Mental Game Coach

The Basics

What is sports psychology?

As part of the larger field of sport exercise and science, sports psychology studies human behavior in the sport environment and the effects of sport on the participant. The goal of sports psychology is to help athletes perform their best by improving not only the necessary skills but also their mental attitudes to excel in a sporting endeavor.

What is Mental Game Coaching?

Mental Game Coaching is that segment of sports psychology that concentrates specifically on helping athletes break through the mental barriers that are keeping them from performing up to their peak potential. By focusing on the mental skills needed to be successful in any sporting competition, mental game coaching achieves the overall goal of performance improvement.

Comparisons

What is the difference between mental game coaching and traditional work with a therapist?

Unlike psychotherapy, we don't use couches, prescribe medicines, or work with abnormal behavior. Our primary goal is to teach athletes how to be more confident, focus better, stay composed under pressure, practice more efficiently, and develop better pre-performance routines. The main difference between a mental game coach and a therapist is that mental game coaches work with athletes on sports performance enhancement and not personal challenges or abnormal behavior.

What’s the difference between a mental game coach and an athletic team coach?

The difference between a mental game coach and an athletic team coach really depends on the coach. Great athletic team coaches such as Tommy Lasorda have mastered the art of mental game coaching. They know how to help their teams identify the mental obstacles that hold them back from optimum performance, and they know how to implement mental game strategies to help the team perform at their peak. A mental game coach specializes on mental skills for peak performance and does not work on technique or fitness as a team coach would.

Why Hire a Mental Game Coach?

Why do athletes contact mental game coaches?

If an athlete or team has the physical talents and skills to succeed, yet performance either has taken a dip or has plateaued, then mental barriers may be hindering maximum performance. Smart athletes and coaches who recognize the warning signs---an inability to cope with the pressures of competition, becoming easily distracted, having difficulty finding or staying in the “zone”—realize that attitude or beliefs may be at fault and seek the assistance of a sports psychologist to improve performance.

You can download a copy of the free booklet, “Why Sports Psychology” by visiting www.peaksports.com.