Sport Psychology is often considered the last piece of an athlete’s training, and I think there is something to that. You might be mentally “tough,” but if you don’t have the fitness and training behind you, you’ll be left with only moral victories. That said, using some sport psychology skills will always be of use, and might just get you off the bench and into the starting line-up, or out of the peleton and onto the podium.
One of the simplest things we try to teach in sports psychology is keeping your head in the game. I thought of this recently while watching “American Ninja Warrior.” Most of the contestants were putting on a clinic of what NOT to do in competition. In a nutshell: don’t look to the crowd and bow, preen, and blow kisses after every play! Most of these folks are real athletes competing for real money, yet you would think they’re showing off at a family picnic. Here’s a tip: if you really have been training and want to do well at something, try focusing on the task. Talk to your friends and family AFTER the event. Keep your head in the game, even if you don’t care about results, you should be paying attention to avoid injury. This goes for practice too. Pay attention, concentrate from play to play. Not only will you see it in results and safety, but you will for sure have more fun. And that is why we play the game in the first place right?