Coaching: The Art and Science

What the mind can conceive,

And the heart can believe,

The athlete can achieve!

Basic Mental Skills

Core Competencies

Problem Solving Valuing Critical Thinking Leaderships Interaction

Basic Mental Skills

Develop repertoire of techniques1. Spotting focus and anxiety

problems2. Attentional control3. Emotional control4. Goal setting5. Planning for Mental Preparation

Components of Performance

1. Technical2. Tactical3. Physical4. 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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a48fe_K6M80

Coach’s Role in Mental Prep

1. Not a psychologist!2. Making athletes aware of basic

mental skills3. Integrate into performance

preparation4. Prepare for most eventualities5. Assist athlete’s independence in all

areas of mental preparation

Experiential Tasks

1. Grid #1 – numerical order2. Shuttling or Shifting Attention – pg 9

Reference manual – quarterbackNarrow to broad to narrow etc.Grid #2 and forward/backward

Recognizing Gaps in Mental Skills

Mental skills and competition Workbook pg 3 Task 2.1.1

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

Signs of Trouble

Workbook pg 4

Task 2.3.1

Signs of Trouble

Focus Wandering eyes Doesn’t follow

instructions Misses cues

Anxiety Bites nails Fatigues easily Yawning Feels sick to

stomach

DefinitionsAttentional

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

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

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

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

RELAXATIONhttp://www.youtube

.com/watch?v=P-ygq1W681A&feature=related (Mind to body, body to mind)

Visualization What you see is what you

get