Sport Psychology Using the top two inches to improve our sport

What is arousal?Arousal in sport is your

state of ready ness before a match or a race.

Feels like you need to pee.

And you feel a little apprehensive or nervous.

More ArousalAthletes need to

reach an optimal level of readiness where they are aroused but not over aroused as to affect performance

It’s all about the

INVERTED U THEORY

Inverted U hypothesis

You can be over arousedHappens when your

nerves and stress levels get to high.

You start worrying about outcomes before you have even started the activity.

Examples of Over ArousalEnglish football team

All Blacks in the World Cups

Australia at the olympics

High ArousalHigh levels of

arousal are characterised when athletes are:

tense highly excited or anxious.

High ArousalHigh levels of

arousal result from an increase of a hormone called adrenalin in the bloodstream which increases heart rate, body temperature, blood pressure and respiratory (breathing)rate.

Low ArousalLow levels of

arousal are characterised when athletes are:

bored, tired, felling unwell or not directly

involved in the action of a game.

How do athletes manage Arousal?Sport Psychology seeks to give athletes techniques to help manage

arousal, in particular over arousal, to help reach optimal performance.

These techniques include: Centering positive imagery relaxation techniques self talk and mental conditioning.

Using these techniques an athlete can control their own levels of arousal before an event and ensure they are at the optimal level of arousal.

The Four C’sConcentration: maintaining focus on relevant

cues

Confidence: believing in one’s own abilities

Control: maintaining control over the emotions

Commitment: working hard to achieve your goals

Mental RehearsalAthletes can often try to reach their optimal

level of arousal by practicing their performance in their mind.

This visualisation of movements you are about to perform can help...

- Arousal control- Improving attention and concentration- Build Self-confidence- Learn new skills- Recover from injury

Key Words and Self TalkDuring the performance or a break in an

event, athletes can use key words to help them maintain focus on their performance.

This might be a free throw, penalty kick, line-out, top of a difficult run.

Key words hold a meaning to the athlete and remind them of key movements in their performance to help perform the movement well and be positive.

These words help create an image in the athletes mind of a successful, positive performance.

The Basketball Free throwIn pairs or small groups identify the main

parts of a basketball free throw routine and then identify the technical movements that would make this movement successful.

Give each part of your routine a key word that associates with the technique you have uncovered.

BOUNCE: Bounce the ball three times, relax the shoulders and clear the mind.

Basketball Free Throw continued

BREATHE: Breathe in and visualise the ball sailing through the air and into the hoop.

LEGS: Bend the legs, feet shoulder width apart

ELBOW: Have the ball in front of you and elbow pointing toward the hoop

RELEASE: Release the ball smoothly in a fluid action

Why does it work?The athlete focuses on the performance not

the outcomeThe movement is broken down into small

achievable partsSelf talk and cues helps athletes make links

from what they do in training to performance in matches

http://www.basichoops.com/2007/06/shooting-establish-routine-for-free.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_2367331_youth-basketball-free-throws-stance.html

Attention Control and Relaxation

RelaxationRelaxation can be used before, during or

after a competition or event.It helps the athlete stay calm and reach the

correct level of arousal for the situationRelaxation techniques include deep

breathing, meditation and centering exercises.

ConcentrationConcentration is recognised as the most

important mental factor for effective performance.

Concentration skills can be trained and improved and are as important to practice as physical skills

There are many external cues or stimuli happening in any single athletic event. Concentration is the recognition of relevant cues and the ignoring of irrelevant cues.

Attentional FocusOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOX X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X XOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Low level of Optimal level of High level ofConcentration Concentration Concentration

Examples of AttentionRoger FedererJohn WalkerGreg ChappellPhil Charman

Training Attention ControlAthletes need to be able to recognise relevant

cues to help their performanceAthletes need to stay in the here and nowAthletes must focus on performance goals

rather than result based goalsAthletes should have a mental routine that

helps them best reach the optimal level of arousal and optimal level of attention

Personal Mental Skills RoutineDesign your own mental training routine to

help you prepare for your particular sport.

This should include:Preparations you make the day before the

game, the day of the game, an hour before the game, mental strategies for during the match, and after match analysis and evaluation.