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(Insert Name of Sport)

(Insert Year)

Mental Training Tools

(Insert picture of sport or school logo)

Name ___________________________

Much of the material in this packet is taken from:Sport Psychology for Coaches (2008) by Drs. Damon Burton and Thomas Raedeke, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, and has been adapted by Dr. Christine Lottes of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania for educational use.

Introduction & Control

• 6 Mental Training Tools we will be learning: 1. Goal Setting Skills: there are goals we can control and goals we can’t.2. Imagery Skills: allow you to see yourself and your teammates successfully playing

your sport. 3. Relaxation and Energization: you’ve heard of the phrases psyched-up or psyched-

out. Each of us performs best at a certain level of mental and physical readiness. 4. Self-Talk: Self-talk is the steady stream of thoughts and internal dialogue that

goes on in our heads almost constantly. Your thoughts have a major impact on your mood, emotions and performance.

5. Energy Management: Energy management has to do with helping you control your arousal, or the physical and mental energy that fuels your athletic performance.

6. Stress Management: we all have situations that we feel stressed about. We’ll learn how to handle stress whether it comes from sport or from some other part of our lives so that when we’re competing, we can perform at our best level.

ConcernsList things you are concerned about (both sport and other areas of your life)

•

•

•

•

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Pick your greatest concern from your list. With that concern, write in the “No Control” circle all of the things over which you have no control. Now write in the “Control” circle all of the things over which you have control. Be Specific. (Circle from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (1989) by Stephen Covey, Fireside, NY, NY)

No Control

Control

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Control/No Control

What I have the greatest concern about…….

With this concern, one thing that I have 100% control over…..

One action I will take in thing I have 100% control over…..

When I’ll do this (in next 3 days)

Check when Done

• I will spend time on concerns I have that I _______ control. I won’t spend time on or think about what I can’t _________.

Summary• 6 Mental Toughness Skills we will be learning: Goal setting, imagery, relaxation and

energization, self-talk, energy management, stress management.• Spend time on concerns you have that you _______ control. Don’t spend time on or

think about what you _______ control.• Can or can’t control, and, if it is both, what can and what can’t:

- Official’s call: _________________________________________________

- What friend thinks of me: ________________________________________

- Amount of playing time: _________________________________________

- How I look: ___________________________________________________

- Weather: _____________________________________________________

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Self-Confidence & Goal Settting

• Systematic goal setting programs can be successful in developing ____________________ if you set goals that you can __________.

• These goals you set that you can control will be _____________, ___________ & ________________.

• These are called _________ goals. They will lead to good performances during competition and to outcomes that you desire.

Three Types of Goals

• Process Goals: focus on improving form, technique, and strategy.• Performance Goals: address overall personal performance such as running a faster

time, throwing farther or shooting more accurately.• Outcome Goals: emphasize outperforming other competitors, as well as the

objective outcome- that is, placing high or winning.

Benefits of Goal Setting

• Goals enhance focus and concentration.• Goals boost self-confidence.• Goals help prevent or manage stress.• Goals help create a positive mental attitude.• Goals increase intrinsic motivation to excel.• Goals improve the quality of practices by making training more challenging.• Goals enhance playing skill, techniques, and strategies.• Goals improve overall performance.

Practice Competition

Process Performance Outcome(improving conditioning, (improving (winning andtechnique, and strategy) overall performance) social comparison)

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Workout Exercises

1. Indicate if the following are process (1) or performance (2) goals. a. __1__ Exercise 30 minutes a day, 4 times a week in my target heart rate range

b. __2__ Accept official’s calls without question _g__

c. __2__ Get in shape _a_

d. _____ Do packet from Coach

e. _____ Study 2 hours for five days of each week

f. _____ Run mile under 8 minutes ____

g. __1__ Practice focusing and acting on what can control

h. _____ Lift weights two times a week

i. _____ Improve grade point average ____

j. _____ Get stronger _____

Match the process goal that you can control, to one possible performance goal.

2. Write two sport process goals. Then place an “X” if the goal conforms to each principle listed.

Process Realistic Specific Short-term Individual a. Get in shape___________ _____ __X__ _____ _____ __X__ b. Jog for 20 minutes______ __X__ __X_ __X__ __X__ __X__

c. _____________________ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____________________ d. _____________________ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____________________ _____________________

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3. Write down the position you might be playing this season. List two skills that are important to success at that position. In the second column, list possible ways to measure performance so that only your performance, & not the outcome as influenced by someone else, is measured. Position: _________________________________

Skills Ways to measure1. Dribbling 1. Number of touches in 60 seconds

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. Determine a terminal performance goal toward which you are striving. Then determine your baseline or usual performance level at that task. Finally, list three progressively more challenging process goals that will move you toward achieving your terminal performance goal.

Goal 1

Goal 2

Goal 3

BaselinePerformance

Terminal Performance Goal

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5. Describe an athlete who fits the definition of each of the types of self-confidence. a. Optimally confident: having a realistic sense of what you can accomplish. Those who have this set realistic goals based on their own abilities.

b. Diffident: lack confidence. These individuals suffer from a fear of failure and a high concentration of self-doubts, which combine to produce a negative self-fulfilling prophecy.

c. Falsely Confident: unfounded confidence in competencies and an act to cover up a diffident attitude. The individual tends to act “cocky”, and, in some instances, arrogant. Falsely confident individuals further compound their confidence problems when their performances show their true competencies.

d. I am currently a ____________________________ athlete. As I set and accomplish process goals, I will either become an Optimally Confident athlete or I will become an even stronger Optimally Confident athlete.

Self-confidence depends not on winning,but on the realistic expectation about achieving success.

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Imagery and Relaxation Training

Review: 3 Types of Goals: P________, P____________, O __________ • We have control over process and performance goals.• As you accomplish goals, what will build? S_____- C____________• Tell me if this is an example of a process, performance or outcome goal:- 5 minutes per day working on ball control __________- Being able to sprint back from the 50 when the opposing team is taking a

penalty corner on your defense ________________- Beating an opponent to the ball __________

Today: Imagery and Relaxation Training• What does imagery involve? - Using your _______ - sight, feel- how muscles feel as they move, touch, sound,

smell and taste- to create or re-create an experience in your mind.- Through imagery, you an recall a previous experience in great vividness and

detail. - You can also create images of events yet to occur by piecing together bits of

information already stored in your memory.• Who uses imagery?- S______________and highly skilled athletes are more likely than less

accomplished athletes to use imagery regularly.• How does it work?- The mind cannot tell the difference between an image and the r____ thing. So,

when you image something, you can produce almost the same effect as if you actually experienced it.

• How effective is it? It can i________ performance but some athletes benefit more than others based on:

- Imagery ability: can you see a vivid (vs. blurry) image that you can c________?- Imagery Perspective: i__________vs. external. Internal is when you experience

the event seeing it through your own eyes and feeling the movements as if actually performing the skill. This is best when you are in the flow of play and events are changing. External imagery is good for when you are seeing the big picture- where teammates and opponents are.

• How can you use imagery effectively? How can it improve your performance?- P the skills and strategies faithfully.- Work to create a clear, detailed, lifelike image that you can control.- R________ and allow the image to flow.- If you lose focus, gently redirect attention back to the image.• Using Imagery to Improve Mental Skills- Develop self-awareness, Enhance self-confidence and motivation, Manage Stress,

Manage Energy, Plan game strategies, Provide relaxation, Control emotions, Analyze performances, Practice other psychological skills

• What are the key concepts of imagery? - Sensory awareness, Vividness, Control

• What personal imagery skills do I already have?

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Evaluating Imagery Ability

Read the descriptions of four general sport situations. After you read each general description, think of a specific example of it- the skill, the people involved, the place, and the time. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to become as relaxed as you can. Put aside all other thoughts. Keep your eyes closed for about one minute as you try to imagine the situation. If you have distracting thoughts, gently redirect your attention to the scene you are imagining.

There are no right or wrong images. Your accurate evaluation of your images will help you to determine what skills you need to focus on in the development of your imagery-training program.

After imaging the situation, rate the following imagery dimensions by circling the appropriate number.

• Visual• Auditory• Kinesthetic• Mood and emotion• Control

Situation 1: Select a specific skill or activity in your sport. Imagine yourself performing the activity in the place where you would normally practice, without anyone else present. Now close your eyes for about one minute and try to see yourself at this place, hear the sounds, feel the body movements and be aware of your mood.

Very poorly Very wella. Rate how well you saw yourself performing the activity 1 2 3 4 5b. Rate how well you heard the sounds of performing the activity

1 2 3 4 5

c. Rate how well you were able to feel yourself performing the activity

1 2 3 4 5

d. Rate how well your were aware of your mood and emotions.

1 2 3 4 5

e. Rate how well you were able to control your image. 1 2 3 4 5

Situation 2: You are performing the same activity but are now practicing the skill with the coach and your teammates present. This time, however, you make a mistake that everyone notices, but you remain calm, recover quickly, correct your mistake, and perform well. Now close your eyes for about one minute and imagine making the error, correcting it, and performing well as clearly as possible.

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Very poorly Very well

a. Rate how well you saw yourself performing the activity 1 2 3 4 5b. Rate how well you heard the sounds of performing the activity

1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


Situation 3: Think of a teammate performing a specific activity successfully in a contest- for example, making a goal or stopping a goal. Now close your eyes for about one minute to image watching your teammate performing this activity successfully in a critical part of the contest as vividly and realistically as possible.


a. Rate how well you saw your teammate performing the activity

1 2 3 4 5

b. Rate how well you heard the sounds of your teammate performing the activity

1 2 3 4 5

c. Rate how well you felt your own physical presence in this situation

1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


Situation 4: Imagine yourself performing the same or a similar activity in a contest, but imagine yourself performing very skillfully, Spectators and teammates show their appreciation. Now close your eyes for about one minute to imagine the situation as vividly as possible.


a. Rate how well you saw yourself performing the activity 1 2 3 4 5b. Rate how well you heard the sounds of performing the activity

1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


1 2 3 4 5


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Now add up your responses to each question and write your scores in the spaces that follow:Dimension ScoreVisual (all “a” items) _______Auditory (all “b” items) _______Kinesthetic (all “c” items) _______Mood (all “d” items) _______Control (all “e” items) _______TOTAL _______

Compare your scores for each dimension to the following skill categories:Score Rating18-20 Good skills. Periodically do an exercise to keep yourself sharp.13-17 Average development of skills. Spend time each week improving these skills 0-12 These dimensions need daily attention to bring your imagery skills to a useful level.

From D. Burton and T. Raedeke, 2008, Sport Psychology for Coaches (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).

A calm place for me is: __________________________________________.

Imagery scenario: Pick one. - Forward: Drive ball to goal, keeper deflects it, you are following your

shot, pick up the deflection on your stick and put ball in cage.- Mid-Fielder: Cut into a space and collect a pass from a teammate. You

lift the ball over your defender’s stick and pass the ball through into a space where your teammate is cutting into.

- Defender: Running back on defense. Get ball side and stick side of girl you’re marking. Pass comes to her but you cut onto it and take it wide where you pass it into a space where the mid-fielder is cutting into.

- Goalie: Forward is dribbling toward you on a breakaway. She shoots. You stop the ball and clear it into a space where your teammate is cutting into. You check and adjust your position according to where the cage is and where the ball is.

Summary:• Imagery involves all of the senses.• Imagery improves performance.• The mind can’t tell the difference between a vivid image and a real experience.

Imagery can be used to improve any skill that can be practiced physically as well as to help develop mental skills.

• Imagery must be systematic to achieve desired benefits- need to do every day or every other day (at home and at practice/games). Need to work on vivid and controlled images.

• Successful and highly skilled athletes are more likely than less accomplished athletes to use imagery regularly.

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Relaxation and Energization

Review:Mark true or false for each statement:

a. ________ Imagery is only the visualization of a particular event and does not involve the other senses (sound, smell, feel, taste).

b. ________ Images appear as clearly as postcards for all individuals. c. ________ Imagery can improve performances. d. ________ Imagery may work by producing neuromuscular responses similar to

those of an actual experience.e. ________ Imagery can be used to supplement physical and psychological skills

practice.

Today: Relaxation and Energization

Introduction• Relaxation and energization are two mental training tools that can help not to be

too tense or unable to keep going when fatigued.

Relaxation• We’re going to learn t_______ relaxation and r_______ relaxation.• Total relaxation you can use when you have more time.• Rapid relaxation you can use in the middle of practice or during a game when the

action isn’t around you or when there is a timeout.• Total relaxation helps when there are major life crises with family or friends,

health or academic problems, recovery from practice or an injury, or improving your sleep.

• Rapid relaxation helps you perform optimally within practice or a game by reducing tension p__________ and m___________ so that you can think and play better and with more energy and enjoyment.

• We’ll start with total relaxation. • For your sport, when might you want higher muscle tension? Lower muscle

tension?• Four muscle groups: shoulders, arms and hands; head and neck; chest, back and

stomach, hips thighs, calves and feet. • Focus on your breathing. Breath from your diaphragm, by inhaling through the

nose and filling your lungs. Then slowly exhale through your mouth. • Relaxing activity combining breathing, muscle relaxation and your favorite place.• Do this each evening when you go to bed.• In a couple of weeks we’ll do Rapid Relaxation, although you’re welcome to try it

on your own during a break in practice. Breath, relax muscles and say cue word (relax, chill) after every exhalation if feel too tense for what need to do.

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Energization• Energization is the opposite of r______________ and involves activation of the

body for optimal performance. • It allows you to speed up your heart rate and respiration, stimulate greater blood

flow to muscles and enhance brain activity so that you get more out of practice, where low energy can reduce concentration and motivation. It allows you to draw on your energy reserves late in the game when you are dragging.

• We’re going to learn t________ energization and r________ energization.• Total energization you can use when you have more time.• Rapid energization you can use in the middle of practice or during a game when

the ball is on the other end of the field or when there is a timeout.• Total energization helps when there are major life crises with family or friends,

health or academic problems, recovery from practice or an injury, or improving your sleep.

• Rapid energization helps you perform optimally within practice or a game.• First is psych-up breathing: take 5 quick, shallow breathes to get as much oxygen

to the muscles as possible.• Add to that a cue word like “energize” after every 3rd breath.• Energization scenario.

My cue word for relaxing: __________________ (relaxed, calm, peaceful, chill)

My cue word for energizing: __________________ (energized, push, strong, powerful)

Summary• Relaxation means decreasing unwanted muscular tension and calming the mind.• Total relaxation is a longer strategy that helps athletes relax completely, while

rapid relaxation is an abbreviated technique that uses a cue word to relax quickly.• Total relaxation alleviates ongoing stress, promotes recovery from workouts and

injuries, enhances sleep quality and develops rapid relaxation skills.• Rapid relaxation reduces tension, controls becoming too psyched up, breaks the

stress spiral, conserves energy and increases enjoyment of field hockey. It can be done in 3-5 seconds.

• Relaxation includes deep breathing, imagery relaxation, muscle relaxation and cue words.

• Energization helps athletes control arousal, enhance concentration and elevate confidence, particularly when they are tired, encountering adversity or dealing with low energy levels.

• Energization includes psych-up breathing, imagery energization, muscle activation and cue words.

• The cued word is associated with feelings of high energy. In rapid energization, these feelings of high energy can occur in 3-5 seconds.

• Next time we’ll share about the action we took in the area of concern we had…….

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Relaxation Script

Listen to the sound of my voice as I guide you through the process of relaxing yourself. Get into a comfortable position and close your eyes. Begin by doing 6 to 8 deep breaths, breathing in deeply through your nose, feeling your diaphragm and then your chest expand completely, holding the breath briefly, and then exhaling slowly through your mouth. Keep your breathing slow, deep and regular, and take approximately the same amount of time to inhale as you do to exhale. Each breath allows you to exhale tension and anxiety and to take in soothing, refreshing oxygen. Concentrate on this simple process now. Allow yourself to totally let go of all tension and sink down deeper into your chair (or bed) as you become more deeply and completely relaxed.

Focus your attention on the muscles of your head and neck. Command these muscles to relax and feel them begin to respond. Feel the tension draining out as each individual muscle fiber loosens up, smoothes out, unwinds, and relaxes deeply and completely. Each breath takes you deeper and deeper into relaxation, as your facial and neck muscles let go and unwind. Concentrate on using your breathing to fuel relaxation , as you exhale tension and anxiety and breath in soothing, invigorating oxygen. Focus on your breathing, and allow it to help the muscles of your face and neck to go down, down, down, deeper and deeper into relaxation. Be aware of how the relaxation feels and contrast it to the tension you experienced in these muscles before. Use imagery to further enhance the effectiveness of the technique. You might imagine your tension falling gradually, like dried leaves…. Or envision a little person with a broom sweeping the tension away… or the tension is a yellow liquid draining slowly from the muscles. Feel the muscles of your face and neck gradually let go and get very loose, limp, heavy and relaxed.

Allow the relaxation you have achieved in your head and neck to begin to spread down your body to your shoulders, then your arms, and finally to your hands. See the tension slowly draining out of these muscles and feel relaxation steadily radiate into your shoulders and down your arms. Imagine these muscles relaxing and feel them respond, allowing more muscle fibers to loosen up, smooth out, unwind, and relax as the tension slowly drains away. Concentrate on your breathing, with each inhalation bringing in relaxing and soothing oxygen while each exhalation slowly expels tension and anxiety from your body. Focus on letting go all remaining tension from your shoulders, arms and hands. Identify these feelings of relaxation and contrast them to the tension you experienced before. Little by little, slowly and deliberately, more and more muscle fibers relax, bringing you to a deep level of relaxation in which all the muscles of your shoulders, arms, and hands feel very loose, limp, heavy and relaxed.

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Continue to breath deeply and regularly, allowing your breathing to deepen your relaxation. Use your breathing to help extend your relaxation down your body to your chest, back, and stomach. Let go of the tension in these muscle groups, imagining the muscles relaxing and feeling them respond. Feel your breathing help each muscle fiber loosen up, smooth out, unwind, and relax. See the tension slowly draining out of these muscles and feel relaxation steadily spreading into your chest, back, and stomach. Concentrate on your breathing, allowing yourself to inhale soothing, refreshing oxygen and exhale tension and anxiety. Focus on letting go all remaining tension from your chest, back and stomach. Recognize these feelings of relaxation and compare them to the tension you experienced before. Little by little, slowly and deliberately, more and more muscle fibers relax and unwind, bringing you to a deep level of relaxation where the muscles of your chest, back, and stomach feel loose, limp, heavy, and relaxed. Your entire upper body is now deeply relaxed.

Maintain your slow, deep and regular breathing, use it to help spread relaxation from your upper body to your hips, thighs, calves, and feet. Let go of the tension in these muscle groups, imagining the muscles relaxing and feeling them respond. Use your breathing to help each muscle fiber loosen up, smooth out, unwind, and relax. See the tension slowly draining out of your lower body. Feel the relaxation move steadily into your hips, thighs, calves, and feet. Concentrate on your breathing, inhaling refreshing oxygen to promote relaxation and feelings of relaxation and contrast them to the tension you felt in these muscles before. Little by little, slowly and deliberately, more and more muscle fibers relax and unwind, bringing you to a deep level of relaxation where the muscles of your lower body feel loose, limp, heavy and relaxed.

Each time you exhale say the word _______ to yourself while focusing on your breathing and what it feels like to be deeply relaxed. If any stray thoughts, worries or concerns come to mind just let them go and allow them to float out of your mind as you continue to focus on your breathing and the feeling of deep relaxation throughout your body. Focus on those feelings of relaxation, and contrast them to the tension you felt before so that you can diagnose and release even minute levels of tension as needed. Continue to take slow, deep, and regular breaths, and each time you exhale say that cue word to yourself.

I’m now going to count backward from 4 to 1. 4- begin to move your legs and feet. 3- move your arms and hands. 2- roll your head and neck. 1- open your eyes. Your body is very relaxed as if you’ve just awoken from a refreshing nap. Your mind is calm and relaxed but alert and focused.

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Energization Script

Listen to the sound of my voice as I guide you through the process of energizing yourself. Start with several deep breaths, breathing in deeply through your nose, feeling your diaphragm expand under your belly button, then expanding your chest completely, holding your breath briefly, and exhaling slowly through your mouth. Each breath brings in invigorating and rejuvenation oxygen and expels tension and stress. Imagine yourself walking forward and feeling more and more energized. Feel more strength, power, stamina and energy as you walk, very smoothly and very effortlessly, until you finally reach a point where you feel as energized as you want to be.

Imagine yourself at the bottom of a long staircase in a large house. Reach out and grab the polished wood banister under your hand and begin slowly climbing the staircase, smoothly and effortlessly, With each step, you become more and more energized. Feel more strength, power, stamina and energy as you ascend, very smoothly and very effortlessly, until you reach a point where you feel as energized as you want to be.

Open a door where you see a large-screen TV that is replaying many of your successful practice and competitive performances. Watch the TV as you play with high energy. Feel the strength and power and stamina and energy in your legs and back and stomach and shoulders and arms. Your muscles are tingling with strength and powers and stamina and energy. Your breathing is quick and powerful and invigorates and rejuvenates your muscles, even if they are tired, sore or injured. Each breath rejuvenates the reservoir of power and strength and energy within you. Your mind feels keen and sharp and ready to learn. You’re psyched, focused and confident. You’re not concerned about problems, roadblocks or obstacles because they’ll get worked out. Your mind and body are ready to perform at your best.

Take 3 quick breaths breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth and then repeat the cue word “energized”. Repeat. This process allows you to pair the feelings of energization in your mind and body with the word “energized” so that you can use the word “energized” to trigger rapid energization when you need it at practice or during a game.

Now go out of the door and walk slowly down the stairs. As you do that, you are still energized, focused and confident and ready to go out and accomplish any goal, solve any problem, and overcome any obstacle.

Adapted by C. Lottes From D. Burton and T. Raedeke, 2008, Sport Psychology for Coaches (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).

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Self-Talk

Review:• R _____________ means decreasing unwanted muscular tension & calming the

mind.• T_ ________ relaxation is a longer strategy that helps athletes relax completely.

R_________ relaxation is an abbreviated technique that uses a cue word to relax quickly.

• Relaxation includes deep b_________, i___________, relaxation, muscle relaxation and cue w________.

• E __________________ helps athletes control arousal, enhance concentration and elevate confidence, particularly when they are tired, encountering adversity or dealing with low energy levels.

• Energization includes psych-up b___________, imagery energization, muscle activation and c____ words.

• The cued words is associated with feelings of high energy and, in rapid energization, can occur in 3-5 s___________.

• Check- up: share about the action you took in the area of concern you had…….

Today: Self-Talk• Self-talk is the steady stream of thoughts and internal dialogue that goes on in our

heads almost constantly. Your t__________ have a major impact on your mood, emotions and performance.

• Make a list of some of the thoughts you had about your sport today:

• To make self-talk work for you, you want to increase p_________ thoughts and decrease n_________ thoughts. Thoughts will affect your sport performance.

• Positive self-talk leads to a f_____ mind-set in which you will excel athletically.• Negative self-talk leads to a c________ mind-set in which irrational thoughts can

cause you to underachieve.• When an event happens to you, you have beliefs about the situation- how you

interpret what has happened. This interpretation of the situation determines your emotions and behavior to a much greater extent than does the situation itself.

• Let’s look at an example of this.

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Self-Talk Model Self-Talk ExamplesA = Activating Event Our team must defend against a potentially game-

winning penalty stroke in a championship game. B = Beliefs (Thoughts) - “I really will be a rotten goalie if I let this player

make this stroke. I’ll never have such a great opportunity to be the hero again- don’t

blow it!”

+ “ I’ve prepared well for this moment. Even though this is a pressure-packed moment I’m

confident I can defend against this stroke.”

C = Emotional Consequences - Stress/anxiety + Challenge/excitement

C = Athletic Consequences - Disruptive behaviors such as feeling tense and flustered; poor concentration; slow to pick up

the ball coming off the opponent’s stick; slow reaction to the ball.

+ Helpful, constructive behaviors such as being focused and confident; quick to pick up and

react to the ball.

Self-Talk Model Self-Talk ExamplesA = Activating Event

B = Beliefs (Thoughts) -

+

C = Emotional Consequences -

+

C = Athletic Consequences -

+

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• The basic principle of self-talk is that we can’t always control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to uncontrollable events.

• Our self-talk comes from either positive or negative thinking.• Positive thoughts h____ performance while negative thoughts h____performance.• We’ll call positive thought patterns smart-talk.• Eight rules of smart-talk:

1. Be an optimist, not a pessimist: self-talk is a c_____. Focus on what you can control, not on what you can’t.

2. Remain realistic and objective: make g_____ you can achieve.3. Focus on the p_______, not the past or future: it is the only thing you can

control.4. See problems as c___________ rather than threats: this keeps you

motivated and performing up to your capabilities.5. View successes as replicable and failures as surmountable: view success

as due to a_______ and e________. Attribute failure to factors you can control such as effort level (I’ll work harder next practice), skill development (I can learn to read my opponent better) and mental preparation (next time I’ll improve my focus).

6. Concentrate on p________, not o_________: focus self-talk on process goals- hard work, mental preparation, skill and strategy development- that you can control and will lead to outcome goals. Ex. In the seconds before the penalty corner concentrate on “stopping the ball and follow-through on the shot” or “explode out, stick-to-stick” or “explode out, set, ball” or “explode back (from 50) and into position”.

7. Concentrate on things you can c________: Can’t control people and some events (opponent’s behavior, officials’ decisions, playing conditions). Can control our e_______ and b__________.

8. Separate your performance from your self-w_______: Your worth has nothing to do with how you perform. It has everything to do with who you are as a unique creation who is loved regardless of your performance.

• Negative Thought Patterns: watch for d__________ thinking and i____________ beliefs.

• D__________ Thinking: catstrophizing (expecting the worst and exaggerating the consequences), overgeneralization (just because make a mistake think that I always mess up), blaming (holding others responsible for negative events in my life), mustification (things must be my way) and polarized thinking (one way or another- I’m a success or a failure).

• I___________ Beliefs: perfectionism (I have to never make mistakes), fear of failure, social approval (everyone must like me), equity (life must be fair, I should play well and get the rewards I deserve if I work hard) and social comparison (putting too much importance on largely uncontrollable outcomes, such as winning and outperforming others rather than concentrating on controllable factors such as playing your best.)

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• Optimizing Self-Talk:1. How can I be aware of my current self-talk patterns?

a. I_______ recall: Close eyes and think about a game that you played very well. Now write down some specific thoughts you had during the competition that helped you succeed. Now think about a poor performance. Now write down your thoughts during that competition. Compare the two lists and identify positive and negative self-talk patterns that most affect your performance. Use Self-Talk Log.

b. Negative Thought Counts: On your own- Put a number of paper clips, pennies or sunflower seeds in a pocket. Each time you catch yourself using a negative thought, move one item to a different pocket.

c. G_____ is for negative thoughts to decrease.

2. See next page for Positive Mental Attitude Self-Talk Log

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From D. Burton and T. Raedeke, 2008, Sport Psychology for Coaches(Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).

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3. Program P______ Thoughts: increases confidence, improves concentration & focus, enhances motivation, controls s_____ and so increases performance.

• Positive affirmations: “I’m a talented athlete with the skills to get the job done”• Team mottos or Motivational slogans: “Footwork is the key to success.”

“Suffocating defense.” “No less than all.”• C___ words: “relax”, “ball”, “one play at a time”, “I play well every time I take

the field”, “smooth swing”, “stick with what’s working”, ”hustle”.4. Reframe Negative T_________: Negative thoughts will still occur and can

lead to negative emotions and subpar performance. To correct them follow the “3 Ds” of reframing:

a. Detect negative, unproductive or irrational thinking: what was the t________ that preceded feelings of stress or other negative emotions?

b. Disrupt negative thoughts by either thought s________or thought c___________: Say “Stop” and think of a red stop sign, red flag or flashing red lights. Or, use a behavioral cue- snap finger or snap a rubber band when have a negative thought. Thought changing works like a TV remote control to simply change the channel from one with negative thoughts to another that is more positive and productive.

c. Dispute negative thoughts by using effective counterarguments. They function like a good lawyer, putting faulty beliefs on trial, refuting them with logical arguments and identifying logical, realistic, productive thoughts to take their place. Ex. “I want more playing time and I worry that my coach doesn’t like me.” A counterargument will reduce my anxiety- “I can’t control what my coach thinks or how much she decides to play me. I need to concentrate on what I can control and play my best by focusing on footwork and positioning when I don’t have the ball.”

• Do Worksheet for Reframing Thoughts.

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Adapted, by permission, from K. Ravizza and T. Hanson, 1995, Heads up baseball: Playing the game one pitch at a time (Indianapolis, IN: Masters Press), 3d, by permission of the McGraw-Hill Companies. From D. Burton and T. Raedeke, 2008, Sport Psychology for Coaches (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).

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• Develop a Self-Talk Script:

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________________________________________________________________________

• Read your script (or record it and play it) 4-5 times per day. Prime times to read or play scripts include first thing in the morning, last thing at night, on the way to class, during study breaks, while waiting for appointments, and before and after practice.

• When a negative thought occurs, remember the three Ds of the reframing process: __________, _________ and _________ each negative thought and replace it with one that is more positive and productive. Refer to chart of Self-Talk Dos and Don’ts.

• Keep a list of negative situations you have difficulty reframing. Several times a week intensely i______ one and the corresponding negative emotions before using reframing skills to counter faulty thinking. Build counterarguments for situations that are particularly problematic into your smart-talk scripts.

Summary• Self-talk is the steady stream of thoughts and internal dialogue that goes on in our

heads almost constantly. Your thoughts have a major impact on your mood, emotions and performance.

• The ABCs of self-talk describe how thoughts affect emotions and behaviors. A= activating event; B= your belief or interpretation of the situation and it determines your emotions and behavior to a much greater extent than the situation itself does; C= is the consequence- how you feel and act afterward.

• Successful self-talk requires recognizing and changing negative thoughts.• You can combat distorted and irrational thinking by using counterarguments to

reframe your thoughts.• The best way to program positive self-talk is to develop a short, smart-talk script

and read or play it 4-5 times daily. • To reframe a negative thought use the three Ds- detecting, disrupting and

disputing negative thoughts.

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Energy Management

Introduction • Energy management has to do with helping you control your arousal- the

_______________ and __________ energy that fuels your athletic performance. • This energy is on a continuum from deep sleep to intense excitement.• Arousal involves both how much the _______ is activated and how that

activation is _____________. It’s the body’s way of preparing for intense, vigorous activity.

• You have more or less arousal at different times of the day and in different situations.

Put the following on the arousal continuum: sleep, practice, watching TV, playing in a state tournament game, sitting in this session.

Low Moderate High

• When you are physically aroused complex changes happen in your body. Have you ever heard of the fight or flight response?

• Did you ever get butterflies in your stomach…. have to run to the bathroom….? • Two reasons understanding arousal is important: - Physical symptoms are normal and signal readiness to compete- nothing to worry

about.- Athletes with elevated arousal deal with it in various ways- pacing, talking

incessantly, screaming… while some yawn, nap. Both approaches can be effective in controlling arousal.

• So, each person must find an energy management strategy that works for her to attain optimal arousal in practice and competition.

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• How does arousal affect performance?


• Arousal too l___: you’ll lack sufficient physical and mental e_____ to perform to your best.

• Arousal too h______: you’ll suffer from a variety of problems related to t______, attention, motor control and interpretation that prevent you from performing your best.

• Athletes have different optimal energy z_______. How do you figure out your optimal energy zone?

- Know your personality and athletic ability.- Know what you need to do in your field hockey position.- Use the Arousal Monitoring Scale: assign yourself a score repeatedly during

practice (and later during competition), and over time you’ll discover what optimal arousal (5) feels like for you in various situations and be able to play more consistently in zone 4-6.


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• If you are not in your zone, you can do rapid relaxation to lower arousal or energization to increase arousal.

- Mental side of arousal: how you ___________ physical changes has a huge effect on how you perform.

- If you interpret arousal ___________, as challenge, readiness or excitement, you can experience top performance and flow.

- If you interpret it ____________, you are likely to perform poorly.- If you start to experience self-doubt, loss of control or images of failure, use

mental training tools to get self back in zone. First r_______ completely in order to lower arousal. Then use s_____ - ________ to reinterpret your arousal constructively and rebuild self-confidence. Then use energization s_______ to raise arousal back to your optimal energy zone.

• List 3 different skills you do in your sport position and then check if each requires low or high arousal:

Skill Low High

• As you consider your personality, do you generally need to increase or decrease your arousal level to get into your optimal energy zone for competing?

__________ Increase ___________ Decrease (Check one)

• Think back to a competition where your performance seemed to go up or down depending on what you were thinking and feeling. Write a bit about what happened……

• During practices, check yourself on the Arousal Monitoring Scale. Use relaxation or energization as needed.

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Stress Management

Review:• Physical and mental energy that fuels your athletic performance is called you’re

a________ level. • It is important how your mind i____________ what is going on around you.• Athletes have different optimal energy z__________. • If you are not in your zone, you can do rapid r______________ to lower arousal

or energization to i__________ arousal.

Today: Stress Management• Athletes have to deal with stress if they’re going to reach their potential and

achieve their competitive g________.• The problem with stress is that it can get in the way of playing well, it can destroy

self-c___________, it can cause conflict and hurt teamwork. • Why do we feel stress?• Stress is an imbalance between what we perceive is being demanded of us-

c_____________ d________- and what we perceive our capabilities are for meeting those demands- p__________ c___________- …. especially in situations in which success is important.

• Think about time in sport when there was what you perceived as a “big game.” If you were confident that you were ready for it, you saw the big game as a challenge. But if you didn’t think you had the resources to play this opponent then you saw the big game as a threat and were stressed and then may not have played as well….. may not have coped as well with this situation.

• What you b_________ about the stress determines whether uncertain competitive situations are viewed positively as a challenge or negatively as a threat.

• Remember our self-talk session? When an event happens to you, you have beliefs about the situation- how you i___________ what has happened. This interpretation of the situation determines your emotions and behavior to a much greater extent than does the situation itself.

• Example: The official misses a call that is obvious to you. Depending what you say to yourself right then will determine how quickly you become an effective player in the game for the team. “She should have called that….. we could lose the game because of that…. she’s favoring the other team……” or “Play”…..

• Self-talk is one of the mental tools we’ve been learning this week that we can use as a coping strategy to manage stress. The other tools are i________ and r______________.

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List two competitive sport situations that have caused you to become stressed. These situations can be from any competition (summer, last season, etc.).

Write which is the least stressful which is the moststressful

Not doing my running this summer so that when we had our first competition my lungs felt like they were going to explode and my legs weighed a ton and I couldn’t last.

Least

• Counterarguments deal directly with negative, unproductive or irrational thoughts.

Take the least stressful situation from the last exercise and complete the following:

Negative Thought that contributed to my stress……..

Counterarguments for the negative thought. You can refer to “Purposes & Thoughts for Smart-Talk Scripts” (Self-Talk session)

I’ll never get in shape enough to play well and I’ve let the team and coach and everyone down and they’re probably mad at me.

I’ll concentrate on doing my best right now as I can’t control what’s past.

I will get in shape by working hard.

Coping Response:1. Inhale deeply while repeating a counterargument.2. Repeat the transition word so and pause briefly3. Repeat your physical relaxation cue word as you exhale deliberately.

Example: “I’ll concentrate on doing my best right now as I can’t control what’s past, so, relax.”

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Cue Words:• Can also be used to quiet mind of intruding thoughts. Ex. “ball”: right before field

pass; shoot penalty stroke; stop shot on goal…. “focus”: can be used in many situations.

Summary• Whenever possible work to reduce or eliminate sources of stress that you can

control: get enough sleep, have healthy nutrition, hydrate sufficiently and manage your time effectively (set goals, prioritize what to do first, eliminate time wasters).

• If the stressor can’t be changed or you lack the capability to meet competitive demands, modify how you view the situation in order to manage your emotions.

• What you believe about the stress determines whether uncertain competitive situations are viewed positively as a challenge or negatively as a threat.

• View stress as a surmountable challenge.• Self-talk (counterarguments), imagery and relaxation (deep breathing and cue

words) can be used to manage stress.• Focus on what you can control: your thoughts and your actions.

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Mental Training During the SeasonImagery:

• Before practice or a competition review goals and image yourself accomplishing your goals for the practice or competition.

• After listening to Coach’s instructions or observing a demonstration, imagine yourself performing the skill before physically practicing it.

• Immediately after executing a skill effectively, create a vivid image of your performance while it is fresh in your memory.

• When sitting on the bench (not competing), image competing and responding to various situations.

• After a practice session, use imagery to review key points. • Use imagery to correct a skill or a play.• If bringing a lot of life stress into practice, imagine a calm place (beach,

mountain….) in order to relax and get mentally prepared for practice.Relaxation:

• Practice total relaxation with the team once a week after practice (facilitates cool-down and recovery from the workout).

• After a few weeks, practice rapid relaxation with cue word during practice 2-3 times a week: take one or two deep breaths and repeat your cue word silently each time you exhale.

Energization:• Do once or twice a week before practice for several weeks with the team.• Do during practice when energy levels are low. Breath rapidly and say your cue

word after every 3 breaths.Energy Management: Use either relaxation or energization to get into your optimal

energy zone before practice or competition and during practice or competition. Self-Talk:

• Keep a list of negative situations you have difficulty reframing. Several times a week intensely imagine one and the corresponding negative emotions before using reframing skills to counter faulty thinking. Build counterarguments for situations that are particularly problematic into your smart-talk scripts.

Stress Management:• With the team make a list of demanding competitive situations and, several times

a week, devote 10 minutes during practice to simulating one of them while focusing on what you can control- your thoughts and your actions.

• On your own: use imagery and relaxation (with breathing) scenarios with your cue word to relax.

Attentional Control: • As you practice and compete your mind needs to attend to something relevant

like a teammate calling and not attend to irrelevant things like what an opponent says… or sometimes even the critical voice in your head.

• Use self-talk skills and imagery to practice paying attention to the things that will help you perform your best.

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Descriptions of Seminars

Goal setting:• Athletes learn to set process (goals they can control) goals for practice and for

games. Process goals lead to performance goals which may result in athletes reaching their outcome goals.

• As a result of accomplishing goals, athletes’ self-confidence will increase.

Imagery Skills:• Used- to learn new skills, practice known skills, correct skills, play through

strategies, with relaxation and energization, in self-talk, in stress management and in goal setting. Involves all five senses. When you image something, you can produce almost the same effect as if you’d actually experienced it.

Relaxation and Energization Skills:• Used to either decrease unwanted muscular tension and calm the mind, or, to

control arousal, enhance concentration and deal with low energy levels. Relaxation is used to alleviate stress, control becoming too “psyched up”, conserve energy and promote recovery from workouts and injuries.

• In controlling arousal through energization, concentration and confidence is enhanced and the athlete is able to continue playing when tired or encountering adversity.

Self-Talk:• Athletes learn to monitor, control and direct the steady stream of thoughts and

internal dialogue that goes on in their heads almost constantly. These thoughts have a major impact on mood, emotion and athletic performance. Athletes learn to build counterarguments for situations that are particularly problematic into their “smart-talk scripts”.

Energy Management:• Athletes learn their “optimal energy zone” for high performance and how to get

themselves into that zone. This zone is highly individual and rests between an athlete’s “psych-up” and “psych-out” arousal zones.

Stress Management:• Athletes learn that their belief about a stressor determines whether uncertain

competitive situations are viewed positively as a challenge or negatively as a threat. Athletes learn to identify what they can control (thoughts and actions) in each situation and what they cannot control, and the impact this distinction has on their stress levels. Self-talk (counterarguments), imagery and relaxation can be used to manage stress levels.

Much of the material in this packet is taken from: Sport Psychology for Coaches (2008) by Drs. Damon Burton and Thomas Raedeke, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL, and has been adapted by Dr. Christine Lottes for educational use.

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Documents

Brandywine - the Conference Exchange€¦ · Web viewBreath, relax muscles and say cue word (relax, chill) after every exhalation if feel too tense for what need to do. Energization