1. Sports Psychology: from elite athletes to young talent
Andrea Hjelmåker

2. A love story…

3. Network of sports psychologists
Ice hockey since 2006
Teams and individual players
Network of sports psychologists
Soccer, swimming, floorball, motocross
Bosön – the Swedish Sports Confederation’s development center
Coaching program
Sports psychology: from elite athletes to young talent

4. The agenda for today… A look at athletic career transitions
Presentation of the course Sports Psychology – from elite athletes to young talent at Bosön – Why? Who? How?
Presentation of the Swedish model of CBT
The course participants’ reflections

5. Athletic career transitions
”A multi-year sport activity voluntarily chosen by the person and aimed at achieving his/her individual peak in athletic performance in one or several sport events”
(Alfermann & Stambulova, ´07)
In Sweden, about 75% of elite athletes have to start over after their active career (Stambulova, ´94)

6. Athletic career transitions
Contain stress and insecurity if the situation is to change for the better or worse
Each transition contains specific demands (training load, competition, communication, lifestyle) that the athlete needs to cope with in order to successfully continue with their sport or new career.

7. Why does the athletic career end? (Taylor & Ogilvie ’94)
Age
Decrease in performance
Reduced motivation, other priorities, reached goals
Social factors – decreased interest from media, fans, other athletes...
Not chosen
Injury
Traumatic or chronic injury
Athlete has no choice
Own choice
Most common reason – autonomy
Still does not mean the transition has to be painless

8. What determines how well the transition from active to not active goes?
Personal development experiences
Experience of personal development during the athletic career.
Athletic Identity
How much of the athletes value of self is based on sports and performance?
Narrow sports identity = harder to find meaning and satisfaction outside of sports, usually has less of a plan for life after sports
Warning flag for feelings of loss and/or sorrow

9. What determines how well the transition from active to not active goes?
Perceived control
Was the end of the athletic career chosen by the athlete…? Or – was it out of their hands?
Social Identity
End of ahtletic career = less social status and changed social identity – less perceived power
Athletes with good social support (family, friends, work, education) adapt better to life after sports

10. Obstacles for succesful transitions?
Anything standing in the way of continued performance – lack of competence/skill, conflicts, narrow athletic identity
Crisis transition – when the athlete does not succesfully deal with the demands placed on them, and efforts to adapt to the new lifestyle seem ineffective.
Symptoms? Low self-confidence, negative emotional states, more sensitive to failure, difficulties in decision making, perceived confusion.

11. Key factors for successful transitions?
Most important factor for success is whether or not the choice was the athlete’s own or not. Own choice = easier process.
Having a plan for life after sports while still active facilitates the actual end of the athletic career. (education, goals, job training, social support)

12. Sports Psychology – from elite athletes to young talent
Why?
Personal interest
Several clients struggling with the transition
Helen Alfredsson retires from golf
5 LPGA wins
1 major
8 Solheim Cup for Europe

13. Who? Elite level athletes at the end of their career
Former elite level athletes
Who?

14. How? A year-long course in sports psychology and coaching, 9 sessions
Connect with other athletes
Validate knowledge!
Put words to what has been learned
30/35 participants are sport mentors today and work with athletes
Strong desire to give back!

15. CBT in Swedish sports…

16. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Changing thoughts, emotions and behaviors…
Changing from the outside in … ACTION!
Future oriented, rather than dwelling on the past…
Eating disorders
Impulse control
Anxiety (worry, fear)
Sleeping problems
Career transitions
Depression/suicide
Stress management
Relationships

17. What is the point?
”Sports psychology and psychological skills training is about performing as well as possible and feeling as good as possible at the same time”

18. Move your ass and your mind will follow…
Clichés, and truths…
What you think, you become…
What you DO, you become!
What do you want to DO differently?
What are your behavioral goals?
Move your ass and your mind will follow…

19. Behavioral focus…

20. Advantages of talking about behaviors?
Your athlete knows what to do!
Makes communication easier (winner mentality?)
Simplifies feedback
Behaviors change thoughts and emotions
Creates group cohesion and training culture
Thoughts are, however, great as motivation…

21. Value oriented…

22. Stay true to your values!
Think about values:
VALUES
What type of athlete do you want to be?
What type of training partner?
How do you want to be perceived by others?
BEHAVIORS
What do you need to DO in order to be seen the way you would like?
What do you need to do in order to go in that direction?
OBSTACLES
What could make this difficult for you?

23. Negative thoughts are normal…
They’re all better than me…
I’m going to mess up…
Negative thoughts are normal…
I’m never going to make it!

24. Positive self-talk vs. acceptance
Traditional sports psychology focused on controling thoughts and inner dialogue…replacing negative thoughts with positive ones
When we spend time & energy waging a war against a thought, we usually create even more negative thoughts…
Instead – acceptance – learn to identify if the thought is helpful or not
If ”not” – see the thought for what it really is – just words (defusion)
Positive self-talk vs. acceptance

25. Positive self-talk vs. Accepting self-talk
We all have an inner dialogue/self-talk
When cognitive fusion happens with negative self-talk = problem for performance!
Athletes need to be aware of their self-talk
Positive self-talk vs. Accepting self-talk

26. What do we need to do?
Normalize fear, nervousness, doubt, insecurity, anxiety
Increase consciousness of your thoughts – and focus on correct behaviors
Normalize – and learn to live with negative thoughts

27. New definition of success?

28. Please consider…
Preparing your athletes for normative transitions – talk about demands and expectations that are around the corner
Emphasize developing identity as a whole, not just ”athletic identity”
Be behaviorally oriented!
Be value oriented!
Respect anxiety, normalize it, and steer attention back to the task