Mental Preparation for Competition

Jennifer Morris MD, PC

ABPN, ABOM, ABPM-add

This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked material are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This blog does not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other professional health care advice, diagnosis or treatment. We cannot diagnose conditions, provide second opinions or make specific treatment recommendations through this blog or website.

If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional. medical treatment immediately. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something that you have read on this blog, website or any  linked materials. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911 or call for emergency medical help immediately.

 It's all MENTAL. 

How many times have you HEARD this...or even SAID this but only had a vague understanding of what might be involved. 

More than a catchphrase or dismissal...mental preparation for athletic endeavors is one of the fundamental skillsets required for success. The development and utilization of this skillset, fortunately, can be learned through education and repetition. 

Here are, per Jack Lesyk, 9 mental skills important for athletic success. Bonus; these skills are also useful for LIFE success. 

1. Choose and maintain a positive attitude: 

• Attitude is a choice
•  Choose a positive attitude 
• View sports as opportunities to compete, grow and learn from success and failure
•  Pursue growth rather than perfection 
• Maintain balance with sports and rest of life
•  Respect others and self

2. Maintain a high level of self-motivation: 

• Awareness of rewards and benefits of sports 
• Persistence through difficulties and delayed gratification.  

3. Set high, realistic goals:

• Set short and long-term goals that are realistic, measurable, time oriented
• Maintain awareness of current performance levels 
• Recognize opportunities for growth and 
• Maintain commitment to the goals and the path to get there

4. Deal effectively with people: 

• Realize they are part of a larger system
• Communicate thoughts/feelings/needs when appropriate and listen to them as well
• Possess effective skills for dealing with conflict and challenging people/situations

5. Use positive self-talk: 

• Maintain self-confidence through difficulties with realistic positive self-talk
• Use self-talk to regulate thoughts, feelings and behaviors in practice and competition

6. Use positive mental energy: 

• Prepare for competition by imaging self performing well
• Create and use specific, detailed realistic mental images
•  Use imagery to prepare for action and to recover from errors

7. Manage anxiety effectively: 

• Accept anxiety as a part of sports
• Recognize anxiety can be useful to propel performance
• Know how to moderate anxiety appropriately without losing intensity

8. Manage emotions effectively: 

• Accept strong emotions as  part of the experience
• Use these emotions to improve high level performance

9. Maintain concentration: 

• Know what must be paid attention to in each situation
• Understand how to maintain focus 
• Resist both internal and external distraction
• Know how to regain lost focus, 
• Play in the "here and now"

Mcduff (2012) develops these skillsets into basic and complex skills useful for athletes in practice and competition.

BASIC SKILLS:

• breathing-- three techniques--patterned relaxation breathing, nasal hyperventilation, and the clearing breath--will be reviewed in a latter blog
• relaxation--via the breathing strategies above; other strategies include meditation and (())
• positive self-talk--utilizing short simple phrases or mantras to trigger unconscious learned behavior rather than overthinking behavior, while reinforcing execution
• focus and attention shifting--managing areas of focus and shifting back and forth from broad to narrow and internal to external with a focus for spending less time in internal headspace to access flow and being "in the zone", facilitating relaxed playing with renewing energy
• visualization and imagery--mentally practicing a task with very little if any movement, 
• motivation--developing the inner desire to get better, to develop the required skills and maintain dedication, by using strategies such as short-term goals
• persistence--commitment through new levels as requirements and demands increase

COMPLEX SKILLS:

• goal setting--formal system of evaluating performance and play, setting specific, challenging but realistic, positively-framed measurable goals with a time frame  
• self-evaluation--a measurable systemic approach to review the positives and negatives of the individual athletic journey
• pre-competition routine--organized pre-competition routine including physical and mental components
• emotional control--a planned strategy to prevent or reduce emotional reactions in competition or practice
• intensity regulation--managing anxiety, energy, focus and attention in practice and competition

The mental skillsets presented in this entry facilitate athletic performance at their fullest potential. By capitalizing on healthy headspace, athletes can demonstrate their abilities at a high level, consistently, persistently, in an enduring fashion. 

__________________________________________________________________________________

Lesyk, Jack PhD> The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes. Sportpsych.org/nine-mental-skills-overview. Accessed 8/19/24. 

McDuff, David, MD. "Mental Preparation."  Sports Psychiatry, American Psychiatric Publishing, 2012 pages 29-52.