Sports+and+the+Mind



__** Sports psychology **__ is a great and useful way to get ahead in your sports ability and performance. Three sports psychology tools that will help athletic performance, are goal setting, Imagery and stimulation, and finally flow and focus.


 * Goal setting** is a mental way of picturing yourself in the future doing something well in your athletic performance or in your future years. By goal setting you are motivating yourself to make those pictures really happen. You can also use goal setting for non-athletic purposes as well. Goal setting also improves your self confidence because as you start achieving your set goals, you will improve at whatever you are trying to improve. Here are some tips on setting goals for yourself:
 * Write your personal goals down (this will make them more clear, so you can achieve them more effectively)
 * Give each of your goals priorities (by doing this you won't become overwhelmed and stressed with them)
 * Say your goals out loud to yourself positively (this will make you remember them and become more focused on them)


 * Imagery and simulation** is when you train yourself mentally instead of physically. Imagery training is very useful in situations where a player is injured, there is continuos and exhausting training, and where you may not have the right equipment therefor cannot train physically. But to just use imagery without these situations is a great way to improve sports performance as well! It allows you to pre-experience goals, and be in situations in athletic performance where you have never been or have never experienced before. **Simulation** is when you make the mental imagery as real as possible by making performances judged, bringing in spectators to watch, or by bringing in press to the the session.


 * Flow and focus** are a very important part of sports psychology. Flow is when you exclude everything around you and you are completely devoted to executing a specific skill. Focus is just when you put all your attention and thinking towards completing and learning one skill. You are fully in control of your body, its reactions and actions.

When using the flow as a technique, your are mentally focused on:
 * the routine and skill that is being practiced
 * the input that are from your senses, that have to do with the sport

You are extremely focused on the training that you are performing:
 * you are not distracted by the crowd, judges, results or other peoples expectations of you
 * you are trusting your own body to remember its previous training

So overall sports psychology is a very important and efficient way to train your body and mind so you can improve your mental and physical performances in athletics.

For more information on this topic go to: www.mindtools.com

By: Georgia Coles