How to teach the mental gamePerformance Psychology

Lifestyle CommitmentLifestyle CommitmentA. Life Style CommitmentB. Time ManagementC. Sleep/Rest D. NutritionE. Fitness level

Attitude1. Control over one’s thoughts and actions2. In order to succeed we must first believe that we can!3. Glass ½ filled versus ½ empty4. Enjoying the process5. Mutual respect6. 100% effort7. Positive verbal communication, positive body language, and positive self talk8. Acknowledging feedback from coaches and/or teammate(s)9. Life is 10% what happens and 90% is how you react to what happens10.Every disadvantage has an equal advantage and visa versa. Look for opportunities.

“We are what we repeatedly do…excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” Aristotle

Think you can, think you can’t, either way you are right.” Henry Ford

Goal Setting – “A How To”SMART – Specific – Measurable – Action Oriented – Relevant – Time-bound

3 “R’s” – Review – Re-evaluate – Rewrite

SCRAM – Specific – Challenging – Realistic – Attainable – Measurable

“In the Zone” / Peak Performance• Total Engagement: sensory, cognitive, emotional• Operating close to our potential• Effortless – let it happen vs making it happen• Be in control of yourself• Timeless, in the moment• Not “thinking” yet “knowing”• Slow the game down• Not holding back & not overly careful• Tension free – “Enjoyment” versus “Tension”

RelaxationOff the Court Breath Control Strategies• Step 1 – Inhalation.• Step 2 – Is simply a momentary pause before allowing the process of exhalation to occur• Step 3 – Exhalation. • Step 4 – Putting it all together

Steps 1 – 4 should be practiced and used off court – do not use during play

During play, when under pressure, take 2-3 deep, prolonged breaths and you will slow down your breathing rate and return your arousal/anxiety levels to an acceptable range.

BreathingBreathing plays a very important role in your efforts to control and regulate both arousal and relaxation levels

The pattern of your breathing is typically quite different when you are relaxed and calm versus when you are tense, anxious and over activated

When over activated slow your breathing down. Take deep, long and regular breaths

According to Eastern teachings (for centuries) the control and regulation of one’s breathing is absolutely essential for learning body awareness and self-control

Progressive RelaxationMethod developed by Edmund Jacobsen a Harvard physiologist in the early 20th century

There is a close and direct relationship between mental tension states and muscle tension states

As you become tense and anxious, your muscles will also become tense

If muscles are relaxed they cannot be tense

Once muscles are voluntarily relaxed, levels of mental tension also decrease

Progressive Relaxation Steps• Learn to control what you think• Learn to discriminate increases and decreases in muscle tension

Dr. James Loehr’s Programs for Progressive Relaxation• Surprisingly simple 18 step technique• Takes about 10 minutes• Alternate tensing and relaxing muscles

Visualization / ImageryISM (A. Ahsen) Image – cognitive template images in brain Somatic Response – physiological reactions in response to image Meaning – unique significance to the individualDifferent ways to visualization: • Practice the Performance • Pre-play the Performance • Replay the Performance

Volleyball Situations to VisualizeVisualize yourself in a practice drill – perfect execution, 100% effort, etc.

Visualize yourself performing any one of the six skills. Visualize body position, body movement (feet, arms, etc.), track the ball, execute the skill, hear the sound of contact

Visualize the match point scored versus _____, etc.

Focus / Refocus• Focus on the moment instead of the result/outcome• Simplify the performance• Breathe – take a deep breath• Remove negative thoughts/negative emotions• Only positive energy/positive thoughts/positive affirmations• Centering – “being centered” – Eastern tradition and martial arts “Ki” – centralized energy Japanese – “hara”• Trust your practice• “Next Play / Next Contact”

Confi dence / Self-Confi denceConfidence is a result of preparation.

All of the above are achieved throughQuality Repetitions – “10,000 hours”

To improve their self-confidence, an athletecan use visualization/mental imagery

Player can list positives about themselves.

Positive self-talk and communication

Jeff Janssen on Confi denceFour Sources of confidence:PreparationStrengthsPast SuccessesPraise

Resilience Reaction to Failure – OptimismTemporaryLocalized Changeable

How Coaches Can Infl uence Confi dence• Praise positive outcomes• Give corrective feedback• “Next play”• Focus on process/game plan versus only the score/outcome• Define roles• Team Buy In• Highlight Video

LeadershipA leader can:– Lead people to a common goal– Get people to do what he/she wants them to do– At times get people to do what they do not want to do

• Leaders NEVER stop learning• Create a “team” environment• Surround yourself with the best people• Maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses

Book RecommendationsThe Best Tennis of Your Life – 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance. Jeff Greenwald, 2007. Betterway Books (F+W Publications, Inc.): Cincinnati, OH.

Captain’s Leadership Manual. Jeff Janssen, 2007. Winning the Mental Game: Cary, NC.

Championship Performance Coaching – Volumes I & II. John Sikes, Jr. – Editor, 2016. Championship Performance: Charlotte, NC.

How to Build and Sustain a Championship Culture. Jeff Janssen, 2015. Winning the Mental Game: Cary, NC.

The Inner Game of Tennis. W. Timothy Gallwey, 1974. Random House: New York, NY. Paperback Edition – Random House: New York, NY, 2008.

In Pursuit of Excellence. Terry Orlick, 1980. Human Kinetics Publishers: Champaign, IL. (Fourth Edition, 2008).

Legacy – 15 Lessons in Leadership. James Kerr, 2013. Constable & Robinson, Ltd.: London.

Mindset – The New Psychology of Success. Carol Dweck, 2006. Random House, Inc.: NY, NY.

Mental Toughness Training for Sports. James E. Loehr, 1986. The Stephen Greene Press: Lexington, MA.

Peak – Secrets from the Science of Expertise. Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool, 2016. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: New York, NY.

Psyching for Sport. Terry Orlick, 1986. Human Kinetics Publishers: Champaign, IL.

Successful Coaching. Rainer Martens, 2012. (Fourth Edition). Human Kinetics Publishers: Champaign, IL.

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