Sport Psychology & Taekwondo

Sport Psychology ServicesDeliveryOlympic TaekwondoDr Xavier Sanchez

1. IntroductionOutlinea) Taekwondo: Sport and Psychologyb) The beginning of the intervention2. Overview of the intervention3. Competition Applied Examples4. Conclusion

1a. Olympic Taekwondo: CombatOfficial Olympic sport since Sydney 2000Tactical rather than technicalOpponents are directly, deliberately andsystematically confronting each otherIts dynamic environment is characterized byhigh levels of performance outcome uncertaintyExecution must be quick, powerful, accurate!

1a. Olympic Taekwondo: Psychology Basics of Taekwondo (Park & Seabourne, 1997) Economical use of energy Use of feinting Successful Taekwondo athletes (Anshel, 2000) Optimism, confidence, self-control, assertiveness,perceived competence, a sense of challenge, not threatof the situation, a slight but manageable degree ofanxiety, an optimal degree of arousal, a sense ofadequate preparation and training, a mental plan aboutone’s thoughts and actions prior to and during the event

1b. The beginning The personStaff, Athletes, Federation, Olympic committee Gathering and disseminating of information(interviews with all those involved) The environmentTraining & Competition settings Observation and Videotaping Identify & Understand performance demands

1b. From the staff questions...1. Tactics: Coaching & Learning (in training)Monitoring its development and efficacy2. Combat management (in competition)Dealing with the ongoing combat result3. Self-confidence (in combat)Not being afraid of the adversary

1b. To the psych proposalTHINKING OPPOSITION

1b. To the psych proposalTHINKING OPPOSITIONOptimal Profiles of Combat Performance• Tactical functioning & Emotional managementCausal Attributions• Coaching & CommunicationSelf-confidence

2. Overview Interventiona. TCAS: Taekwondo Combat Assessment Systemb. POS: Performance Outcome Surveyc. PANAS - CSAI: Emotions profiling & managing

2a. TCAS: Presentation Goal: To build a notational analysis tool tostudy combatants’ interactions in a fightVideo-analysis of the combats (Offensive &Defensive, Tactics & Techniques, Faults & Points)To gather/monitor technical-tactical changesTo identify specific patterns of fightingTactical planning vs. Technical execution(when to do what it has to be done)

2. Psychological Intervention1) TCAS: Taekwondo Combat Assessment System2) POS: Performance Outcome Survey

2b. POS: Causal AttributionsGoals: Which factors we believe influence our form(process) and output (result) performances? Are there differences between...? Staff and athletes Winning and losing Performing well (optimally) and under-performing(poorly)

2. Psychological Intervention1) TCAS: Taekwondo Combat Assessment System2) POS: Performance Outcome Survey3) PANAS - CSAI: Emotions profiling & managing

Goals:2c. Emotions Building optimal profiles from which athletes have higherchances to perform at their best (optimal performance) Training how to manage these optimal profiles/levels from debilitating to facilitating performance parameters form worrying about the negative to focusing on the positive Need for a specific-individual profile that accounts forone’s own personal performance and related emotions!

3. Competition Applied Examples1. In-between-rounds routine1. Active recovering (re-hydrating)2. Required attentional focus3. Useful/effective communication2. In-between-combats routineActive recovering (skipping)On vs. Off modes (post-fight, no-fight, pre-fight)Optimal emotional-arousal management (e.g., music)

4. ConclusionAdopt a holistic approach whereby All sport scientists provide anharmonious input (for the same purpose) Rest of staff involved actively worktogether (towards the same purpose)

Thank you!x.sanchez@rug.nl