1. PAGES 1-35 - Texas Track & Field Coaches Association

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WWithout adequate mental preparation, an athlete,
even with excellent physical and technical preparation,
can undermine his or her own performance. A
seasoned coach can use sport psychology to help the
athlete in gaining a competitive advantage by assisting
with the mental preparation needed to perform
at peak levels. Psychological preparation is focused
on techniques that athletes can use in a competitive
situation to maintain control and optimize performance
(Reardon, 1992). Mental skills must be developed
in a systematic, progressive fashion to achieve
maximum results (Judge, Bell, Bellar, & Wanless,
2010). Mental periodization has emerged as the latest
tool to help coaches prepare athletes for competition
(Holliday et al., 2008). Mental periodization is a conscious
systematic mental conditioning program
designed for peak performance for specific competitions
and is focused on such items as motivation,
arousal awareness, developing pre-competition routines,
self-talk, and confidence (Table 1, pg 26). The
concept of periodization framework is easily accepted
intellectually by coaches; however, the practicalities
of putting this framework together in an effective
manner are much more difficult to grasp. Thus,
coaches and sport psychology consultants must work
together to properly implement mental periodization
plans to achieve optimal results (Judge et al., 2010).
There are many components that contribute to
peak performance in athletes. Usually these components
are interrelated in such a way that, if one piece
of the puzzle is weak or absent, the other pieces will
not function optimally. Having confidence (or lack
thereof) can affect many other aspects of performance
as well. Achieving an optimal level of arousal
and focus is a necessity for successful athletes and
this optimal mental state for a thrower can be
referred to as a “flow” state (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990).
An athlete’s self-talk during practice and competition
is important to achieving a flow state (Reardon,
1992). Self-talk is a skill that, if used properly, is rooted
in an athlete’s confidence level. More specifically,
the manipulation of self-talk can have positive or
negative effects on the perceived ability of the athlete.
Negative self-talk can limit an athlete’s performance,
increase stress level, and adversely affect selfconcept.
Most throws coaches are quite adept in
training the necessary physiological systems, but
AUGUST 2011 techniques 25