Sports Psychology
Sport psychology is about optimising human performance. It is an evidence-based practice that targets the unique challenges faced by athletes of all ages, competitive levels and sporting codes throughout their careers.
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Pressure, anxiety, expectations and failure are normal and inevitable in any athlete’s career – they’re the price of admission to high performance sport. Your ability to manage these effectively can determine whether you rise or fall in the moments that matter most.
This is mental fitness. Mentally fit athletes consistently convert their hours of training and preparation into successful performance in competition. Sport psychology is the science of mental fitness.
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Mental fitness is just like physical fitness – it develops over time through consistent skills training. Mental skills training elevates you to your performance potential. It is a supplement to your existing training plan to enable a seamless transition from training to competition. Mentally fit athletes are flexible and dynamic under pressure. Research shows that higher mental flexibility is associated with greater athletic performance. Mental flexibility is:
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Bouncing back quickly from mistakes and setbacks and embracing uncertainty as part of the journey toward your goals.
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Refocusing your attention on your actions in the present even when self-doubt, worry and frustration come up.
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Understanding that feeling good doesn’t equate to good performance, and feeling bad doesn’t equate to bad performance.
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Knowing that trying to change or control your emotions or thoughts depletes your energy and shifts your focus away from what matters.
By changing how you respond to your emotions and thoughts, you will gain more control over your performance, rather than being controlled by your emotions and thoughts. These are the building blocks of mental flexibility.
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What to expect Mental training?
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It isn’t one size fits all.
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An initial session takes you through a needs assessment to identify your growth areas, baseline and relevant history. This enables us to collaboratively develop an individualised training plan in service of your unique goals in sport and life.
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Subsequent sessions will develop the building blocks of mental flexibility through targeted skills training and education. This process will look different for each person based on your needs and goals.
Common presenting issues:
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Performance anxiety
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Emotion regulation
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Pressure and expectations
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Confidence and self-doubt
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Focus and attention skills
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Goal setting
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Stress in sport and life
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Injury and career transitions
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Burnout and feeling stuck
