| |
Sports & Performance Articles:
Badminton
Baseball
Basketball
Chess
Cycling
Dance
Diving
Dog Agility
Fencing
Football
Golf
Gymnastics
Mixed Martial Arts
Motorcycle Riding
Motor Sports
Music
Olympic Weightlifting
Polo
Racquetball
Running
Soccer
Softball
Squash
Swimming
Table Tennis
Team Roping
Tennis
Transitions In Sport
Volleyball
Water Polo
Articles:
Sports Psychology and Mental Training
The Psychology
Of Sport - An Overview Of An Exciting, Valuable Field
This article looks at the field of sport psychology and discovers
how it can help you as an athlete, as a parent of an athlete, or
as a coach. This article covers nine areas the psychology of sport
examines and practices in helping people. 833 words.
What Does
A Sports Psychology Consultant Do? Do You Need This Specialized
Mental Advisor?
This article gives you a broad overview of the world of sports psychology
consultants. You will learn who uses sports psychology consultants,
how they operate, and what they can do for you. A sports psychology
consultant addresses critical sports learning and performance areas
such as mental readiness, concentration, motivation, teamwork, communication,
the zone and managing a sports career. Discover the many ways a
sports psychology consultant can help you as an athlete, as a parent
of an athlete, or as a coach. 1672 words.
Do You
Have a Sports Psychologist On Your Success Team? Discover What This
Mental Game Coach Can Do For You
Top professional athletes and coaches know how important it is to
have a solid mental game. In pro golf alone, it's been estimated
that over 80% of men and women pro golfers use a sports psychologist
or mental game coach. Here are seven major ways you can utilize
a sports psychologist to help you improve faster and create sustainable
success in your sport. 567 words.
What Does A Mind
Coach Do? Do You Have One On Your Success Team?
You've heard of mind coaches. We train the mind and emotions of
athletes so they can learn better, practice more effectively and
compete and win more under pressure. I've done this for professional
tennis players, golfers, water skiers, cricket players, MMA fighters,
and countless other athletes in over 55 sports to date. How about
you? Do you have a mind coach on your team? This article shows you
how a mind coach can help you reach your athletic dreams, and make
them a reality. 490 words.
Myths About
Sports Psychology: 32 Misconceptions About The Mental Game Of Sports
Explained
Sport is a mind game. A place where a small difference in mental
powers often makes a big difference between winning and losing.
The field of sports psychology can help athletes and coaches succeed
faster and achieve higher sports goals than they ever dreamed possible,
but there are many myths and mysteries surrounding this fascinating
field. This article examines 32 sport psychology myths and offers
facts and analysis to shed new light on age-old misinformation and
misunderstandings. 2858 words.
Why Are
Some Athletes Reluctant To Use Sports Psychologists?
Many people are reluctant to go to a physician out of fear. Many
athletes also steer clear of sports psychologists out of fear, and
worse, the social stigma that still exists when asking for mental
help. When an athlete does call a sports psychologist, it is often
when all else has failed, they have an important event coming up,
and they need mental help--fast. Virtually every college, national,
professional and Olympic sports team has a sports psychologist on
staff and countless individual professional athletes work closely
with sports psychology consultants. Learn the 72 reasons athletes
avoid sports psychologists. Discover the many benefits of sports
psychology training, and what to expect in a sports psychology session.
6602 words.
Championship
Superstar Athletes: What Makes Them Tick?
Who is your all-time favorite star athlete? What is inside them
that drives them to the heights? All great athletes have common
attributes that propel them to be excellent. Learn 10 characteristics
common to all superstars and how you can develop them yourself to
grow and achieve more than you ever thought possible. 670 words.
Do You Know What
A Mental Trainer Does? Do You Need One To Achieve Greater Success?
Professional athletes realize that having a strong mental approach
is key to their success. How about you? Do you have a mental process
and approach you trust? Does your mind work for you, or against
you? This article discusses eight major ways you can utilize a mental
trainer to help you improve faster, and create sustainable success
in your sport. 876 words.
A Mental
Training System Checklist: 50 Mental Game Tools Peak Performers
Use
What mental tools do you have in your peak performer's tool kit
that will propel you to excellence? Peak performers have a wide
array of mental technologies to help them overcome obstacles, prepare
for performances, and review and adjust their mental game. Here's
a list of superior psychological tools you can use to create your
own custom mental training system. 748 words.
Create
A Mindset For Winning At Tennis -- Your Competitive Nature Can Be
One Of Your Biggest Weapons
This article presents competition tips to help you tune your mind
up to compete at your best. Included are examples of behavior to
avoid and questions to ask yourself about your competitive attitude.
870 words.
The Stress Of Transitions In Life And Sport: How Both Stressors Impact Your Performance
All throughout the year, but every August and September in particular, I receive many emails and phone calls from parents asking for mental help with their sons and daughters as they move into new schools, new coaching staffs, new living arrangements, new team mates, new coaching styles, new techniques, new playbooks, and many other new demands. For over 40 years, I have been very successful helping young people manage these pressures and in helping them regain their confidence. I have a unique insight into this process, because I saw this phenomenon "up close and personal" as a Division I Head Coach at two west-coast universities and then also as a mental game coach.
The key word is transition. All of the situations described here in transition require adaptation and change. That takes a lot of mental strength, and a lot of good old-fashioned problem-solving. The athlete is not only facing new challenges, but they are leaving behind former support structures and trusted support people that were always there for them. Now they can feel very alone. These are larger pressures for newer college athletes and they often become derailed in trying to figure out how to cope in the face of multiple new challenges, many of them happening all at once. This article lists 17 life transitions from the Holmes-Rahe Life Events Stress Scale, with a link to that test and 36 Transitions That Cause Stress In Sport.
Word count is 1163.
The Mental Game
Of Fencing - Use Your Mind To Improve Your Performance
Bill Cole, MS, MA was asked to conduct his workshop, The Mental
Game of Sports, for the Stanford University Fencing Camp at Stanford
University in Palo Alto California. In attendance were a group of
young national and international fencing competitors. This article
describes this program, The Mental Game of Fencing, and what everyone
learned, how it was conducted, and some of the participant's comments.
1231 words.
The Mental Game
Of Badminton - A Case Study Of The #1-Ranked Player In The US
This article tells the story of how a badminton player undertook
a mental game of badminton training program and achieved the #1
singles ranking in the United States. At the tournament levels of
the sport, the mental game of badminton is critical. It separates
the winners from the near-winners. It's that final edge that pushes
a player into the finals so they can take home the big trophy. Having
a strong mental game of badminton is a must for all serious tournament
competitors. To succeed at these levels competitors need to build
mental toughness, a deep will to win, sharp focus and the ability
to make come-backs after challenging points and matches. 860 words.
Mental Success Strategies
The Fear of Failure -
Nothing Succeeds Like Failure: How To Bounce Back From Defeat And
Reach Your Potential
How do you react when you make a mistake, or when you fail? Do you
have a plan for using failure to help you succeed? Top-achieving
performers and achievers have developed powerful mental strategies
for bouncing back from seeming defeats and to catapult themselves
to the next level of success. You can learn those strategies too.
797 words.
The Fear of Success: How
to Overcome It
Is the fear of success real? How could anyone possibly fear such
a wonderfully positive thing as success? As strange as it sounds,
many people do fear success. This fear holds them back from achieving
their goals and dreams. It may sound more reasonable to fear failure,
and not to fear success. What is this all about? Here are some reasons
people fear success. Think these through and you'll begin to resolve
these issues within yourself. 593 words.
10 Mental Toughness
Strategies To Help You Reach Your Fitness, Weight And Health Goals
Fitness and weight changes work best when done from the inside out,
rather than the outside in. What that means is, discover why you
want to change, what the internal resistances are that may hold
you back, and how you will adjust your attitude to bring those changes
about. Here are 10 mental toughness strategies you will find critical
in "making weight". 513 words.
Peak Performance and Mental Toughness
The Mental Game Of Olympic Weightlifting: Break Through Your Mental Barriers
I've had the pleasure of being the mental game coach to many athletes competing in the sport of Olympic weightlifting from local and regional levels to the national and international stages. This article helps weightlifters break through their mental barriers by discussing The One-Hit Wonder Syndrome and offers suggestions on how to navigate that by comparing negative pressure vs. positive pressure. It details the Imposter Syndrome by showing how famous entertainers fall prey to it and how to determine when you are confident. It also lists 12 ways lifters think incorrectly, which can lead to clarking, and 12 ways lifters can think correctly that leads to confident lifts.
Psyching Up For Greatness:
7 Pre-Event Mental Preparation Strategies.
Do you ever wonder why you perform with excellence one day and can't
get out of your own way the next? The answer might lie in how you
prepare. Here are seven top tips to get you focused and ready to
take on the world for any task or performance. 414 words.
The Twenty Most
Dangerous Myths About Peak Performance
In what arenas do you want to perform better? To improve your performance
abilities, you need to recognize, understand and be able to avoid
the myths surrounding performance. Top performers have seen all
the traps, pitfalls and blind alleys about performing, and have
devised methods to overcome them to be able to sustain high levels
of performance under all adverse conditions. Learn to avoid these
twenty peak performance myths and you will immediately see your
performances soar. 1887 words.
Mental Toughness: The
69 Characteristics Of Mentally Tough Individuals
What does it mean to be mentally tough? Why do top achievers and
performers revere it? The quality of mental toughness means that
an individual has the ability to master the naturally unmanageable
desires of the body and mind and bring them under a discipline to
achieve and sustain demanding goals and performance under pressure.
Mental toughness is something championship athletes possess. This
article describes the 69 characteristics of mental toughness. 578
words.
Mental Toughness
And The Zone
Top performers seem to have the ability to enter the zone at will.
Discover how to build mental and emotional resilience so you can
enter the zone on command. 628 words.
The Mental Game Of
Golf: Ten Strategies For Better Concentration
Do you arrive at the golf course hoping your A game will show up
that day? Or do you have a system for making sure your concentration
will be zoned in? Players who give consistent performances know
how to fine-tune their minds. Here are ten mental strategies that
can help you improve your concentration in golf. 788 words.
The Mental Game
Of Baseball: Mental Toughness Wins Ball Games
When I was the Sport Psychology Coach for the Stanford Baseball
Team they were ranked number one in the United States. We worked
on mental toughness every day. We also worked on focus, mental preparation
and building and maintaining routines and mental recovery strategies.
This article gives you five mental game of baseball strategies you
can use right away. 541 words.
The Mental Game
Of Softball: Focus, Toughness And Mental Preparation Win
When you know more about the mental game of softball, and of how
to manage your own mental approach, you can look forward to improving
your effectiveness and enjoyment in your favorite sport-softball.
This article tells you about visual focus cues, keeping your hands
loose, monitoring your body language and sharpening your rituals.
647 words.
The Mental Game
Of Soccer: Are You A Mentally Tough Athlete?
What are your mental strengths as a soccer player? Do you have mental
toughness, particularly under pressure? Do you have the ability
to let go of mistakes in a contest? Can you maintain confidence
in the face of setbacks? This article gives you four mental strategies
for the mental game of soccer you can use to boost your mental soccer
skills back into overdrive. 1087 words.
The Mental Game
Of Volleyball: Winners Have Calm, Focused Mental Toughness
Learn about the mental game of volleyball, and of how to manage
your own mental process. You are in charge of what is in your mind,
and about how you react to situations. As you take more responsibility
for yourself you will gain a growing sense of power and mastery
over yourself. Take that power, and improve your game. 521 words.
The Mental Game
Of Squash: Manage Your Mind To Win
Learn about the mental game of squash, and how to manage your mind
in lessons, training and matches. Learn how to laser target your
focus and how to show your competitive fire and will to win. Learn
confident communication skills that let people know they can't push
you around. Make your mind your strongest weapon out there. 690
words.
|
|
The Mental Game
Of Diving: Manage The Fears And Doubts To Win
For many years I've been the mental game coach to divers who have succeeded at the top diving competitions in the sport. I've coached remotely at the London Olympics and Rio Olympics (one Bronze medalist), had winners in the US Olympic Trials, three top-ten finishes in the World Championships, a Silver Medalist at the FINA Diving World Cup, a Silver Medalist at the Pan American Games, a Silver Medalist at the FINA Diving World Championships, a USA Diving National Champion and three first-place wins at the NCAA Division I National Diving Championships. My clients have been members of Team Diving USA, Olympic Diving Team USA, Team World Cup Diving, and many other teams. Learn four key mental diving skills I teach to help you perform better. 1264 words.
The Mental Game Of
Polo: Build An Unstoppable Competitive Mindset
This article about the mental game of polo teaches you how to manage
what's in your mind. Remember that how you think and feel comes
from you, not the outside, and to stay calm, yet energized, and
ways to handle the dead time as well as the action, and to believe
you belong (with a way to reduce pressure on yourself). May you
enjoy all your polo matches! 731 words.
The Mental Game Of Racquetball
Focus Your Mind, No Matter What
I've been the mental game coach to dozens of racquetball players over the years. The mental game of racquetball is one of my specialties. At two major universities I taught racquetball to general college students and also taught physical education majors how to play and teach racquetball. I've specialized in the mental game of racquetball since the early 1970's when I competed. This article outlines five strategies you can employ in these situations so you can keep your mind laser-focused and play well under any degree of pressure. 1124 words.
The Mental Game Of
Running: Find Your Mental Power For Peak Performance.
I've been mental game coach to runners in many categories: track, marathons, ultras, obstacle races, biathlon, and distance races of all lengths. I've done this with High School, college, AAU and senior runners. My clients have won local, state, regional, national and international events, including 4th place in the Redbull 400 World Championships in Germany, 3rd place in the Philadelphia Toughest Mudder Obstacle Race Course, and 3rd place in an international Skyrunning Ultra in Mexico. This article gives you four mental approaches I use with runners. 1232 words.
The Mental
Game Of Table Tennis: Confidence, Concentration and Composure
Learn about the mental game of table tennis, and how to make the
most of the powers of your mind. How is your mental game? Do you
have the level of confidence you want? Are you able to concentrate
at an intense level for the entire match, and over the course of
a tournament? Can you relax and remain composed, even in the face
of relentless match pressure? This article gives you three powerful
mental strategies to help you get more out of your mental approach
to the game. 918 words.
The Mental Game
Of Swimming: Mind Over Matter Results In Success
Here are four mental strategies for the mental game of swimming
you can use to raise the level of your swimming-immediately: relax
more to go faster, don't blow big meets out of proportion, if you
are a star, expect some flak, and how to keep your parents under
control. 673 words.
The Mental
Game Of Gymnastics: Building Mental Toughness And Confidence
Learn about the mental game of gymnastics, and of how to manage
your own mind. Learn how to appreciate yourself more as being a
tough athlete in a tough sport and how to be more positive, and
to visualize success. Finally, learn how to coach your coach to
be a better communicator. 559 words.
The Mental
Game Of Mixed Martial Arts
Do you train your mind as hard as you train your body? Is your mind
an ally or an enemy when you step into the ring? Modern fighters
embrace mental toughness. They know they must have the mental resiliency
and hardiness that comes from mental training. This article discusses
seven mental training methods I use with these combat sports. 983
words.
The Mental Game
Of Climbing
This article gives you some new mental insights into the mental
game of climbing. You will learn how to manage your mind, and how
to maintain contact with the present time zone and how to avoid
having your mind fall back into the past with regret and anger or
having it zoom into the future with fear or worry. Discover the
attachment breathing technique that helps you clear your mind and
stay present-focused during each move. 881 words.
The Mental Game
Of Basketball
I've been the mental game coach to dozens of basketball players, teams and coaches over the years. The mental game of basketball is one of my specialties. I've coached basketball players on Team USA, and top college programs like Stanford and UTEP.
Have you had a mean, toxic, negative, bullying coach? How did that affect you? If you compete long enough, and you have enough coaches, you are bound to have a coach you don't like. I don't mean a coach who is not qualified, or who is not skilled. I mean a coach who is downright negative. Unfortunately, coaching is one of the last bastions of institutionalized abuse. If a teacher did what many coaches do to players—yell, scream, call names, belittle, ignore them, punish them, etc.—what do you think would happen? A teacher like this would probably be sanctioned, suspended or fired very quickly. A coach who did this might get an award...as long as they're winning. How should you deal with a negative coach? How can you protect your self-confidence?
This article outlines five strategies you can employ in these situations so you remain mentally strong and continue enjoying the great game of basketball.
1304 words.
The Mental Game
Of Dancing
I have been mental game coach to national level and world-class dancers, and have been able to help them get past stage fright and other performance issues to achieve excellence in auditions and competitions. Here are three mental approaches to performance enhancement you might find helpful in your own dance career.
464 words.
The Mental
Game Of Motor Sports
This article gives you new mental insights into the mental game
of motor sports. It teaches you about the cocoon nature of the zone,
and how to achieve that under pressure. Discover the art of fine-tuning,
where you become aware of yourself, and make adjustments to get
into the zone and stay there. 1294 words.
The Mental
Game of Motorcycle Riding: The Art Of Awareness Leads To Peak Performance
I've been fortunate to be the mental game coach to multiple national motorcycle racing champions and professional motorcycle racing competitors. I've helped them improve their mental preparation, ability to handle pressure, and to develop a deep, laser focus. You can learn these skills too. The master skill for being a solid, adaptable, consistent rider is awareness. That's the magic word. With it, all is possible. Without it, almost nothing is possible. Learn how awareness is blocked, and how to enhance it so you ride to your potential. 1427 words.
The Mental
Art of Motorcycle Riding
A big part of achieving "riding face" is the ability to be engaged in what you are about to do, BEFORE you do it. Athletes call this game face and it is integral to their success. Game face or riding face is having a mental expectation of success, visualizing or planning for what you are about to do and having a deep, undistracted focus. Awareness is the master skill. This article explains in more detail how awareness is blocked and what you can do to remove those blocks. 1462 words.
The Mental
Game Of Team Roping
This article on the mental game of team roping gives you some new
insights into the psychological aspects of team roping. You will
learn how to manage your mind, how perfectionism is ruining your
performances, and how to change that. You will also learn how to
identify your cues and rituals to improve your focus. 1093 words.
The Mental
Game Of Dog Agility
This article on the mental game of dog agility shows you some important
ways to improve your mind and emotions so you can manage pressure,
stay focused on the correct cues and create sustainable peak performance.
This article tells you how to understand and use the concept of
control factors and the process vs. outcome focus method. 960 words.
The Mental
Game Of Football
I've been the mental game coach to football players, coaches and parents at the high school, college and pro level. I've mentally trained players for the NFL Combine, for media interviews, and for transitioning into college and the pros. I'm the sport psychology advisor to many football players and coaches. What are some of the top mental issues you would like to improve so you can reach more of your football potential? What are some mental issues holding you back from football greatness? If you're like many of my clients, you have a need for more self-belief, and better mental toughness. Here are four mental approaches I have found very useful for football players.
917 words.
The Mental Game
Of Music
This article on the mental game of music teaches you the importance
of visualization and breathing as a means to peak performance. You'll
learn the relationship of visualization to the zone, and how to
call up the zone experience on purpose. Discover how to breathe
and how your breath brings you into contact with the present moment,
which is the experience all performers seek. 960 words.
The Mental Game
Of Chess
This article on the mental game of chess shows you some ways to
improve your mental powers so you can better manage the pressure
of a competitive chess event. Learn how to reduce stress and pressure
when you compete and how to manage your energy so you can focus
better, for longer periods of time. Discover how to manage negative
and anxiety-inducing comments from others and how to keep your mind
in the present, so you can focus on what is happening. 840 words.
The Mental Game
Of Cycling
I've been mental game coach to cyclists in many aspects of the sport, ranging from BMX, downhill, road racing and time trialling. I coached a
member of the United States National Cycling Team to change her pre-competition mental readiness rituals, resulting in her winning the Gold Medal at the Pan American Championships in downhill bicycling. How about you? How's your mental game of cycling? Do you have mental toughness? Can you maintain focus? Do you love what you do? Here are four mental approaches with cyclists I've used with great success.
919 words.
The Mental Game Of Water Polo
How To Focus Your Mind, No Matter What
I've been the mental game coach to dozens of top national water polo players over the years. I've also been mental coach to many swimmers and divers, ranging from high school, state, national, international to the Olympic level. This article outlines five strategies water polo players can employ to keep their mind laser-focused in the present to play better under pressure.
1152 words.
The Sports
Psychology Peak-Performance Model In Business: The New Corporate
Ethic
Corporations today are committed to helping organizations empower
their people with high-performance work styles. People who are identified
as peak performers, even in high stress environments, have mastered
the skills top achievers in all disciplines possess. The secrets
of renewal in a high-stress world are revealed in this cogent work.
1899 words.
Coaching
What's a Mental
Game Coach?
You're familiar with psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists,
peak performance coaches and sport psychologists, but you may be
wondering, what's a mental game coach? Read this in-depth article
about how to choose the best type of this unique, specialized mind
coach who will help you reach more of your potential in business,
sports and life itself. 2004 words.
Why Hire a Coach?
A tennis coach, golf coach, swim coach, personal coach, business
coach, executive mentor, financial planner, personal trainer, sport
psychology coach. What do all these coaches have in common? Why
work with a coach? A coach won't do the work for you, but here are
ten top tips how a coach can help launch you to the next level.
373 words.
The
Top 15 Characteristics Of Excellent Coaches: Winning The Mental
Game Of Coaching
What makes for an excellent coach? Is it something that can be learned,
or are great coaches born? Of the coaches you've had, what made
them stand out? Read this article to discover Bill Cole's view of
the top 15 characteristics of excellent coaches. 400 words.
Peak
Performance Training For The Coach: Get In The Flow!
How can you as a coach bring the world of peak performance to bear
upon your life and your work? How can you embrace the ethic and
abilities of the peak performer to raise the level of your entire
life's functioning on a daily basis? How can you help your clients
to become their own best coaches? How is your own mental game? Learn
the secrets peak performing coaches use to inspire others. 1226
words.
|
Article Republishing Guidelines
- You have our advance permission to use these sports psychology
coaching articles in any form you choose. Typically, organizations
use these articles on their web sites, in e-zines, in newsletters,
within larger articles, in company publications and the like.
All articles have been previously published externally or internally,
but we hold the copyright. There is no charge for their use. There
may be a fee if used in programs we provide you.
- We do not grant permission to reproduce these articles,
or any portion thereof, for sale in any manner, whether it is
as a stand-alone article, bundled in a product, as a special report,
e-report, e-book, CD, web download, or as part of any electronic,
audio or hard-copy product. We do accept inquiries about selling
you reprint rights where you might want to sell this information
in some form. Please contact us in advance for express written
permission and terms for resale.
- The author's name, web address (SportsPsychologyCoaching.com)
and copyright notice (Copyright © Bill Cole, MS, MA) must appear
in all reprinted articles. If the article appears on a website
or in an e-zine, the article must include a link to a page in
the SportsPsychologyCoaching.com website. We would also appreciate
your including the author's bio and full contact information in
your article, although this is not a requirement.
- You may use and edit the article any way you prefer, including
taking credited quotes from it. Your editorial customization may
include title changes, reasonable changes, deletions and additions
to the copy. You may add photographs and artwork. We would be
happy to help you edit any article to fit your publication requirements,
but that is not required.
- No further advance permission from us is required to republish
these articles, but please contact us to let us know that you
are using the articles. Use them as they can help you the best.
- We ask that, whenever possible, you provide us with a clip
or copy of the article after it has appeared, along with the name
and contact information of the publication in which it appeared.
- Articles have the word count noted.
|
Quizzes:
Mental Game Quiz: How's
Your Mental Game?
Take This Peak Performance Quiz And Discover
Your MGPQ (Mental Game Power Quotient)™.
Sports Psychology
Quiz: How Well Do You Prepare Mentally?
Take This Quiz To Discover Your Mental Preparation
Quotient.
Yahoo! Sports Interview
Bill Cole was interviewed about Super Bowl
XLI and sports psychology on a panel including football coaching
legends Bill Walsh and Dick Vermeil.
The
Sport Psych Handbook
By Shane Murphy, editor
This well-written, comprehensive book was
edited by Shane Murphy, a leader in the field of Sports Psychology..
Best
Sport Psychology Books
Recommended by Bill Cole
|
|
|
