Clifton Sport Psychology Sport Psychology in GAA How to Mentally Prepare Athletes For Gaelic Games

Clifton Sport Psychology

Sport Psychology in GAA

How to Mentally Prepare Athletes For Gaelic Games


‘The mind is the athlete. Thebody is simply the means it usesto run faster or longer, jumphigher, shoot straighter, kickbetter, swim harder, hit further,or box better’.

Bryce Courtney, The Power of One, 1992

Clifton Sport PsychologyLearning Outcomes

To identify key areas of sport psychology

To apply these areas to Gaelic Games

To empower GAA coaches with knowledge

Clifton Sport Psychology Objectives

To explain the key theories and principles of sport psychology and how they lead to improved athletic performance

To apply these principles to Gaelic Games

To give appropriate examples in order to empower coaches to use these principles with their athletes

Clifton Sport Psychology Key Mental Areas

Motivation

Anxiety

Team Cohesion

Clifton Sport PsychologyMotivation

‘Motivation is a desire to achieve a goal, combined with the energy to work towards that goal’.

As coaches you firstly be motivated

Impossible to motivate others if you can’t motivate yourself

Clifton Sport Psychology Activity

A quick check of your Motivation

Ask the coach beside you

Why Did You Play Sports?

Why Do You Coach?


Remember

Always remember….Players come to coaches already highly motivated

Therefore…It’s your job to maintain your players’ natural motivation to play the sport

Like me tonight!!!!!


How do we do it

Goal Setting Communicate

Feedback Music

New & Exciting Training Give Players Responsibility

Have Players of Week/ Man of Matches

Know your players

GOAL SETTING

What to measure -performance profiling

When we set them-performance goals not outcome goals challenging goals not easy onesrealistic goalsspecific goalsshort term not long term goalsgoals assist performance attitude and motivation

. feedback on progress is importantplayers must accept goals


Performance Profiling

With your players or fellow coacheslist the important attributes of the game.

Give the profile to the players

Player rates where you feel you are (atthis moment) on each attribute (1=not at alllike me & 10= could not get any better).


FEEDBACK

The primary function of a coach is to somehowalter existing sporting behavior - could be atechnique, tactics, skills or behaviour

As coaches, you must make a conscious decisionas to whether we will use a POSITIVE orNEGATIVE approach when you attempt tomake these changes


Using a Negative Approach(shouting, fear, negative feedback) to Change Behaviour

AdvantageIt often works -- can eliminate undesirablebehaviour. But only in the short run and only when we are present and only when we’re willingly to punish with exercise!!

Disadvantages

Can be very unpleasant -- reduceenjoyment and MOTIVATION (mayincrease likelihood of athletes quitting theteam)Increases ANXIETY (and error rate)Produces “fear of failure”



Anxiety

Anxiety is a natural reaction to threats in the environment and part of the preparation for the ‘fight or flight’ response.

It happens in Sport because:It can be a threat posed towards one’s ego/self esteem Demands of training or competition exceed one’s perceived abilityIt can be physically exhausting It places you against superior opponents Hostile fans might verbally abuse you the Elements may need to be overcome Your emotional frailties are constantly laid bare for all to see

Clifton Sport PsychologyAnxiety

“Walking from the locker-room to the ring is the scariest feeling I ever had in my life…It's like I have butterflies, my heart is beating, I'm already sweating, my hands are wet, it's just a real scary feeling”

Gerald McClellan, former WBC super-middleweight champion

Recognizing Symptoms of Arousal and State AnxietyRecognizing Symptoms of Arousal and State Anxiety

Physical (somatic) symptonsProfuse sweating, muscular tension, butterflies, dry mouth, blushing, nausea

Mental (cognitive) symptomsConfusion, poor concentration, fear, negative images, forgetfulness, indecision, feeling heavy, loss of confidence, negative self-talk

Behavioural symptomsBiting fingernails, inhibited posture, lethargic movements, going through the motions, playing safe, introversion, consistently better performance in non-evaluative situations

Physical (somatic) symptonsProfuse sweating, muscular tension, butterflies, dry mouth, blushing, nausea

Mental (cognitive) symptomsConfusion, poor concentration, fear, negative images, forgetfulness, indecision, feeling heavy, loss of confidence, negative self-talk

Behavioural symptomsBiting fingernails, inhibited posture, lethargic movements, going through the motions, playing safe, introversion, consistently better performance in non-evaluative situations

Clifton Sport Psychology Techniques to Solve

Anxiety

Relaxation and Breathing Techniques (see GAA web)

Routines

Imagery (see GAA web)

Self-Talk


ROUTINES

Post Match/ Half Time Team Talks- organised & worthwhile

Player routines for games 2-3 hours before-Somatic

Announce team days in advance/give players instructions-Cognitive

Same warm up all before all games

Routines in changing rooms Players aware of their job

Posters of players-characteristics Captain to text players

Presentation of jerseys

Individuals work on pre-performance rituals


Self-Talk

The collection of thoughts or statements players make to themselves regarding their

performance.

They can be a very powerful tool effecting performance

Athletes usually use them negatively-Inappropriate Negative

Coaches should identify if athlete using Self Talk

Change to –Appropriate Positive

Examples ‘Watch the ball’- Concentration‘Go for it’- Fighting Spirit‘Relax’- Alleviate Fear and Choking


Examples of Negative

and Positive Self-Talk

NEGATIVE POSITIVE

ALWAYS OFTEN

I MUST I WANT

I CANNOT IT MAY BE DIFFICULT

I DONT WANT I WILL

The key is changing Negative to Positive


TEAM

COHESION

Team cohesion is commonly defined as a dynamic process that is reflected in the tendency of a group to remain united in the pursuit of its goals and objectives

Q. What qualities, attributes, and characteristics does a team need?

Q. Which ones does a successful team that other teams don’t?

Lions tours are aboutLions tours are aboutbonding together. As abonding together. As a

touring side you aretouring side you arealways up against it.always up against it.

Success depends onSuccess depends onwhether you comewhether you come

together or you split intotogether or you split intofactions…There werefactions…There weretimes with this Lionstimes with this Lionssquad when we feltsquad when we feltinvincible – that weinvincible – that we

could take on the wholecould take on the wholeworld and beat them.world and beat them.

Jeremy Jeremy GuscottGuscott (1977) (1977)British Lions Rugby PlayerBritish Lions Rugby Player

“In previous squads we“In previous squads wewould see players sittingwould see players sittingdown to meals anddown to meals andstaying with their clubstaying with their clubgroups. A Munich tablegroups. A Munich tablehere, a Cologne tablehere, a Cologne tablethere. This year, it hasthere. This year, it hasbeen different. Everyonebeen different. Everyonemixes in and it makes formixes in and it makes fora better team”a better team”Franz Franz BeckenbaurBeckenbaurcoach of the West Germancoach of the West Germansoccer team that won the Worldsoccer team that won the WorldCup in 1990Cup in 1990

“We played as a team,“We played as a team,we dined as a team, wewe dined as a team, wetalked as a team and wetalked as a team and wewon as a team…Thewon as a team…Theteam spirit this weekteam spirit this weekhas been the best that Ihas been the best that Ihave experienced in this,have experienced in this,my third Ryder Cup”my third Ryder Cup”Darren Clarke (2002)Darren Clarke (2002)European team playerEuropean team player

“ You can’t have the individual“ You can’t have the individualahead of the collective…never.ahead of the collective…never.

I am only there to finish the job ofI am only there to finish the job ofthe team”the team”

Thierry Henry (2002)Thierry Henry (2002)France & ArsenalFrance & Arsenal


Eight key characteristics of asuccessful team in sport

Sven-Goran Eriksson

Members of the team must have a commonMembers of the team must have a commonvisionvision

Members should have a clear understandingMembers should have a clear understandingof the team’s goalsof the team’s goals

Members must have a good understanding ofMembers must have a good understanding ofteam’s strategies and tacticsteam’s strategies and tactics

Members must have ‘inner discipline’Members must have ‘inner discipline’ Successful teams must have players whoSuccessful teams must have players who

compliment each othercompliment each other Effective teams require a division of rolesEffective teams require a division of roles

(which should be respected equally by the(which should be respected equally by thecoach)coach)

Players in successful teams must learn to putPlayers in successful teams must learn to putthe common good before their own intereststhe common good before their own interests

Members of a successful team must acceptMembers of a successful team must acceptcollective responsibility and think ‘we’ insteadcollective responsibility and think ‘we’ insteadof ‘me’of ‘me’

Guidelines for Building Team CohesionLeader-coach strategies


Have a vision

Be realistically optimistic

Determine your strategy

Communicate effectively

Explain individual roles in team success

Develop pride within subunits

Set challenging team goals

Lead by example

Develop motivational videos

Use plenty of positive feedback

Have a vision

Be realistically optimistic

Determine your strategy

Communicate effectively

Explain individual roles in team success

Develop pride within subunits

Set challenging team goals

Lead by example

Develop motivational videos

Use plenty of positive feedback

Encourage team identity

Encourage leaders

Discourage formation of socialcliques

Be fair, consistent & honest

Discourage criticism

Conduct periodic team meetings

Know the team climate

Know something personal abouteach group member

Have fun!

Encourage team identity

Encourage leaders

Discourage formation of socialcliques

Be fair, consistent & honest

Discourage criticism

Conduct periodic team meetings

Know the team climate

Know something personal abouteach group member

Have fun!



Guidelines for Building Team CohesionGroup member strategiesGuidelines for Building Team CohesionGroup member strategies

Resolve conflictsimmediatelyChallenge yourselfBe responsible Communicatehonestly and openlywith coach or leader Give 100% effort atall times

Guidelines for Building Team CohesionGroup member strategiesGuidelines for Building Team CohesionGroup member strategies

Get to knowmembers of the group

Help groupmembers wheneverpossible

Give group memberspositive reinforcement

Set personal goalswithin the overall teamgoals


Thank-you for your time

Please take a card

I hope you have taken something from tonight

And remember to coach a very important lesson

NEVER GIVE UP


Documents

Clifton Sport Psychology Sport Psychology in GAA How to Mentally Prepare Athletes For Gaelic Games