Sport psychology

Usain Bolt avoids thinking about his weaknesses before a race. Sometimes he thinks about how he will celebrate if he wins.^[1] See: Self-talk

Usain Bolt beating Tyson Gay and setting a 100 meter world record at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany.

"Sport psychology is a proficiency that uses psychological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports participation, and systemic issues associated with sports settings and organizations."^[2] Among other things, sport psychologists teach athletes how to keep a positive mental attitude and how to stay mentally focused/calm during their performances.

1 Peak performance
2 Self-talk and sport psychology
- 2.1 Self-talk and sports psychology
3 Visualization
4 Mental toughness and sport psychology
- 4.1 Jones, Hanton, and Connaughton study on mental toughness
- 4.2 Gucciardi, Gordon, and Dimmock on mental toughness
5 Sport psychology quotes
6 Books
7 See also
8 External links
9 Notes

Peak performance

The sport psychologist George Mumford has worked with Michael Jordan and other athletes.^[3]

See also: Peak performance and Flow state and Positive thinking and Positive psychology and Self-confidence and Courage and Anxiety and Fear

In the field of psychology, particularly sport psychology, peak performance is a mental and physiological state that is also known as peak experience, the zone of optimal functioning and flow. It specifically refers to a moment when an individual puts it all together, when they are in the zone of "flow state", and when they achieve an exceptional performance.^[4]

According to Medical News Today:

“

The term “flow state” describes a mental state in which a person is completely focused on a single task or activity. They are directing all of their attention toward the task, and they do not experience many thoughts about themselves or their performance. Some people refer to this informally as being “in the zone.”

The concept of flow comes from the field of positive psychology, which is the study of things that help humans thrive. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who was an influential part of the movement, coined the term.

Flow has similarities with mindfulness, as both involve a focus on the present moment. However, people often use the term “flow” in reference to situations in which they are being productive, whereas a person can be in a state of mindfulness regardless of whether they are doing a task.^[5]

”

Performance anxiety can hinder a person when it comes to peak/exceptional performance.

Self-talk and sport psychology

According to the Mayo Clinic, "Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way."^[6]

See also: Self-talk

According to HealthDirect: Self-talk is the way you talk to yourself, or your inner voice. You might not be aware that you're doing it, but you almost certainly are. This inner voice combines conscious thoughts with inbuilt beliefs and biases to create an internal monologue throughout the day."^[7]

Making one's self-talk employ more positive thinking and employing more constructive/realistic/problem solving/creative thinking is better for one's physical/mental health and increases one's performance at tasks.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Self-talk and sports psychology

According to McLeod Health, in sports psychology, "Self-talk is defined as the verbalization or statements athletes repeat to themselves prior to or during skill execution (Begley, 2012). Performing these techniques can improve focus and slow the brain down, giving it the ability to devote more “power” to the specific task at hand."^[11]

Visualization

See also: Visualization (psychology)

In psychology, visualization is the process of creating mental images or rehearsing movements in your mind. It's also known as mental imagery.^[12]

Visualization is often used in sport psychology where the athlete mentally rehearses a perfect performance. Research indicates that people who engage in positive visualization tend to exhibit higher levels of self-confidence and they are more apt to pursue their goals with determination.^[13]^[14] Visualization is also used for stress management and anxiety reduction.^[15]

Mental toughness and sport psychology

See also: Mental toughness

Jones, Hanton, and Connaughton study on mental toughness

See also: Attitude and Achievement orientation

In a frequently cited study relative to mental toughness, the researchers Graham Jones, Sheldon Hanton and Declan Connaughton employed personal construct psychology in interviews with elite athletes/coaches and sport psychologists, and offered the following definition of mental toughness: "Having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to: generally, cope better than your opponents with the many demands (competition, training, lifestyle) that sport places on a performer; specifically, be more consistent and better than your opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident, and in control under pressure."^[16]

“The 3 key components for success are as follows: psychological preparedness, physical conditioning, mental toughness.”- the martial artist Chuck Norris^[17]

The abstract of a second study of the researchers Graham Jones, Sheldon Hanton and Declan Connaughton entitled A Framework of Mental Toughness in the World’s Best Performers published in the journal The Sport Psychologist indicates:

“

The authors conducted an investigation of mental toughness in a sample population of athletes who have achieved ultimate sporting success. Eight Olympic or world champions, 3 coaches, and 4 sport psychologists agreed to participate. Qualitative methods addressed 3 fundamental issues: the definition of mental toughness, the identification of its essential attributes, and the development of a framework of mental toughness. Results verified the authors’ earlier definition of mental toughness and identified 30 attributes that were essential to being mentally tough. These attributes clustered under 4 separate dimensions (attitude/mindset, training, competition, postcompetition) within an overall framework of mental toughness. Practical implications and future avenues of research involving the development of mental toughness and measurement issues are discussed.^[18]

”

Gucciardi, Gordon, and Dimmock on mental toughness

Using the research with Australian footballers and personal construct psychology, the Australian researchers Daniel Gucciardi, Sandy Gordon, and James Dimmock offered the this definition of mental toughness: "Mental toughness in Australian Football is a collection of values, attitudes, behaviors, and emotions that enable you to persevere and overcome any obstacle, adversity, or pressure experienced, but also to maintain concentration and motivation when things are going well to consistently achieve your goals."^[19]