhance motivation Manage stress and anxiety Use imagery and visualisation Focus concentration and attention
What motivates a person to play sport?
Children - for fun, to belong to a group, motor skill development
Adults - fitness, social, salary
Coaches must take advantage of motivators to get the most out of their players
Extrinsic and Intrinsic motivating factors
Extrinsic - out of control of the performer - recognition, status, money
Intrinsic - what performer can control - satisfaction with performance, achieving goals, PB. These are better to focus on as a coach
Reinforcement
Postive - after desirable behaviour, positive acknowledgement of good play usually verbal affirmations
Negative - after undesirable behaviour, a punishment such as pushups, laps or situps
Tips for effective reinforcement
During the cognitive stages, continuous, positive and decrease as the individual progresses
Reward successful steps
Provide specific feedback
There is a place for negative and positive reinforcement but 10 more positive per negative
How does goal setting improve motivation?
`Focuses attention on important skills Organises athletes efforts Encourages perseverance Refines movements Encourages learning new strategies
SMARTER Goals
Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Exciting Recorded
Why is confidence beneficial?
Players believe in themselves Demonstrate positive emotions Remain calm under pressure Remain on task for longer Take calculated chances
How to improve confidence?
Athletes need to think and act postively
Focus on next segment of play
Use positive self talk
Specific conditioning
How does sleep impact performance?
Decreases ability to metabolise glucose Increased cortisol Decreased human growth hormone Decreased aerobic endurance Increased percieved exertion Increased moodiness Reduced brain function
Arousal levels
High - performance suffers, appears tense, jerky movements, coordination drops, mistakes increase
Low - performance is likely to be poor, bored, tired, concentration drops, enthusiasm decreases
Arousal reduction
Progressive muscle relaxation Meditation Controlled breathing Biofeedback Stress innoculation training
Arousal promotion
Elevated breathing Act energetically Positive self talk Imagery Pre comp warm up
Mental imagery
Using kinaesthetic, auditory, visual and tactile senses
Visualising
Benefits
Increases motivation Builds confidence Helps control arousal levels Increases concentration Strengthens neural pathways
Factors that affect concentration
Focusing on past errors
Future-oriented thinking
Choking
What leads to choking
Important competition
Critical plays
Evaluation by coaches, peers and parents
What happens during choking
Physical - Increased muscle tension, Increased breathing rate, racing heart rate
Attention - Internal focus, narrow focus, reduced flexibility
How does choking impact performance?
Timing and coordination breakdown
Muscle tightness and fatigue
Rushing
Improving concentration
Sleep Simulation training Meditation Imagery Routines Positive self talk
Recovery (carbohydrates)
To replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores
Within 30-60mins it has to be high GI
>60 mins Low GI
For endurance events that are >90 mins
Recovery (protein)
Increased amino acids for protein synthesis
Enhanced cellular repair
Increased anabolic hormones
10-30g within 30-60 minutes, combined with carbs
Endurance events >60min, resistance training and team sports
Hydration (water)
Replenish water stores lost during exercise
Day to day
In all events
Hydration (electrolyte)
Replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores
Replenish salts lost due to sweat
Post events
Ultra-endurance >2.5 hours
