The beauty of sports competition in our society is the tremendous range of technical levels in which athletes can compete.
But whether it's a first 5k, a state championship title, or a national qualifying event all athletes are susceptible to fear, panic, and distress. Strong mental preparation is required to manage these challenges that we all face on race day. You have logged the physical hours necessary for success, now it's time to bring your brain into the game. Sport psychologists have identified skills to achieve peak mental states. These include imagery, goal setting, distress tolerance, coping strategies, code words and managing distractions. Together we will explore different strategies that will be used specifically for your sport and aspirations.
Specifically we will look at:
- performance vs outcome goal setting
- breath work
- linking thoughts, body responses, and emotions under stress
- visualizations for different moments of a race
- anxiety management