HOW TO BECOME A CHAMPION; THE SECRET OF MENTAL PREPARATION

Athletes know that to be successful, they need good physical training, but it is only a tiny part of what is required to become a successful athlete. Unfortunately, many good athletes fail to continue a career in sports because they do not realize that they also need good mental preparation to accomplish their athletic goals.

People often think of mental training (psychological skills training) as skills such as goal setting, imagery, self-confidence, energy regulation, and attention control. However, if you learn some of those skills individually or as a package, there will be little benefit from it. Those are just principles or basic psychological methods that have many other mental techniques (mental skills) incorporated into them. In addition, athletic performance can be strongly influenced by what happens during practices, relationships inside and outside the sport, and other sources of stress within the sports organization. To ensure the desired outcome will be achieved, many other strategies from other areas, such as psychophysiology and/or positive psychology, can be incorporated. 

Accordingly, it is appropriate to say that effective mental training programs should include not only tools from psychological skills training but also stress management techniques and biofeedback technologies. Adding Biofeedback to athletes' mental preparation is the same as boosting their mental toughness with steroids because self-regulation skills will be acquired much faster. Biofeedback is also important to monitor the athlete’s response to physical training, which will help to maximize physical gains and prevent injuries.

Last, but not least, athletes also have other life commitments, and the mental training program should help you plan and organize your life to achieve your goals.

In other words, investing time to work on your mental preparation is essential to acquire the tools needed to succeed in the sport. Just because you are a good athlete, it does not mean you will make it to the top; you also need to be prepared to handle any obstacle.

If you want to learn more about it, schedule your free consultation.