Every Athlete Makes Mistakes How do you deal with mistakes during a competition? Do you quickly refocus on your game, or do you dwell on mistakes for too long? Why focusing on mistakes interferes with athletic performance: When you fail to refocus after a mistake, you give your opponents a significant mental edge. How to counter mistakes: In … Sport Psychology Article…
Moving Past an Off Day Have you had an athletic performance that was so horrible that you felt embarrassed when the competition ended? Bad games are one thing. You can often explain them away or at least understand that all athletes have an off day. Despite having a bad day, you still have your confidence intact and feel … Sport Psychology Article…
Have you Thought in a Competition, “We Lost”? Athletes can quickly become tempted to give in mentally when trailing by a considerable margin or competing during unfavorable circumstances, especially when they deem the odds are not in their favor. The question is, how can you flip the script? How can you maintain your focus and mental edge when … Sport Psychology Article…
Mental Toughness When being Criticized Mental toughness is often seen as a physical triumph over adversity. For example, a football player who returns to action in the fourth quarter after limping off the field earlier in the game. Or a gymnast who gets back up on the balance beam to complete her routine after a hard fall. However, … Sport Psychology Article…
Manage Anxiety in Stressful Games Do you get psyched up for rivalry games, or does the hoopla surrounding rivalry competitions cause you to feel pressure and anxiety? Rivalries can be highly motivating for some athletes. These athletes look forward to rivalry competitions to prove their superiority over their opponents. In addition, by winning, they also earn bragging rights … Sport Psychology Article…
Closing Out Your Tennis Matches Many tennis players struggle to close out matches. They stop playing the way that got them into position to win. They change their game… We see tennis players react in two ways when leading: (1) Athletes may sit on the lead and get protective. Here, you stay to worry about missing and you … Sport Psychology Article…