Mental Skills

1. Mental Skills Y10 AADP

2. Mental Skills • It is often said that to gain the complete performance it is 10% physical and 90% mental. • There are a range of mental skills you can use to aid performance.

3. The goal • The goal of mental skills is always to focus on the positive. And to • Help athletes perform to the very best of the abilities.

4. Just performance? • No! • Mental skills are also used for athletes returning from injury. • Used to get out of form slumps. • All done by focusing on the positive.

5. Mental skill methods What can I use to help my mental performance?

6. Goal setting • Simply a goal is an aim, target or dream. • Goals setting can also be used to aid other mental skills • Must be realistic.

7. Why set goals in sport? Why?

8. What types of goals should you set? • Set technique or performance goals. • Rather than outcome goals. • Everyone else around you sets enough outcome goals for you.

9. Goal setting activity • The Goal Setting Pathway or staircase. • Juggling • Goal setting staircase.

10. relaxation • The point of relaxation is for you to become physically and mentally free of any uncontrollable. • It is characterised by feelings of ease and looseness.

11. The purpose • Decrease muscle tension • Decrease HR • Decrease breathing • Also helps shift tension from anxiety to a sense of focus.

12. imagery • Is the ability to re create objects, skills, situations in your mind without actually being involved in the activity. • It is more than visualisation • It involves all senses.

13. How does it work? • It allows an athlete to practise skills without actually performing them. • Mental practise rather than physical practise. • Allows the athlete to deal with problems.

14. Why use imagery • Can be used for setting goals. • Controlling emotions • Activation • Coping with situations be it negative or positive. • Improves focus.

15. Imagery activity Imagery exercises – page 131 Hodge

16. Self talk • Self talk is all positive statements. • Even during negative times. • Self talk involves you and no one else.

17. Self talk • Is conscience thought (you are aware of it) or internal talk. • It influences your feelings • Don’t use negative words.

18. Self talk activity • Create a Self talk list that you could implement during activities.

19. Mental prep • Mental prep is used to help an athlete reach optimal arousal or activation. • Also known as psyching yourself up.

20. Mental prep plan • There is no set perfect mental prep plan. • Each depends on your needs and preferences.

21. Mental prep tools • The most common is music. • Thinking about performance early in the week. • Visualisation • Take time to do it properly, you can’t do it the 5 mins before. • Example 152 Hodge