1. Coaching: The Art and Science
What the mind can conceive,
And the heart can believe,
The athlete can achieve!

2. Basic Mental Skills Core Competencies Problem Solving Valuing
Critical Thinking
Leaderships
Interaction

3. Coach’s Role in Mental Prep
Not a psychologist!
Making athletes aware of basic mental skills
Integrate into performance preparation
Prepare for most eventualities
Assist athlete’s independence in all areas of mental preparation

4. Mental Skills Goal Setting Process goals Outcome goals Long term goal
Self improvement
Performance
Long term goal
Short term goal

5. Mental Skills Anchors Breathing Cues (key words) Energize Oh S..T!
Relaxation
Body to mind
Cues (key words)
Energize
Huddle, touching
Oh S..T!
Park

6. Mental Skills Positive Talk Relaxation Simulations
Self talk
Relaxation
Muscle tension
Body to mind
Mind to body
Simulations
Visualization (Day dream)
See self
Feel self
Through own eyes

7. Components of Performance
Technical
Tactical
Physical
Mental/Emotional
Common to neglect mental skills training
Mental preparation
- training mind to work with the body, not against the body.
Ideal Performance State
- Pep talk

8. Basic Mental Skills Develop repertoire of techniques
Spotting focus and anxiety problems
Attentional control
Emotional control
Goal setting
Planning for Mental Preparation

9. Experiential Tasks Grid #1 – numerical order
Shuttling or Shifting Attention – pg 9
Reference manual – quarterback
Narrow to broad to narrow etc.
Grid #2 and forward/backward

10. Recognizing Gaps in Mental Skills
Mental skills and competition
Workbook pg 3 Task 2.1.1

11. Successful Athletes Block out distractions (focus)
Leave mistakes in the past (park)
Get back on track quickly (refocus)
Keep calm (relaxation)
Keep competition in perspective
Patience

12. Signs of Trouble
Workbook pg 4
Task 2.3.1

13. Signs of Trouble Focus Anxiety Wandering eyes
Doesn’t follow instructions
Misses cues
Anxiety
Bites nails
Fatigues easily
Yawning
Feels sick to stomach

14. Definitions Attentional Control Concentration Focus Refocus
Ability to decipher relevant cues while fully aware of situation
Ability to recognize and continually deal with relevant stimuli or internal/external performance cues
Ability to concentrate on the present while performing
Ability to return to relevant task following a break in concentration

15. Definitions Information Processing Automatic I.P. Controlled I.P
Reading the situation
Ability to process cues easily, rapidly, consistently and economically (examples)
Paying attention to critical phases of skills or tasks (novice or complex skills not mastered

16. Attentional Dimensions (Nideffer 1976, 81)
Broad Attentional Focus
Perceiving and interpreting many cues at same time
Narrow Attentional Focus
Perceiving and interpreting one or two cues at same time
Internal Attentional Focus
Directed inward, perceiving and interpreting cues that performer feels or thinks
External Attentional Focus
Directed outward, perceiving and interpreting cues in surrounding environment that performer can usually see or hear

17. Distractors (pg 7 Task 3.3.1) Spectators – heckling
Coach – instructions
Teammates – emotions
Competitors – trash talk
Officials – bad call
Ambient noise – air fan
Environment – light flicker
Equipment – missing shoes
Organization – tournament scheduling

18. RELAXATION http://www. youtube. com/watch
RELAXATION (Mind to body, body to mind) Visualization What you see is what you get