Psychological Skills TrainingAlex GoinsBall State UniversityACE 625 (Spring 2015)

Table of Contents

• I. Psychological Skill

i. Confidence v. Non-Confidence

ii. Rationale

• II. Mental Skills (F, P, PD, or T)

i. Foundation Skill: Confidence

• III. Methods of Training

i. Stage 1

ii. Stage 2

ii. Stage 3

iv. Stage 4

v. Stage 5

• IV. Evaluation of PST Programi. Posture

ii. Willingness

iii. Rebound

iv. Confidence Level Scoring

v. Goal

Psychological Skill

• Self-Confidence• Definition: a feeling or consciousness of one's

powers or of reliance on one's circumstances (Merriam-Webster)– Mental Toughness & Optimism

• Impact: Individual & Team Performance

Confidence vs. Non-Confidence

Confidence = ResultConfidence = Result No Confidence = No ResultNo Confidence = No Result

Rationale

• Confidence is an important psychological skill for athletes of all ages. It is especially important at the youth level as players begin to develop skills, body awareness, and spatial awareness. While failure will occur, self-confidence is innately personal and relies upon experiences. Thus, if a coach provides opportunities for a player to experience consistent success while overcoming failures, a player’s confident will keep them engaged and increase their willingness to give good effort.

Foundation Skills Achievement driveSelf-awarenessProductive-thinkingSelf-confidence

Performance Skills Perceptual-cognitive skillAttentional focusEnergy management

Personal Development Skills Identity achievementInterpersonal competence

Team Skills LeadershipCommunicationCohesionTeam Confidence

Mental Skills (F, P, PD, or T)

Foundation Skill: Confidence

• According to Williams (Ch. 17), foundation skills “represent those qualities that are basic and necessary psychological skills”. Confidence can definitely be a foundation skill for sport as it can be necessary for a player to even participate in a sport in the first place. To get to a point where I can work on performance, personal development, and team skills, I must ensure that players are confident in their abilities and comfortable trying new ideas or tasks.

Methods of Training

Stage 1: Anxiety-Reduction

• Coaching Cue: “It is okay to make a mistake”• Setting this type of tone for practices and games

for youth athletes is crucial for reducing the amount of anxiety players feel in high pressure situations. To get to where a player can play freely and creatively, the players must be calm and not fear failure or repercussion for their mistakes. This is especially effective in maintaining confidence levels in low-skilled players.

Stage 2: Free-Flow Play

• Coaching Cue: “Be creative; try new things”• This type of coaching mentality allows players

the freedom to express themselves on the field. When things work out well even if it is not “by the book, a player’s confidence level can drastically increase when the coach gives them the power to play how they want and succeed in doing so. This can only be achieved if a player feels comfortable making mistakes.

Stage 3: Developing Self-Awareness

• Coaching Cue: “Know what works for you”• After players have the opportunity to try new

things and explore their skill set, the coach then builds awareness within the players that allows them to figure out what works and what does not work. To achieve this, the coach asks players the big question, “Why did that not work?” Eventually, players will be able to figure out why things were unsuccessful and have the tools necessary to fix the problem on their own.

Stage 4: Invoking Optimism

• Coaching Cue: “Stay positive and good things will come”

• By now, we have successfully created a “criticism sandwich” with our athletes that is constructive but positive. We praise them for their efforts, correct their mistakes, and then allow them to fix the issues. By the end of it, a coach demonstrates that positivity and a good attitude will lead to a successful performance.

Stage 5: Performance Achievement

• Coaching Cue: “You have the ability to achieve anything you put effort and dedication towards”

• The moment a player is successful in their attempt at a skill, especially if it is a new skill, the amount of excitement they feel is unable to be contained. At this moment, this is the prime opportunity for a coach to explain that their achievement came from a willing attitude and great effort. As a result, their confidence level grows and the cycle begins all over again.

Evaluation of PST Program

• Three Assessments: Pre, Mid, & Post• Criterion:

• Scoring: Score (Posture) + Score (Willingness) + Score (Rebound) / 3 = Confidence Score– Example: 2 + 1 + 2 / 3 = 1.67

Posture Willingness Rebound

1 = Slumped 1 = Reluctant 1 = Quit

2 = Relaxed 2 = Even Keel 2 = Accept

3 = Strong 3 = Enthusiastic 3 = Overcome

Posture

• Posture can be a very telling sign for a player’s confidence during performance. Here is a description of the three categories:

Posture

1 = Slumped

2 = Relaxed

3 = Strong

1. Slumped: A player’s shoulders are hunched and/or the head and eyes are consistently downward.

2. Relaxed: A player’s eyes are attentive and the shoulders are relaxed.

3. Strong: A player’s chest is kept out and their eyes are focused.

Willingness

• Willingness to learn or try a new skill is a sign of a player’s confidence. Here is a description of the three categories:1. Reluctant: A player may want to stay in

the back of the line or refuse to try new things.

2. Even Keel: A player accepts new ideas but only tries new skills when told.

3. Enthusiastic: A player wants to learn more and tries new things, even if they make mistakes.

Willingness

1 = Reluctant

2 = Even Keel

3 = Enthusiastic

Rebound

• How a player responds after making a mistake may determine their confidence level. Here is a description of the three categories:1. Quit: After making a mistake, a player

wants to quit or give up. They make fear shame or guilt from their mistakes.

2. Accept: A player accepts that they make a mistake and plays on as if nothing occurred.

3. Overcome: A player knows they made a mistake and do all they can to correct their mistake, even without being told.

Rebound

1 = Quit

2 = Accept

3 = Overcome

Confidence Level Scoring

• CL = 1: May have confidence issues and is evident in how they play and respond to adversity.– Response: A coach may want to work with this player more 1-on-1 to show the coach cares and has faith

in the players abilities

• CL Between 1 & 2: Deal with confidence issues, but may be willing to try new things or rebound from their mistakes.– Response: A coach may target the specific areas in which players lack confidence.

Confidence Level Scoring

• CL Between 2 & 3: Relatively confident, but mostly are relaxed and calm when faced with pressure or adversity.– Response: A coach may encourage a player to be creative but not settle for status quo.

• CL = 3: Confident and unafraid of making mistakes when trying new things.– Response: A coach may challenge these players more and use them as a demonstration for other

players to model after.

Goal

• The goal of the program is to work with players to increase their confidence level score by 1 during the season. Example being if a player scores a 1, I want to work with them to increase their confidence level to a 2 by the end of the season. For players who score a 3, the goal is to maintain their confidence level even after challenging them. In addition, the goal is for no players to have a decrease in confidence level over the duration of the season.