1. Key knowledge – psychological strategies used to enhance performance and aid recovery including sleep, meditation, motivational techniques, optimal arousal, mental imagery and concentration VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

2.  Meditation  Motivation  Optimal Arousal  Mental Imagery  Concentration  Sleep

3. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

4. Focuses on cognitive behavioural aspects of sports psychology.  Psychological skills, like physical skills, can be learnt via training (PST).  PST can dramatically improve performances  PST programs are individualised  Techniques include; Goal setting, arousal, anxiety, mental imagery, motivation, confidence and concentration  Can assist athletes to: ◦ Avoid feelings like you have played poorly or should have won ◦ Avoid choking under pressure ◦ Avoid depression during recovery from an injury ◦ Stay motivated to train consistently ◦ Stay focused during a competition ◦ Avoid getting angry and frustrated with their own performance and putting themselves down. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

6. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

7. Goal setting is where athletes set down clear targets, priorities and expectations.  Goal setting has been shown to increase work out put up to 40-50%.  Goals need to be set up for both training and competition.  Long term goals aim at the broader target, whereas short term goals provide more manageable focus points. See Fig 13.2 p.313 Types of goals; 1. Outcome goals – Focus on end results, times, finishing places or medals. 2. Performance goals – Focus on comparing present performance levels with those obtained previously. Independent to other competitors. 3. Process goals – Focus on physical movements and game strategies. VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

8. The National Coaching Association has set down the following ‘SMARTER’ way of setting goals; S pecific – Clear goals to focus on M easurable – Need to be assessed against previous performances A ccepted – Acceptance by the all parties involved R ealistic – Goals need to be within the athlete’s capacity T ime Phased – Specific date for completion needs to be set Exciting – Challenged, inspired and rewarding goals R ecorded – Goals should be written down and kept Goal setting improves performance by;  Focusing attention on important elements of the skill/s being performed  Activating and organising an athlete’s efforts  Encouraging athlete perseverance  Promoting the development of new learning strategies  Refining movements and set plays  Contributing towards a positive psychological state VCE Physical Education - Unit 4 p.314

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10. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

11. Arousal is the amount of readiness or activation a person experiences when faced with a task. Athletes need an optimal level of arousal to experience success. Moderate level is ideal zone. Note. Arousal levels and performance outcomes vary in athletes VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

13. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

14. Arousal reduction techniques;  Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR)  Breath control – Used to relax and refocus  Biofeedback – Sensors detect raised tension or stress in the body  Stress-inoculation training (SIT) – Building immunity to stress via training. Coursework 13.1 Case Study p.317 Arousal promotion techniques;  Elevated breathing rate – Increases state of awareness in CNS.  Act energetic  Positive talk and sounds: ‘Talk it Up!’  Energising imagery  Pre-competition workout Coursework 13.2 Structured Questions p.318 VCE Physical Education - Unit 4 p.319

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16. Mental Imagery, or visualisation, is used by athletes when they imagine themselves performing skill before actually doing them.  It is a form of simulation  Sensory experience which occurs in the mind via thought  Strengthens neural pathways  Images can be kinaesthetic, auditory and tactile.  Mental rehearsal needs to be done in a relaxed state for 5-10 minutes at a time.  Simulation training is considered more effective than mental imagery in that it replicates the game situation.  Visuo-motor behaviour rehearsal (VMBR) – Requires a relaxed state to perform mental imagery and then conducting the skill under simulated conditions. Coursework 13.3 Laboratory p.321 VCE Physical Education - Unit 4 p.322

17. Concentration contains three parts; 1. Focusing on relevant environmental clues 2. Maintaining attention focus over time 3. Having awareness of the situation Note. Concentration and attention are used interchangeably in sports psychology. Attention can be described in terms of width and direction.  Broad-internal – Focus on thoughts and feelings  Broad-external – Focus outwards on an opponents actions  Narrow-internal – Mentally rehearse movements  Narrow-external – Focus on very few external cues VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

19. Factors leading to a lack of attention;  Focus on past experiences  Can’t ‘let things go’  Future orientated thinking  ‘What if’ questions  Focusing on negative aspects of their game Concentration can improved via;  Simulation  Use of cue words  Having set routines  Over-learning skills Choking can also cause concentration to falter.  Occurs when pressure is built up  A lot is riding on the next phase of play  Causes attention to narrow and become internal  Can impair timing and coordination See figure 13.7 p.324 VCE Physical Education - Unit 4

21. Self-confidence is the belief individuals possess in becoming successful. Self-confident athletes;  Believe in themselves and their skills  Exhibit positive emotions  Remain calm under pressure  Work towards their goals  More likely to take risks during games See fig 13.8 p.325 Improving confidence  Achieving success at training and during competition  Thinking more positively  Using positive imagery  Ability to follow and understand game plans VCE Physical Education - Unit 4 p.326

22. Performance enhancement from a psychological perspective

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