Psychological skills training for sports

trainers

What is Psychological Skills Training?

Psychological skills training (PST) is the systematic practice of psychological skills for enhancing sports performance as well as personal growth and development of positive behaviours. In essence, it is an educational approach to mental training which is practised by coaches and athletes worldwide. However, anybody can benefit from practising these techniques. Yes, from athletes and soldiers to children and people with a physical/clinical condition. PST is a very effective assessment and intervention psychological tool for managing inner drive, coping skills and mental power which can give you the break through to succeed in your sports in question. However, you need to bear in mind that each individual has his/her own genetics, body type and psychological make-up which will determine his/her strengths/weaknesses as well as potential for growth and development.

Many athletes are unfamiliar with how mental skills can enhance sports performance. Successful sports athletes, however, will have one in place as practising these psychological skills is vital for minimising falling victims to mental breakdowns and fatal mistakes. Depending on your psychological profile and sporting needs, your PST program can take many forms and address many psychological related topics including mental imagery, motivation, anxiety regulation, depression, overtraining and other related topics. Regardless of your sport in question, most PST programs will follow a set structure with three distinct phases explained in the diagram below.

PST Phases: Psychological skills training is vital in competitive sports. Your PST program will include the necessary psychological and personal skills to be learned, practiced and applied to your sport in question.

The ultimate goal of any PST program is to have you effectively functioning without needing constant direction from your trainer, coach or sport psychologists. This is why your PST program is divided into well defined phases. Each of which is necessary for successful self-regulation of internal functioning, being able to cope with stress/stressors as well as being able to adapt successfully to your personal and sporting environments.