PSYCHOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT Week 11

What you need to know… What is Psychological Skills Training? Arousal Mental imagery Concentration Confidence What are all of the above? How do we improve them to help performance?

Psychological Skills Training (PST) PST: Rehearsal or practice of a variety of psychological techniques Examples: arousal, mental imagery, concentration and confidence Three stages in PST Education: explanation of the PST Acquisition: how they are learned/developed Practice: in training for game situations

Arousal Arousal: the level of readiness or activation a person has when faced with performance Optimal arousal is needed for optimum performance This is generally at a moderate level Low arousal: unmotivated, bored, lethargic High arousal: tense, highly excited, anxious

Arousal Regulation Arousal reduction techniques Progressive muscle relaxation Tensing and relaxing major muscle groups from head to toe Muscle group contracted slowly and held ‘tight’ for 5-10 seconds and then slowly released Idea is to ‘let go’ of tension, which also decreases mental tension Often done during time outs, change of ends Breath control Helps to relax and refocus while preparing for the next stage in the match

Arousal Regulation Arousal promotion techniques Elevated breathing rate Short, sharp breaths to increase state of awareness and block out distractions Positive talk and sounds Use of emotive words: ‘tough’, ‘aggressive’, ‘commitment’ increase arousal levels Listening to up-beat music can also increase arousal levels

Mental Imagery Mental imagery: ability to picture events via thoughts in the brain Also known as mental rehearsal or visualisation The more sense involved the more powerful the experience Eg: kinaesthetic, auditory, tactile, visual

Mental Imagery Improves performance by: Improving neural pathways b/w brain & muscles Providing a mental template to be used Practise and prepare for possibilities Pre-experience achievement of goals Slow down complex skills Identify potential technique problems

Concentration Three parts to concentration Focusing on relevant environmental cues Maintaining attention focus over time Having awareness of the situation Improving concentration Simulation: practising real-life situations Routines: help make actions automatic Cue words: instructional (‘follow through’) or motivational (‘keep chasing every ball’)

Confidence Self-confidence: is the belief individuals possess that they will be successful Similar to the arousal ‘inverted U theory’ Improving confidence Experience success at training in game-like situations Act and think positively Use positive self talk

Activities You Tube videos Newspaper article – Visualisation Basketball free throws Test your knowledge questions