When Self-Talk Isn’t Enough for Athletes Brad Donohue, a psychology professor and sports psychology expert at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is conducting some eye-opening studies about how motivational phrases help athletes perform. In one of his studies, coaches or peers said a string of phrases to runners … Read Sport Psychology Tip
How Expectations Hinder Confidence Perfectionists tend to have more confidence in practice than they do in competition. They also harbor what’s called fragile confidence. Fragile confidence means that athletes’ confidence rises and falls depending on how they are performing at the moment. At its worst, fragile confidence can increase and … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Help Young Athletes with Performance Young athletes can become overwhelmed by crowds during games or performances. Some kids feel anxious when the crowd claps; others feel energized. One figure skater recently responded to our mental game survey and talked about what it feels like to perform in front of spectators. … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Do Your Athletes Do Well in Poor Weather? When the weather outside is rainy, snowy, cold or windy, it can be difficult for young athletes to stay focused. For example, young tennis players often feel their mental game sink during hot temperatures, and they’re distracted early in the competition. Some … Read Sport Psychology Tip
The Importance of Game Plans Game plans are blueprints for performing well or beating competitors during competition–and they’re only helpful if kids put them into action during games or competition. For example, in football, young athletes’ plan may be to identify the style of defense they’ll play during different game … Read Sport Psychology Tip
Using Your Mental Game For a Competitive Edge An athlete told us recently, “I am pretty much doing everything wrong from a mental perspective and just beginning to work on understanding better ways to think.” Athletes of all ages struggle with mental game challenges. They need to understand that mental … Read Sport Psychology Tip