How Does Psychology Affect Sports Performance?

Nate Roberts provides an overview of how goal setting, routine, and visualization can help athletes and coaches overcome internal and external negative psychological factors.

Psychological preparation is vital for an athlete. We all know the importance of preparing physically to compete in sports. Without the right mindset, it will not matter how often an athlete has been training and working out - they will not be able to perform at their best.

Both internal and external negative psychological factors can have a profound effect on how well an athlete performs; they can cause mental disruptions when practicing, breaks in focus, and even influence physicality, for example by causing shaking, muscle tightness, and increased perspiration, all of which can lead to injury if left untreated. Strategies such as goal setting, routine, and visualization can help athletes and coaches overcome these powerful psychological effects, along with talking therapies to help athletes change their mindset and improve their self-confidence.

Goal Setting

Goal setting is a powerful psychological strategy that many professional athletes and coaches use. However, as any good sports coach will tell you, the goals set by an athlete must, above all, be realistic. For the best results, goals should be set in small increments, rather than just one significant end goal, and it should be ensured that they can be achieved in the short term.

Exaggerated large goals, without smaller goals along the way, can lead to a severe loss of self-confidence and decreased performance over time for athletes, especially if said goals are not met. For example, the time goals set by athletes such as track and field runners or swimmers should be small and achievable in the short term to work up to a long-term goal such as winning a competition.

Once a goal is met, writing it down and checking it off can be a potent tool to help athletes build their self-confidence and feel ready to tackle the next one. This is because it sets a clear picture of achievements, which can remind athletes of how well they have done so far.

Routine and Practice

As humans, we love routine – our brains are wired to get into regular routines, whether that be the time that we get up in the morning and go to sleep at night, or in the case of athletes, routines for practice and preparation. While some athletes are not overly affected by routine, others can have various superstitions, which means that they end up obsessively following various patterns and routines both before, during, and after the competition.

For example, one popular routine amongst many professional athletes is listening to music; many will have to listen to a particular song at a certain time before they are due to compete and some even believe that not doing so might cause them to perform more poorly than usual. Athletes who stick to a routine can often suffer from a diminished mindset if the habit is broken; if they believe that they will not perform as well, they are often unable to focus.

Visualisation

When it comes to athletic performance, visualizing success can go a long way in helping athletes achieve their goals and get the results they want. Suppose you use betting offers in the UK, including a range of free bets and bonuses, to back a particular athlete or sportsperson. In that case, it is a good idea to find one who regularly visualizes themselves as a winner since this is a potent psychological tool that can often lead to success. When athletes can picture themselves doing well and achieving what they set out to, it will become much easier for them to accomplish their tasks in the physical environment.

Conclusion

Preparing the body is vital for athletes to succeed, but the right mindset is also needed to be a winner.

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

ROBERTS, N. (2017) How Does Psychology Affect Sports Performance? [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article238.htm [Accessed

About the Author

Nate Roberts is a personal trainer based in the UK. Nate holds a BSc. in Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences from the University of Exeter. He competes in CrossFit and Powerlifting when not making his clients bigger and better humans.


topics A-Z Page Index Article Library Coaching General Young Athletes Literature Reviews Coaching Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Female Athletes Master Athletes Young Athletes Sports Specific Basketball Bodybuilding Boxing Cycling Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon USA Football Training Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Anatomy & Physiology Articles Biomechanics Body Systems Cardiovascular Digestive Endocrine Muscular Neurological Respiratory Skeletal Body Type Energy Systems Maximum Heart Rate Movement Analysis Coaching Articles Assessment Communication Ethics Group Dynamics Methods Philosophy Process Principles Responsibilities Styles Skills & Roles Young Athletes Fitness Development Articles Agility Conditioning Core Stability Endurance Flexibility Skill Speed Strength Training Principles VO2max Fitness Testing Articles Blood Pressure Evaluation Tests Ideal Weight Nutrition Articles Basal Metabolic Rate Eating & Competing Eating Disorders Glycemic Index Healthy Eating Minerals Vitamins Planning Articles Athlete Profiling Creating a Plan LTAD Tapering Warm Up & Cool Down Programs Aqua Training Circuit Training CNS Training Complex Training Fartlek Training Heart Rate Training Hill Training Medicine Ball Training Personal Exercise Plan Plyometric Training Track & Field Training Weight Training Psychology Articles Competitive Anxiety Mental Imagery Relaxation Techniques SCAT Sports Psychology Stress Management TEOSQ Sports American Football Basketball Boxing Cross Country Cycling Fell Running Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon Ultimate Frisbee Sport Development Funding in Sport History of Sport Olympic Games Sport Structure Sports Injury Articles ACL Cramp Cryotherapy Dehydration Hot & Cold Baths Injury Prevention Muscle Imbalance Over Training Shin Soreness Stitch Sports Merchandise Books & DVD's Clothing & Shoes Training Aids Magazines Track & Field Combined Events Decathlon Heptathlon Hexathlon Octathlon Pentathlon Jumps High Jump Long Jump Pole Vault Triple Jump Running Hurdles Long Distance Middle Distance Sprints Steeplechase Throws Discus Hammer Javelin Shot Putt Track & Field Safety Training Aids Articles Ergogenic Aids Massage Sports Drinks Supplements Website Blog Website Updates Website Information Awards Disclaimer & Copyright Help - where do I find Link Exchange Policy Visitors Comments Visitor Feedback Visitor Statistics Web Master Web Links Coaches Corner Useful Links	How Does Psychology Affect Sports Performance? Nate Roberts provides an overview of how goal setting, routine, and visualization can help athletes and coaches overcome internal and external negative psychological factors. Psychological preparation is vital for an athlete. We all know the importance of preparing physically to compete in sports. Without the right mindset, it will not matter how often an athlete has been training and working out - they will not be able to perform at their best. Both internal and external negative psychological factors can have a profound effect on how well an athlete performs; they can cause mental disruptions when practicing, breaks in focus, and even influence physicality, for example by causing shaking, muscle tightness, and increased perspiration, all of which can lead to injury if left untreated. Strategies such as goal setting, routine, and visualization can help athletes and coaches overcome these powerful psychological effects, along with talking therapies to help athletes change their mindset and improve their self-confidence. Goal Setting Goal setting is a powerful psychological strategy that many professional athletes and coaches use. However, as any good sports coach will tell you, the goals set by an athlete must, above all, be realistic. For the best results, goals should be set in small increments, rather than just one significant end goal, and it should be ensured that they can be achieved in the short term. Exaggerated large goals, without smaller goals along the way, can lead to a severe loss of self-confidence and decreased performance over time for athletes, especially if said goals are not met. For example, the time goals set by athletes such as track and field runners or swimmers should be small and achievable in the short term to work up to a long-term goal such as winning a competition. Once a goal is met, writing it down and checking it off can be a potent tool to help athletes build their self-confidence and feel ready to tackle the next one. This is because it sets a clear picture of achievements, which can remind athletes of how well they have done so far. Routine and Practice As humans, we love routine – our brains are wired to get into regular routines, whether that be the time that we get up in the morning and go to sleep at night, or in the case of athletes, routines for practice and preparation. While some athletes are not overly affected by routine, others can have various superstitions, which means that they end up obsessively following various patterns and routines both before, during, and after the competition. For example, one popular routine amongst many professional athletes is listening to music; many will have to listen to a particular song at a certain time before they are due to compete and some even believe that not doing so might cause them to perform more poorly than usual. Athletes who stick to a routine can often suffer from a diminished mindset if the habit is broken; if they believe that they will not perform as well, they are often unable to focus. Visualisation When it comes to athletic performance, visualizing success can go a long way in helping athletes achieve their goals and get the results they want. Suppose you use betting offers in the UK, including a range of free bets and bonuses, to back a particular athlete or sportsperson. In that case, it is a good idea to find one who regularly visualizes themselves as a winner since this is a potent psychological tool that can often lead to success. When athletes can picture themselves doing well and achieving what they set out to, it will become much easier for them to accomplish their tasks in the physical environment. Conclusion Preparing the body is vital for athletes to succeed, but the right mindset is also needed to be a winner. Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: ROBERTS, N. (2017) How Does Psychology Affect Sports Performance? [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article238.htm [Accessed About the Author Nate Roberts is a personal trainer based in the UK. Nate holds a BSc. in Sports and Exercise Medical Sciences from the University of Exeter. He competes in CrossFit and Powerlifting when not making his clients bigger and better humans.