Introduction to Mental Skills Training PDF

3 Introduction to Mental Skills Training After reading this chapter, you should be able to explain the role that psychological factors play in sport performance; how mental skills training can improve performance, enhance enjoyment, and help athlet...

3 Introduction to Mental Skills Training After reading this chapter, you should be able to explain the role that psychological factors play in sport performance; how mental skills training can improve performance, enhance enjoyment, and help athletes develop life skills; how your athletes can use mental training tools to develop mental skills; myths surrounding mental skills training; and the three phases in teaching mental skills. 36 Sport psychology for coaches S port success is determined in part by physical formance. Athletes use a variety of terms to describe conditioning, skill, and preparation. But it is also these almost magical moments, such as being in influenced by psychological factors such as self- flow or “in the zone,” or having “the hot hand.” confidence, motivation, concentration, and emotional These special moments occur when athletes are both control. How important do you think psychological physically and mentally prepared and everything factors are to the success of your team, as compared falls into place for them (see Bill Russell’s Experi- with physical factors? In short, how much of sport do ence of Flow). you think is mental, and how much is physical? Like Bill Russell, athletes in flow have complete confidence and trust in their skills, which enables ______ % physical them to perform effortlessly and automatically, with- ______ % psychological out conscious thought. It is like they are on automatic pilot. Csikszentmihalyi, the guru of flow, studied Yogi Berra is often quoted as saying, “Baseball is the flow experiences of performers across a wide 90% mental; the other half is physical.” The numbers variety of settings and found remarkable consistency don’t add up, but his point is well taken. Like Yogi across their experiences. (Csikszentmihalyi 1990, Berra, you may believe that mental factors play a big Csikszentmihalyi 1997, Jackson & Csikszentmihalyi role in sport. Most coaches agree. You’ve probably 1999). Athletes in flow are completely focused and watched games where athletes make clutch plays in absorbed in their performance, and their height- the closing seconds to propel their team to victory—or ened focus makes them aware of everything going choke under pressure. You may have heard coaches on around them that relates to their performance. agonize over “practice athletes,” those physically tal- Potential distractions such as crowd noise simply ented players who perform well in practice but seldom fade into the background. Because of their confidence have a great performance in competition. On a more and focused attention, athletes in flow feel they have positive note, coaches also see athletes with a knack complete control and that they can do no wrong. for performing well under pressure even though they They may sense how the action will enfold ahead of may have only average physical talent. Despite experi- time. Sport execution comes naturally and easily: A ences such as these that illustrate the importance of gymnast sees the balance beam as larger than normal, psychological factors, it is not uncommon for coaches and concerns about falling disappear. A batter sees a to spend little or no time teaching athletes how to baseball pitch or cricket delivery as being the size of a improve and master the mental game. If mental beach ball and may even follow the seams of the ball aspects of the game account for 90% of the outcome, as it turns. A soccer player feels the game is moving or 50%, or even only 10%, doesn’t it make sense to in slow motion, giving her the luxury of time to read devote at least some time to mental training? and react to what is happening on the field. Fortunately, conventional wisdom is changing, Although flow provides some of the most memo- and today many coaches are carving out time to rable experiences in sport, it can be somewhat work on the mental game to gain a competitive elusive. Flow happens only when athletes let it edge. Still, some coaches shy away from the mental happen, rather than trying to make it happen. The aspect because they simply do not know how to help harder one tries to get into flow, the more elusive it athletes learn mental skills. Perhaps you are comfort- is. This fact makes some coaches believe that flow able with teaching athletes the physical skills and is uncontrollable. They think such experiences are strategies of the game but feel as if you are exploring magical moments that just happen and that there is uncharted territory in attempting to help athletes not much athletes can do to increase the likelihood become mentally tough competitors. This chapter of experiencing flow. It is certainly not possible to provides an overview of an effective approach to offer a guaranteed plan for achieving flow every mental skills training (MST) that you can use to help time athletes take the playing field. However, you your athletes improve their mental game and more can set the stage for flow by helping athletes develop fully realize their potential. their mental as well as their physical skills. Top athletes believe that effective mental preparation is necessary to achieve peak performance, and many Psychological Factors elite athletes believe they can set the stage for flow and Performance Excellence through strong physical and mental preparation (Jackson 1995). In recalling their most memorable sport perfor- If you are still not convinced that MST can facili- mances, most athletes remember a time when tate flow, then consider this: You may recognize everything seemed to click and they had a peak per- that mentally tough athletes experience flow more  Introduction to Mental Skills Training 37 Due to rights limitations, this item has been removed. The material can be found in its original source. SECOND WIND: THE MEMOIRS OF AN OPINIONATED MAN © 1979 by William Russell and Taylor Branch (Random House, New York). often than others do, and you may wonder why. The and viewed challenging tasks as opportunities. Most answer is simple. Mentally tough athletes have more coaches have probably also had the frustrating expe- than just physical skills; they also have tremendous rience of working with athletes who were less than ability to psych themselves up for competition, optimally motivated. They did not consistently train manage their stress and remain in control of their hard and seemed to focus their efforts on everything emotions, concentrate intensely, and set challenging but sport. Highly motivated athletes set high stan- but realistic goals. They have the ability to visualize dards for themselves, elevating the level of play and themselves being successful and then do what they inspiring their teammates. visualized. Simply stated, they have superior mental skills (Krane & Williams 2006). Energy Management Although the key physical skills and attributes differ from sport to sport, the mental skills required to Another skill necessary to develop mental toughness achieve excellence and flow are similar across sports. is energy management—the ability to get into an These include attributes related to motivation, energy optimal energy zone, the psychological state that management, attentional skills, stress management, helps athletes perform their best. Optimal perfor- and self-confidence. mance can be disrupted by an arousal level that is too high or too low. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for athletes to report that they were too nervous or Motivation excited to have a great performance. Other athletes Motivation is an important ingredient of any suc- may comment that they could not get into the game cessful team. Most coaches have had the pleasure of because they felt flat due to low energy. Top athletes working with athletes who were highly motivated. are aware of their ideal energy zone and are able to They worked hard, persisted in the face of adversity, get into that zone and stay there. 38 Sport psychology for coaches Attentional Skills due to a lack of mental skills, coaches may encourage athletes to work even harder on their physical skills. Athletic success depends in part on the ability to focus A gymnast may spend extra time on an apparatus. A on the task at hand and block out all distractions. basketball player may spend extra time shooting free This is easier said than done. A tennis player needs throws after practice. Distance runners may pound to determine where an opponent’s shot is going, their bodies even harder, sometimes to the point of evaluate the speed and spin on the ball, and deter- overtraining. Indeed, some performance problems mine what type of return shot is optimal—all within might stem from physical issues, such as inadequate a fraction of a second. A skilled quarterback needs training or poor biomechanics. However, in many the ability to focus his attention broadly to read a cases inadequate mental skills could be the cause. defense and check his receivers, then narrow his focus A coach who does not know how to help athletes in order to throw an accurate pass. After the play, he develop the necessary mental skills usually does one must shift focus again, directing his attention inward of three things: tries to support the athlete with empa- to evaluate the current situation and call the next play. thy and encouragement; selects another athlete who Because even momentary lapses in concentration can may be less talented physically but can perform better have dire consequences, athletes must sharpen and under pressure; or aggravates the problem by placing make full use of their attentional skills. more pressure on the athlete to begin performing up to his or her capability. The alternative, of course, is to Stress Management capitalize on advances in sport psychology. Coaches Sport is an inherently stressful endeavor, full of from all sports are increasingly recognizing that ath- intense physical demands and psychological pres- letes can learn and improve the mental skills needed sures. Most people can manage the stress of partici- to achieve excellence in sport. Rather than leaving pating in a recreational league, but it takes a mentally mental skills development to chance, top coaches are tough person to stroke a 20-foot (6-m) putt in the increasingly taking responsibility for helping their Masters with big money at stake and a viewing audi- athletes develop these essential skills by incorporat- ence of millions. To reach their potential, athletes ing MST into their athletes’ training programs. need to develop strong skills in stress management. Does MST Work? Self-Confidence Great athletes invariably mention that believing in The idea that mental skills training can improve per- themselves is key to their success, and they back it formance is not new. Even before the growth of sport up by exuding self-confidence in their play. Some psychology, some athletes were using MST techniques athletes may know the importance of self-confidence, (see The Billy Mills Story). Today’s coach recognizes and see it in others, but find it elusive in themselves. that even small adjustments may have a huge impact Coaches recognize that success builds confidence, on competitive outcomes. For example, in sports but also that self-confidence is needed to succeed. where time is a factor, a fraction of a second can make Champion athletes have the ability to get on the the difference between a first- and last-place finish, success–confidence spiral in which confidence breeds between a great and subpar performance. Mental success and vice versa. And when they are performing skills training may be what it takes for athletes to poorly, champions also have the ability to stop the shave that fraction of a second. The record-breaking corresponding failure–lowered confidence spiral. performances of the future will be achieved not by athletes who only train harder physically, but by those Using Sport Psychology who also train smarter mentally. Researchers evaluating the effectiveness of MST to Your Advantage programs draw the same conclusion: Mental training Most athletes have developed core mental skills to a can improve performance across a wide variety of sufficient degree that they can function well in day-to- sports. In fact, as many as 85% of the studies con- day situations or even in low-level competitive events. ducted to evaluate MST showed positive performance But when confronted with more demanding, pressure- effects (Greenspan & Feltz 1989; Meyers, Whelan, packed situations, they may falter. This can be most & Murphy 1996; Vealey 1994; Weinberg & Comar frustrating to athletes—and their coaches—because 1994). In general, the consensus of sport psychology they know they have the potential to perform well. researchers, coaches, and athletes is that mental skills Not recognizing that the performance problems are training can enhance performance.  Introduction to Mental Skills Training 39 The Billy Mills Story In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Billy Mills was a surprising gold medal winner in the 10,000-meter race and the first American to win it since 1908. Although the Billy Mills story is remarkable in and of itself, the dramatic way he won the gold medal and his use of mental training techniques make this story even more noteworthy, especially because sport psychology was not nearly as popular then as it is today. Mills had conceived his dream of winning the gold in 1962. At the time, it had seemed farfetched even to him, because he had never won a national championship and had thus far put together a sporadic career. Undeterred, he set his goal and wrote in his workout logbook, “Gold medal. 10,000 meter run. Time 28:25” (Mills 1990, page 36). Mills initially set a training goal of running 100 miles (160 km) a week to increase his strength and endurance but soon realized this was unrealistic in light of injury problems. Rather than scaling back his training goal, however, he extended the standard training week to 10 days to give himself a sense of success and provide sufficient recovery time. In addition to goal setting, Mills also used imagery. Before the Olympics, he had competed in only four 10,000-meter races, but he had run the race hundreds of times in his mind. He also used a type of self-talk called affirmations to build his inner strength and confidence, telling himself: “I am truly a great distance runner. God has given me the ability. The rest is up to me” (Mills 1990, page 36). Mills anticipated that to win gold he would have to outkick Ron Clarke from Australia, the world-record holder at the time. During training runs, Billy imagined catching and passing Clark, as well as any other runner who might be in contention, during the final lap. Incredibly, the final lap transpired much as Billy Mills had rehearsed it: He won the gold medal in breathtaking fashion, running the race in 28:24.4, a half second under his goal. And as in his imagery, he outran Ron Clarke and future Olympic champions Mohammed Gammoudi and Mamo Wolde in a furious race to the finish. Improved Performance A primary goal of MST is to help athletes consistently perform closer to their potential and avoid subpar performances. MST will help your athletes consis- tently execute the skills they perform in practice in pressure-packed competitions as well. A good way to conceptualize the goals of mental training is to picture a target with four rings. Most athletes can vividly recall Flow both good and bad performances. Just as their eyes light up when discussing flow experiences, athletes od G ce n performa o may wince as they describe their worst performances. The range of performance quality is illustrated on the So -so ce target in figure 3.1. The bull’s-eye represents those performan magical moments when everything fell into place and Ch oki re the athlete performed extraordinarily well. Although ng under pressu it would be nice to hit the bull’s-eye with every future performance, that is of course impossible. Instead, the goal of mental skills training is to help athletes per- Figure 3.1 Mental skills training will help your ath- letes reach peak performance and flow more often. form more consistently near the center of the target, E2527/Burton/Fig. 03.01/297645/Lineworks/R1 or at least to avoid hitting the outer rings too often. 40 Sport psychology for coaches Enhanced Enjoyment The MST Approach In addition to improving performance, MST can be a great tool for increasing athletes’ enjoyment and We’ve discussed the importance of psychological enhancing their ability to find satisfaction and fulfill- factors and the benefits associated with MST but ment in their demanding sport activities. Training have yet to describe mental skills training. In this can be difficult, and athletes may experience exces- section, we present an overview of a highly effec- sive stress or struggle with the pressure of competi- tive mental skills training approach that provides tion. Learning mental skills can help athletes handle the foundation for the rest of the book. MST is the competitive stress and feel self-confident, thus systematic and consistent use of mental training enhancing both their performance and enjoyment tools—goal setting, imagery, relaxation and ener- of their sport. If one of the tenets of your coaching gization, and self-talk—to build the mental skills, philosophy is for athletes to enjoy their sport experi- or psychological attributes, that coaches want their ences, MST can help. athletes to have—motivation, energy management, attention, stress management, and confidence. The fundamental premise behind MST is that using Strong Life Skills mental training tools or techniques can enable Mental skills training also facilitates athletes’ per- athletes to develop the desired mental skills (see sonal development. Remember when we discussed figure 3.2). Stated another way, mental skills are the competitive philosophy in chapter 1 and argued end products we are trying to achieve to enhance for a coaching philosophy focused on athletes’ mental toughness and create a flow state of mind. development? Mental training lends itself well to a Mental training tools are the methods used to philosophy aimed at athletes’ growth and develop- develop athletes’ mental skills (Vealey 1988). We ment—physical, mental, social, moral, and emo- discuss mental training tools at length in part II of tional. In fact, mental training is training in life skills this book and mental training skills in part III. such as learning how to set goals, how to handle Table 3.1 illustrates a few of the potential applica- pressure and criticism, and how to stay focused tions of each mental training tool and how it affects on the task at hand. These skills can enhance sport several mental skills. For example, athletes who find peformance, but they can also improve performance it hard to maintain motivation during off-season in any achievement area—school, music, theater, training can use goal setting to provide a sense of or career. Those who believe deeply in the value of direction and purpose in their workouts. Goal set- sport often claim that it can help teach young people ting may also help them develop other mental skills. how to become leaders, to be more self-confident, As they make progress toward attaining their goals, to develop better interpersonal skills, and to exercise their self-confidence increases. During the season, self-discipline. But these potential benefits of sport they may begin to set goals to improve not only their participation do not happen automatically; coaches physical skills but also their mental game. As they must structure athletes’ sport experiences to help become proficient at goal setting, their personal goals athletes gain these psychological benefits. Mental become the standards by which they evaluate success training provides a framework for the development and failure. Setting goals based on improvement and of athletes' life skills. skill mastery—rather than judging success and failure Mental training tools Mental skills Goal setting (chapter 4) Motivation (chapter 8) Imagery (chapter 5) Energy management (chapter 9) Relaxation and energization (chapter 6) Attention (chapter 10) Self-talk (chapter 7) Stress management (chapter 11) Self-confidence (chapter 12) Figure 3.2 You and your athletes can use mental training tools to develop mental skills. E2527/Burton/Fig. 03.02/297646/Lineworks/R3-alw  Table 3.1 Using the Four Mental Training Tools to Develop Athletes’ Mental Skills Goal setting Setting realistic but challenging short-term goals provides a sense of direction, thereby increasing motivation as reflected in increased effort and persistence. Challenging, realistic goals help athletes get into their optimal energy zone and direct that energy to the task at hand. Effective goals direct athletes’ attention to what they need to focus on to succeed. Although striving to win is important, focusing on winning can create excessive stress. When athletes perceive the challenge not as winning but as achieving their own realistically set performance goals, the challenge will always be near the athlete’s present skill level and will create an optimal skill–challenge balance. Consistent goal attainment raises self-confidence. Imagery Teaching athletes to imagine themselves attaining their goals can help raise their motivation. By imagining previous strong performances, athletes can identify their optimal energy levels and strategies for getting into an effective energy zone prior to performing. Using imagery effectively requires the ability to focus on desired images and thus can be used to develop attentional skills. Imagery can be used to help athletes manage competitive stress. Athletes are less likely to experience elevated stress if they have imagined themselves dealing effectively with obstacles and unanticipated events that create stress. Visualizing oneself succeeding can raise self-confidence. Relaxation and energization Learning to energize when feeling flat, and developing the ability to relax when overaroused, can help build motivation. Relaxation and energization techniques can help athletes consistently enter and stay in their optimal energy zone, which is crucial to performing consistently at their peak. Being either over- or underaroused hurts athletes’ ability to direct their attention to the task at hand. Relaxation and energization techniques help athletes improve their concentration skills. Learning to purposefully relax when experiencing stress can help athletes manage their emotions. And energizing techniques can be used when athletes feel that low-level stress is preventing them from getting into their ideal mental state for performing. By learning to control their energy levels through relaxation and energizing, athletes will develop a sense of control, which in turn enhances self-confidence. Self-talk Athletes can use self-talk to help motivate themselves. Self-talk can either raise or lower energy. Athletes can use effective self-talk strategies to reach their ideal mental state before competing. Focusing on task-relevant cue words can help athletes focus their attention, or regain focus if they are momentarily distracted. Stress level is strongly influenced by athletes’ perceptions and interpretations of events that happen before and during competition. Athletes can use self-talk to develop a positive outlook on events that normally result in elevated stress. Positive self-talk can be used to raise self-confidence, whereas negative self-talk can lower it. 41 42 Sport psychology for coaches exclusively in terms of winning and losing—may is true for MST. Learning mental skills takes time, help dissipate some of the pressure athletes feel effort, and patience. MST is a skill-oriented approach when competing. that requires systematic practice. It was not long ago that athletes did not train Expanded Potential under any systematic program. They just went out and played the sport. Over time, coaches and sport scien- The MST approach is based on a model of excellence tists have learned how to design training programs to and personal growth centered on helping athletes reach maximize athletes’ skills and physical performance their full potential. Think of your athletes’ behavior abilities. As a result, record after record has fallen. on a continuum from abnormal to supernormal, with Feats once thought impossible, such as running a normal somewhere in between (see figure 3.3). You mile (1.6 km) in less than 4 minutes, or a marathon can use MST to help your athletes move from normal in less than 2 hours and 20 minutes, are now com- to the right on the continuum, toward supernormal- monplace. Coaches have learned the benefits of sys- ity or excellence. Athletes are placed into demanding tematic practice. MST is now where physical training competitive and training environments that require used to be: Although many coaches are beginning extraordinary mental skills to perform optimally. The to work on the mental game with their athletes, it is “normal” person would have a difficult time handling not uncommon for the approach to be haphazard. the demands and pressures of being an athlete. MST They dabble with goal setting, try a little imagery, and helps psychologically normal athletes develop the encourage their athletes to get themselves mentally supernormal mental skills needed to excel. ready to compete. However, while something is better than nothing, systematic practice is most effective. In this book, we lay out a plan for the systematic practice of mental skills. Abnormal Normal Supernormal behavior behavior behavior Roadblocks and Myths Figure 3.3 MST helps athletes develop supernormal Surrounding MST mental skills. If MST is effective in helping athletes perform better, At times, however, athletes experience personal enjoy their sport, and develop life skills, why is it often issues that interfere with03.03/303371/alw/r2 E2527/Burton/Fig. their sport performance. neglected? Let’s clear the air about a variety of road- When athletes have profound psychological prob- blocks and myths surrounding the mental game. lems that interfere with everyday life functioning, their behavior falls to the left of normal. You will Myth: MST Takes Too Much Time likely encounter such athletes. They may be dealing with eating disorders, substance abuse, identity issues, Coaches identify time as the biggest roadblock to or a family crisis. Such issues fall beyond the scope of implementing mental skills training. You may feel the MST approach. When athletes’ behavior falls left that you barely have time to develop and refine of normal, a clinical or counseling psychologist is the your athletes’ physical skills, let alone add work on appropriate professional to provide assistance. mental skills. Undoubtedly, working on the mental game takes time. Devoting 15 to 20 minutes several days per week may be most effective in introducing A Skill-Oriented Approach new mental training tools. However, as little as 5 to Much like physical skills, mental skills can be taught 10 minutes a day can be beneficial. A good way to and learned. No great athlete, no matter how physi- implement MST is to integrate it into practice. That cally talented, ever achieved success without endless way it does not take extra time and has another hours of practice. From junior high to the profes- benefit—it enhances practice quality. Developing sional level, athletes spend roughly 1 to 6 hours per athletes’ mental skills such as motivation and atten- day training because they know it takes practice to tional focus is the foundation for a high-quality learn, improve, and master the physical skills neces- practice. Using mental training tools such as goal sary to excel in a given sport. You probably readily setting, imagery, self-talk, and energization can help acknowledge that physical skills need to be learned increase practice quality. Rather than simply going and mastered through well-developed learning pro- through the motions, athletes will perform practice gressions and countless practice repetitions. The same activities with intensity and focused attention.  Introduction to Mental Skills Training 43 Myth: Mental Skills Are Innate competition? Probably not, because you realize that after countless hours of practice, athletes can perform It is easy to believe that mental toughness is an innate a skill automatically without conscious thought. characteristic that cannot be taught. You may believe Introducing a new skill may cause them to start think- that athletes are either blessed with these strong ing about how to perform the skill and thus disrupt mental skills (as part of their personality or genetic their performance. The same is true for mental skills makeup) or have learned them through experience. training. It takes time and effort and is not a magical, Either way, you may feel that there is little coaches quick-fix program. can do to improve athletes’ mental toughness. That is a myth. It is true that we are all born with certain physical and psychological predispositions and that Myth: Mental Skills Training mental skills are shaped and developed through the Creates Performance Miracles experiences of everyday life. Being motivated, staying Another myth surrounding MST involves unrealistic calm under pressure, and maintaining confidence in expectations. Mental skills training will not help turn the face of adversity are not simply innate qualities. an average player into a superstar. Some coaches They are mental skills that great athletes have learned and athletes feel that MST will help athletes perform through experience or through MST. MST is a more beyond their physical capabilities. In reality, mental efficient way of developing these skills than waiting skills training is designed to help athletes perform for athletes to pick them up through the trial-and- more consistently at or near their potential. error process of experience. Similarly, some athletes and coaches expect incre­ dible results from minimal effort. Athletes try a little Myth: Mental Skills Training relaxation training, imagery, or goal setting, then quit Is Only for Psychological Problems after a few sessions because nothing miraculous has happened. These same athletes would not expect Many coaches and athletes believe that only those to become superstar after a week or even a year of with deep-rooted psychological problems need physical training; they would expect to improve to work on their mental game. Some athletes also only after putting in the necessary time and effort. perceive a stigma associated with sport psychology, As with physical training, mental skills training will thinking that those who need to work on their mental help athletes perform at or near their performance game are weak and have some sort of psychological capabilities only with consistent practice. problem that is going to be analyzed by a “shrink.” Because of this, some athletes are reluctant to work on their mental game because they believe that they Myth: MST Is for Elite Athletes Only may be chastised and labeled as a head case. To the Some coaches erroneously believe that MST can contrary, MST can benefit all athletes. Many of the only help perfect the performance of highly skilled most talented athletes use some form of MST, even as competitors. As a result, they shy away from MST, it is clear that they do not have deep-rooted psycho­ rationalizing that because they are not coaching elite logical problems. athletes, mental skills training is less important. It is true that mental skills become increasingly important Myth: Mental Skills Training at high levels of competition. As athletes move up the competitive ladder, they become more homogeneous Provides a Quick Fix in terms of physical skills. In fact, at high levels of Coaches and athletes recognize that physical skills competition, all athletes have the physical skills to take countless hours of practice to develop, but some be successful. Consequently, any small difference in expect mental skills to provide a quick fix. On occa- mental factors can play a huge role in determining sion, coaches will ask me (Tom Raedeke) to talk to performance outcomes. However, we can anticipate their team a few days before a big competition to that personal growth and performance will progress get them mentally ready. This reflects a misconcep- faster in young, developing athletes who are given tion about mental skills training. The short period mental skills training than in athletes not exposed to just before competition is not the time to work on MST. In fact, the optimal time for introducing MST one’s mental game. Ideally, mental training begins may be when athletes are first beginning their sport. in the off-season, or at least at the beginning of the Introducing MST early in athletes’ careers may lay season. Would you advise coaches to have their ath- the foundation that will help them develop to their letes change their physical game plan shortly before full potential. 44 Sport psychology for coaches Developing MST skills as well as the best way to sequence them. A key goal at this point is to help athletes become aware of At this point, you understand the key premises their strengths and weaknesses in the mental tools behind an MST approach to improving performance, and skills that are critical to success in their sport. and you may be convinced that MST can improve A golfer who experiences too much muscle tension your team’s chances of success. However, you are due to nervousness has different needs than the probably still unsure how to implement an MST golfer who pushes his putt because he is distracted program. In this section, we provide an overview of by fans talking in the gallery. As with becoming an how to develop an MST program tailored toward your excellent coach, becoming a mentally skilled athlete team’s needs, as well as your role in implementing it. depends greatly on coming to know oneself. Athletes This chapter, then, provides the foundation, and the need to become aware of their mental strengths rest of the book provides the knowledge you need to and weaknesses. Increasing awareness will help you implement a well-rounded MST program. and your athletes identify which mental skills they The process of developing mental skills is simi- need to develop and, in turn, which mental training lar to teaching the physical tools and skills of your tools to use. sport: You begin by building the fundamentals and Athletes in the education phase also receive then work to practice and apply them in competitive instruction to help them understand how mental situations. As with the teaching of physical skills, factors affect their performance, adopt the mind-set MST involves a three-phase process: education, that mental skills can be learned, and learn how to acquisition, and implementation. These are shown develop these skills. An effective way to start this in Figure 3.4. process is to sell your athletes on the importance of MST and how it can help improve their performance. One of the biggest mistakes coaches can make in Education Phase implementing MST is failing to set the foundation The first step in the MST education phase is to con- for working on the mental game by gaining athletes’ duct a needs assessment to determine which mental commitment to it. As a coach, you’ll need to create skills are the most important to develop and which the expectation that mental skills can be learned and mental training tools must be used to develop those that athletes will take responsibility for sharpening Phases of Mental Skill Development 1. Education Phase: Awareness Focus Develop awareness of mental strengths and weaknesses Provide a rationale for learning skill Provide information about what skill is and how it’s developed 2. Acquisition Phase: Learning Focus Develop skill basics 3. Implementation Phase: Overlearning and Execution Focus Extensive practice to overlearn skill Simulate competitive situations to practice skill transfer Simulate adversity to practice overcoming problem situations using mental tools and skills Integrate mental skills training concepts in competitive situations Effectively deal with adversity and obstacles Systematically evaluate and revise mental skills training program Figure 3.4 Three phases of mental skill development.  Introduction to Mental Skills Training 45 their mental game to improve performance. If athletes and necessary revisions are made to improve it. The do not believe in MST, no program, no matter how mental skills training needs of athletes vary across sound it is, will be effective. a season and the MST must be modified to accom- modate these changing needs. Acquisition Phase Your Role In the acquisition phase of MST, the goal is to help athletes acquire desired skills. As with physical skills, The ultimate key to success with MST is you, the mental skills are best developed through a structured coach. You must not only believe in the value of this training program, starting with development of the type of training but also understand it thoroughly, basics of a given skill. As athletes become more pro- just as you must understand the skills and tactics of ficient, you can begin teaching them how to use the your sport in order to teach them. Then you must be skills as part of their mental game plan. Although well willing to make MST a regular part of your formal intentioned, simply instructing athletes to “relax,” training program. Ideally, you will teach and refine “stay loose,” “don’t choke,” or “focus” is a limited mental skills on a daily basis, just as you do with approach. In most cases, athletes recognize the physical skills. debilitating effect of being overly anxious or unable In launching an MST program, you are not filling to concentrate, and vague instructions do not teach the role of a psychologist; rather, you are teaching them how to make a change. What athletes need is athletes the mental skills necessary to achieve suc- specific instruction on how to relax or focus so they cess in sport and life. When you encounter athletes can perform better. In the acquisition phase of MST, dealing with significant life or personal issues, you you will teach athletes the skills they need to improve will need to wisely counsel them (or their parents) their mental game. that professional help may be in order. Even after you have mastered the contents of this book, you are not equipped to provide the clinical assistance Implementation Phase such athletes may need. Your role is to educate your As with physical skills, mental training tools and athletes about how they can develop specific mental skills are maximally effective only when athletes have skills, and to refer those who need more psychologi- overlearned them to the point they become habit cal assistance to appropriate professionals. and can be used automatically without having to After reading this chapter, we hope that you are consciously think about when and how to use them. convinced MST works and that you are excited about Thus, the implementation phase of MST involves the possibility of implementing an MST program helping athletes practice using the tools and skills with your team. Understanding the MST approach to the point of overlearning, and only then teaching equips you with information crucial to becoming a athletes to apply mental skills to actual performance better coach. You may recognize that you are already situations. To do this, athletes use the tools and skills using some of the mental training tools to help your in simulations, scrimmages, and low-level competi- athletes develop their mental skills. If so, that is great. tions that gradually become more and more like full The remaining chapters provide information that can competition. Adverse situations can be simulated in help you become even more effective at MST. You practice settings to help prepare athletes to handle may also feel a bit overwhelmed by the whole MST such occurrences during competition. By creating process. This is understandable. The main purpose situations that gradually increase competitive stress, of this chapter was to introduce you to MST and the implementation phase helps athletes learn the steps involved in developing an MST program. to incorporate mental skills into their game plan In the remaining chapters, we share ideas on how and deal effectively with problems and obstacles. to implement a systematic MST program to teach During this stage, the mental skills training program athletes the specific mental training tools to develop is continually monitored to assess its effectiveness, their mental skills.  Launching an MST Program Coach Smith decided to launch an MST for his wrestling team. After a team discussion and consultation with team captains, he decided to start with goal setting to enhance practice quality. During a team meeting, the athletes discussed the importance of goal setting and how to set effective goals. After that, the wres- tlers were responsible for setting daily practice goals to improve mat skills and strategies. As the wrestlers became more proficient at goal setting, they began to set goals for improving their mental skills. On evaluation of the team’s mental strengths and weaknesses, Coach Smith realized that several of the athletes on the team experienced high anxiety before competition, which interfered with their perfor- mance. After a team meeting addressing the importance of learning to relax in order to lower arousal and handle stress, he taught athletes how to relax. After a practice session, athletes were encouraged to relax in a quiet environment at home on a daily basis for 2 weeks to develop the skill. To reinforce the importance of developing relaxation skills, Coach Smith continued to integrate relaxation training into the practice setting. As athletes became more proficient, he abbreviated the relaxation sessions. He also created practice situations designed to increase anxiety and encouraged athletes to use short relaxation techniques (e.g., a deep breath) to lower arousal to the desired level. The athletes were then encouraged to use relaxation (as appropriate) as part of their mental readiness plan. Coach Smith knew that the use of imagery would also help his athletes manage their anxiety. But rather than simply instructing them to use imagery at home and before competition, as he had done in past years, he integrated it into the practice setting. In the beginning, he had the team imagine performing skills they had already mastered in order to get them used to using imagery. Then he had the athletes use imagery for new techniques before actually performing the skill. If athletes made a mistake, Coach Smith would encourage them to imagine the proper form before correcting the error. In practice activi- ties in which athletes were waiting their turn to wrestle, he would have them watch others and try to imagine how they would react to the situations they observed. As athletes developed more proficiency at using imagery, he created scenarios that they might experience in upcoming matches and had them imagine how they would respond. He noticed that this helped the athletes make better decisions on the mat. He also used imagery and practice simulations to help athletes learn to regain emotional control and attentional focus when facing adversity in a match. As part of the ongoing evaluation of his MST program, Coach Smith realized that some of the younger athletes were still defeating themselves mentally when facing a challenging opponent or when they fell behind in a match. At this point, he decided to incorporate self-talk strategies to raise confidence, focus attention, and reduce stress, using the three-phase model of MST. 46  Introduction to Mental Skills Training 47 Summary 1. Most coaches and athletes recognize that mental factors play a huge role in influencing competitive outcomes yet devote little time to learning and mastering the mental game. Athletes believe that sport is 50 to 90% mental, depending on the type of sport and the level of competition. 2. In recalling their most memorable performances, athletes describe a state called flow. Achieving flow can be elusive, but mental skills training can help athletes reach this special state more consistently. 3. Core mental skills include motivation, energy management, attention, stress management, and self-confidence. 4. Increasing research demonstrates that mental skills training works—but consistent and systematic practice is necessary to maximize its effectiveness. 5. Some athletes learn the mental game through trial and error, but mental skills training is a much more efficient way of learning. 6. Mental skills training is the systematic application of mental training tools to improve athletes’ mental skills. MST is a comprehensive, systematic, skill-oriented approach to developing mental toughness and creating a flow frame of mind. 7. The core mental training tools used to develop athletes’ mental skills include goal setting, imagery, relaxation and energization, and self-talk. 8. Although improving performance is undoubtedly an important goal of mental skills train- ing, other valuable outcomes include increased enjoyment of sport and the development of life skills. 9. Some coaches are reluctant to try MST techniques because of time pressure or myths about sport psychology even though they recognize the importance of the mental game. 10. Coaches are encouraged to facilitate athletes’ development of mental skills but should avoid trying to act as clinical or counseling sport psychologists for athletes facing important life issues outside of sport. These athletes should be referred to a psychologist or counselor. 11. Mental skills training involves a three-phase process: education, acquisition, and imple- mentation. Athletes develop awareness of their strengths and weaknesses, acquire basic competence in using mental training tools and skills, and then overlearn and incorporate them into competitive situations. Key Terms acquisition phase flow mental skills training confidence implementation phase mental training tools education phase mental skills motivation energy management 48 Sport psychology for coaches Review Questions 1. Can athletes control whether they get into flow? 2. Aside from improving their team’s performance, how else can coaches justify investing in mental skills training? 3. You hear a coach say that the key to the mental game is selecting athletes who are moti- vated and cool under pressure because mental toughness is just a gift that some athletes are born with. How would you respond? 4. What is the distinction between mental skills and mental training tools? 5. Can a person trained in sport psychology meet with athletes on a one-time basis before an important competition and get them mentally ready to compete? Why or why not? 6. How can you determine whether an athlete needs outside counseling or MST? Practical Activities 1. Describe one of your flow experiences. In what ways is it similar or dissimilar to Bill Russell’s experience and to the description of flow provided in the chapter? 2. Suppose a member of your coaching staff is resistant to the mental skills training concept. What are some of the possible reasons? For each reason, describe at least one solution for getting past that roadblock. 3. Despite the potential benefits of sport psychology, many coaches continue to neglect MST or address these skills inconsistently. Suppose that, because of your expertise in sport psychology, you have been asked to speak to high school coaches at a national clinic. Prepare a statement that emphasizes the importance of psychological factors in sport performance, highlights the key psychological factors thought to influence performance, and describes how coaches can incorporate mental skills training into their overall coaching plan by using the three-phase model of MST. 4. For each of the mental skills described in this chapter, describe strategies you could inte- grate into practice to help athletes improve those skills.