Characteristics Of A Good Mental Skills Coach

By Christine Hall


Even the most professional athletes will have times when they don't feel as motivated, and they shall need extra encouragement to help them with their practice sessions. This can happen when they lose again or when they are faced with the media and receive negative reports. A mental skills coach can help someone like this improve in a case like this.

There is no doubt, from time to time, an athlete may begin to doubt him or herself. This can happen when they lose one or two games or matches. The snowball effect begins to occur and it can get out of control. A coach will be able to help the athlete focus on basic goals which are realistic until they are able to move on to the next level.

A coach is important because they have the qualifications and experience. They will know how far they are able to push the athlete. This is very important because one has to be patient and the coach will also realize that some clients are not able to be challenged in certain circumstances. It can take more time to reach their desired goals.

These goals usually involve general tasks where homework is assigned. The athlete and the coach will discuss the progress which has been made on a weekly basis. They will also work on what needs to be worked on in order to improve the performance. Various emotions can creep into the game and this will affect their lives as well. This is something that they will talk about as well.

These emotions can relate to something like this anxiety. This is very common, especially for top athletes who have a lot of pressure to perform well. They are often being sponsored. They may be paid to compete. Some athletes are faced with negative media reports and this can obviously lead to a drop in their self esteem. This is something that is emphasized during these sessions.

Negative self talk is also very common. This happens when the athlete is not performing well. They will put themselves down and they will begin to lack confidence, which will hinder performance levels. The coach will help raise these levels by using various techniques, such as positive imagery and the ability to manage their negative self talk.

Learning these skills are sometimes more general, but they can also be specific. It can relate to the person who is trying to practice a golf shot, but has not been successful. This will obviously lead to a lot of frustration. There are techniques at working around a problem like this. Sometimes it is better when there is something more specific to work on.

Athletes lose motivation when their performance levels drops. This is something that they will focus on as well. It is only natural that this occurs because they lack confidence and the negative self talk begins to take over. A good coach will introduce something like the reward system and work with them through these difficult times.




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