Mental Training- Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Application

1. Mental Training- Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Application Mark Stanbrough, Ph.D. Emporia State University Emporia High School

2. Great Coaches • Have a passion for athletes they work with • Love their athletes • Have a passion for the sport they coach • Have a vision • Develop training plans • Teach skills • Develop each athlete’s mental skills and confidence

3. Sports Psychology • Not something to fear or avoid • Not mystical or magical • Simple and logical • Most coaches possess the basis for it • IT’S ABOUT THINKING RIGHT

5. Fixing Problems? • Challenging athletes • I have a problem can you fix it? • Lack of: confidence, motivation, concentration, self-discipline, respect, overarousal, poor communication • Thought of as REACTIVE • The horse is out of the barn at that time-it’s already broken!

6. BE PROACTIVE • The job of the coach is to develop the athlete’s core confidence! • Provide an experience for athletes to: prepare better perform better be happier more fulfilled Also prepares them for life

8. Trees Grow Slowly • Be positive • Build athletes up • Communication-Golden Rule • Monitor and build each athlete’s confidence

10. How much of athletics is mental? • How much time do you spend on the mental? • Do we believe it’s important? • Do athletes either have it or don’t have psychological skills? • Do coaches have the background? • Do we have the time?

11. Research • 1973- Dr. Leroy Walker, Olympic Coach • Importance of a “psychological winning edge” • USATF Sports Psychology- started in 1982 • 1988 Olympic trials- 85% used mental training- Ungerleider & Golding • Canadian Olympic team- 99%- Williams

12. Theories of Mental Training • Symbolic Learning Theory • Blueprint deep in mind • Psychoneuromuscular Theory • Produces small muscular contractions • EMG of skiers • Chevreul’s pendulum

13. Mind-Body • Fight or flight system • Mugger • Lemon • Walking the board • The world’s greatest computer is in your mind!

14. Stages of a Mental Training Program • Relaxation • Affirmations • Mental Recall • Mental Rehearsal • Goals

15. Relaxation • Achieve an optimal arousal level • Inverted U-theory

16. Relaxation • Prepares one for imagery • Conscious (rational) mind • Views things as they currently are • Likes status quo • Comfortable with way things are

17. Subconscious Mind • Accepts new ideas and images • The POWER TO MOVE THE WORLD IS IN YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND… William James

18. Imagination Rules Your World • To have what you have not, you must do what you have not done! • A narrow comfort zone makes dream achieving impossible. • The comfort zone junkie is satisfied and fears making mistakes. • Dream it. See it. Believe it. Achieve it.

19. Relaxation Techniques • Progressive relaxation • Breathing rhythms • Inhalation phase • Exhalation phase • Inhale without any conscious thought • Focus on the exhalation phase • Eliminate points of tension

20. Affirmations • Powerful statements that repeated over and over will lead to changed beliefs. I am the greatest! I am strong! I am fast! I run relaxed! I explode!

21. 5 P’s of Affirmations • Positive • Positive talk filters down to subconscious • Present Tense • “I am” • “I can” or “I will” or try is an early quit. • Personal • These are your words • Powerful • Action words such as power, strong, explode • Point • Short and to the point

22. Cue Words • Power word in your affirmation. • When your mind draws up the image your body responds • The more often affirmations are repeated the more noticeable the desired effect.

23. Power Picture Strong Quick Attack

24. Mental Recall • Recall one of your best performance • In the flow • Everything worked perfectly • Puts you in a positive frame of mind

25. Mental Rehearsal • Preview the upcoming performance • Use positive frame of mind • You guide the mind- you’re in control • Visualize different situations • Visualize performance with neuromuscular blueprint

27. Mental Rehearsal- Meet Situations • 800 meters • Pace • Surges • Start • Maintain • Contact • Push through comfort zone • Kick

28. Goal Setting • Research shows it improves performance by 16% • Athletes need info on how to set goals • Once goals are set, work with them

29. Goal Guidelines • Challenging but realistic- art of coaching • Inch by inch, it’s a cinch • Be specific and measurable • Performance goals versus outcome goals • You have control only over yourself • Short term, intermediate, long term • Identify steps to reach your goals • Practice goals • Write down your goals • Athletes have major input, coaches advise • Follow up with goals • Limit to 2-3 major goals

30. Practice • To starting line • Am if good enough to win? • Has my preparation given me the best chance to perform to my potential? • Talent and genetics are outside your control • Can’t choose to be taller or have more fast twitch fibers • Can choose to practice consistently with a high degree of quality

31. Practice makes Pe________ • When athletes compete, their bodies respond in the same way they were trained to perform. • Learned responses occur automatically in times of high stress • Incorporate mental training into practice

32. Third throw- Poor first throw, 2nd-sector foul I've got to get a good throw. What if I foul? Anxiety, pressure Overarousal Third throw- Poor first throw, 2nd-sector foul Composed, focus on process of throw, easy out of back, good position, explode Focused, confident Optimal arousal Negative versus Positive Self-Talk

34. Example Cues • Hurdles: Drive to erect, fast, attack • Sprints: Sound releases, quick hands, Go! • 800: Control, hot track, quick hands • High Jump: Push, grab the ground, pop • Long Jump: Push, rock rolling downhill, grab the board • Shot: Compress, push, fire hips • Javelin: Run away from hand, push off and extend, left arm, right leg

36. Meet Jitters • The goal is to get the butterflies flying in formation. • Achieve optimal level of arousal • Different for different people • Pre-meet routine • Relaxation, say affirmations • Stay positive • Be confident of yourself • The feeling of fear before a contest is called EXCITEMENT!

37. Evaluations • Mental Toughness Questionaire • Mental Training Skills • Meet • Practice • Mid-season • End of season

38. Motivational Strategies • Bulletin Board • Team Goals, Individual Goals for meet • Motivational sayings- daily, team developed • Team motto- ROHO • Two teams, one dream • Reach out and touch someone

40. Motivational Strategies • Power songs • Power videos • Get rid of stinking thinking • Draw goals • Training diaries • Mental training logs

41. Develop strong beliefs • In yourself • In your coach or leaders • In your philosophy of life • Mental toughness is learned. You are not born with it….. Joe Vigil • A solid mental training program shifts the rewards form extrinsic to intrinsic. • Today I gave the best I had. For what I’ve kept I’ve lost forever.

42. Ordinary People With Extraordinary Desire

43. What type of athlete do you like to coach? • Come early • Stay late • What can I do to be great? • They know there is room for improvement.

44. Resources • The Mental Athlete, Kay Porter • The Mindset for Winning, Jack Curtis • In Pursuit of Excellence, Terry Orlick • The Psychology of High-Performance Track and Field- Ralph Vernacchia and Traci Statler • Sports Coach Psychology:http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/psych.htm • Sport Psychology:http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bing/oversite/sportpsych.html

45. Contact • For relaxation, affirmations, mental recall, and mental rehearsal scripts, evaulations, goals, please e-mail. • Mark Stanbrough, Box 4013, Emporia State University, Emporia, KS 66801 • stanbrom@emporia.edu • 620-341-5399