Sport Psychology- is the study of the psychological and mental factors that influence by

participation and performance in sport, exercise and physical activity. It is a proficiency that
uses psychological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of
athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports participation, and systemic issues
associated with sports settings and organizations.
Mental Skills- are not just means of avoiding or recovering from disaster. They also play a very
important in organizing practice and training effectively so that things go correctly in the first
place. It just as vital to an athlete's success as their physical abilities. Improve your mental
skills in sport with mental toughness.
Personality- is difficult to define due to its complex nature; however, one definition in the
literature is ‘the characterization of individual differences’ (Wiggins, 1996). It’s a well-known fact,
and often cliché that ‘everyone is different’, but it is true. The fact that everyone is different is
extremely important when it comes to sport and coaching. As a coach it is essential that you
understand the personality of your athlete to optimize the transmission of your message and
their subsequent performance; as an athlete it is important you understand the significance of
personality and its potential effect on performance.
Motivation- basically means how much an individual wants to achieve a goal and to
understand motivation we need to know what goals an individual has. Individuals have many
different goals in being involve in athletics.
Goal Setting- is one of the most important skills taught to athletes in order to help them achieve
optimal performance. The goal-setting process helps athletes understand where they are
currently and also where they want to go. A mental skills training consultant or sport
psychologist can teach an athlete how to set systematic goals that are focused on the process
and performance rather than focused on the outcome of competition.
Knowing What Your Athlete’s Want to Achieve
Acceptable Goals- the key to success in goal setting is focusing the athlete’s attention on an
appropriate goal. The precise choice of goal can be influenced by almost everything that
influences performance, but the athlete must believe them to be appropriate.
Difficulty of Goals- We do know that success breeds success and athletes will get the best
results if you try to help them experience success, and help them to set their goals accordingly.
If goals are set which cannot achieved atleast 50% of the time your athlete will fail more than
succeed.To be effective the athlete must see the as a realistic challenge. The goal must be
seen as difficult enough to be worthwhile, but easy enough to be achievable.
Specific Goals for Measuring Success-Achieving a goal is success. In setting the goal you
need to know how you will judge success. Simply deciding to “do your best” is open to
misinterpretation and is not sufficiently specific goal. To be effective, goals should be specific
not general.

Recording Goals- Goals should be written down. Always discuss the possibilities in a situation
before you write the goal down. The goals do not always have to be physical achievements, but
can be used to change and modify both physical and mental performance.
Emotional Control
Learning to Control Anxiety-Anxiety is simply how much an individual is aroused or ready for
a given situation. Anxiety is always present in any situation, although when levels are low we
may not even notice it. Helping athletes to control their anxiety levels is one of the most
important responsibilities of the coach. It does not matter how well physical preparation has
been if the athlete arrives at the competition and is unable to perform their best due to being
under or over aroused.
Communication- Is the process of exchanging or transmitting ideas, thoughts, information
between the coach and the athlete.
Developing Effective Communication Skills
Gaining the Athlete’s Attention- There are many ways to gain the attention of your athlete
such as whistle or a raised hand. Which ever method is used it is important to have a full
attention of all athletes.
Learning to use your Voice- Altering the volume, tone and tempo of your voice are ways in
which speech patterns can make communication more effective. Good coaches vary their voice
patterns to maintain interest in what they are saying and to emphasize important points.
Developing Non-Verbal Skills- As a coach, you can say a lot without uttering a word: A frown,
a look of disbelief, a disgusted shake of your head, or a smile can communicate quite a bit. In
fact, communication experts suggest that between 65% and 93% of the meaning of a message
is conveyed through tone of voice and nonverbal behaviors (Johnson 2003). Thus, in addition to
becoming aware of the words you use, it is essential that you become aware of your tone and
nonverbal behaviors so that you understand the messages you are sending to athletes.
Developing Learning Skills
-Being Attentive- look at the athlete and show that you are listening.
-Avoid Interrupting- One of the principal causes of poor communication
is the coach interrupting the athlete before they have had the opportunity to fully express
themselves.
-Show Understanding- By nodding or repeating what has been said at
appropriate intervals, the coach can show he has understood the athlete’s message
-Asking Questions- Questions open communication by inviting the
athlete to share what they feel.
 • Developing and Maintaining Credibility
-Knowledge of Athletics- you should have confidence in what you know about athletics and
also the confidence to let athletes know what you don’t know.
-Talk only when necessary- if you talk too much athletes will not know what is important and
what is not. Make sure that what you have to say is important and expressed in simple, clear
language.
-Clothes and Appearance- How you look will affect peoples opinion of you especially in the
early stages of relationships.