High performance athletes need first of all strength of will, discipline, motivation and a lot of psychological preparation to be able to face the tough challenges of overcoming their own personal brands and goals in order to continue achieving goals. The athletes, just as they train their body, also have to train their mind for this reason the psychological preparation in high performance athletes is also called psychological training.
The psychological preparation always have to go accompanying physical training, especially for athletes who must participate in competitions or just want to reach their full potential.
What is psychological preparation?
A psychological training consists of a structured program organized by a professional of sports psychology where the main mental skills required in the sport in which the athlete is immersed are worked on in several sessions , always with an approach that enhances all his inside but also with a preventive approach to avoid possible obsessions among other possible disorders.
The psychological preparation can be carried out at the individual level for example for elite athletes or competing alone, or in a teamwork for example for those athletes who compete as a team e.g. for a football team, basketball, etc.
What is the main objective?
The main objective is to enhance the psychological skills of the athlete, to reinforce those that already have to learn new ones that help him to have higher performances and to adapt in an appropriate way to all the situations that may be faced in terms of the sport he usually practices, but on everything in the competition.
What are the skills that work the most?
The skills that are worked in psychological preparation in high performance athletes, are those that could cause some kind of emotional damage if you do not know how to handle them properly, some of the most important skills are:
- Definition of goals and objectives.
- Appropriate management of stress.
- Appropriate management of anger.
- Control of activation.
- Management of motivation and effort in sport.
- Organization and planning of available time.
- Perceptive acuity
- Attention and concentration on what is taking place.
- Capacity for logical reasoning and decision making.
- Group cohesion
- Healthy habits (feeding, rest, recovery, etc.)
- Prevention and coping with injuries.
As you can see, the most important thing is done so that the athlete is not only physically prepared but also mentally.
