damon burton & bernie holliday university of idaho
TRANSCRIPT
What is Mental Skills Training (MST)?
How important is the mental side of competition?
What factors would increase or decrease your motivation to actually use mental training?
Most athletes develop mental training tools and skills through trial and error.
MST’s goal is to enhance the development and automation of mental training tools and skills through a comprehensive and systematic program.
Good MST programs speed up and enhance the development process, ensure that performers develop more fully, perform at a higher level, enjoy sport more and transfer these skills to all other areas of their lives.
Have you ever “played down” to a lesser-skilled opponent’s ability level?
Have you ever choked at a critical point in a game or match?
Have you ever thought about non-sport-related activities during practice or competition?
Have you ever skipped a workout because you didn’t feel motivated, energized, or focused?
Lack of knowledge about MST and sport psychology
“You have to be confident!” “Concentrate!” and “Relax out there!”
Belief that mental skills are innate and unchangeable
“That Bernie’s just a head case under pressure”
Lack of time Buying into all of the MST myths…
MST is for problem athletes only◦No more than 10% of athletes require clinical services
MST is for elite athletes only◦Youth athletes to professionals◦Athletes, businessmen, actors, performers, musicians, and surgeons use MST
The “magic wand” myth MST doesn’t work and isn’t useful
Elite performer researchAnecdotal reports from athletes and coaches
Intervention studies◦Weinberg & Comar (1994)◦Vealey (1994)◦Meyers, Whelan & Murphy (1996)
Mental Training Tools
MENTAL SKILLS
•goal setting• imagery•self talk•relaxation and energization
•motivation•energy management•attention•stress management•self-confidence
Old School…
1. Education Concentration
lecture…2. Acquisition
Concentration activities…
3. Practice Automate
concentration performing activities daily
Problem: Athletes had trouble integrating MST into competition
New School…
1. Education2. Acquisition3. Practice4. Implementation
Skill-transfer strategies
5. Performance Less-learned
skills break down under pressure and old habits resurface
When to begin…◦ Ideally, off-season or preseason
More time to learn and automate new skills
Less pressure to win How long…◦ First exposure for 3 to 6
months◦ Then, lifetime commitment
1.Needs assessment Oral interviews Complete MST inventories Performance profiling Beware the “canned” MST program!
2.Identify critical mental skills and mental training tools for each individual athlete
3.Provide vision and long-term goals
4. Develop systematic practice routine and schedule
5. Develop and implement the MST program based on previous steps
6. Systematically evaluate and revise MST program Develop a strategy to monitor
progress (e.g., logs, etc.)7. Reward goal attainment regularly