Sport Psychology

What is stress

Stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the task requirements and the ability level of the performer to respond in a situation where failure has consequences

2 physiological responses to stress

Shaking, sweating

2 Psychological responses to stress

loss of confidence, fear

What is motivation

The direction and intensity of effort

What is intrinsic motivation

The internal motivations of sport such as thrill, playing for enjoyment

What’s the extrinsic motivation

Extrinsic motivation refers to the external motivations of participation in a sport. Such as money, fame

Define self confidence

An individual’s belief that they will execute a given task successfully

What type of motivation is better

Intrinsic motivation

2 strategies to improve motivation to reach the zone

Make players feel valued (make all team players feel they have a key role to play in each game and training needs to be fun and enjoyable

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Set team and individual goals for the team (Set both short and long-term goals for individuals and the team as a whole, striving for goals promotes motivation, these goals can be implemented using the SMARTER method

Explain the correlation between confidence and performance

As a players confidence increases, so does their performance but if confidence levels are too high, there is a drop in performance levels

3 strategies to improve self-confidence and reach the ‘zone’

Acting confidently (Positive body language creates confidence, negative body language does the opposite.)

Imagery (creating a mental image of a perfect performance using as many senses as possible)

How does stress affect performance

•An athlete needs to have a certain level of stress to produce optimal performance.



Too little stress results in boredom, low motivation and poor performance



Optimum stress levels produce best performance



Too high stress levels negatively affect performance

Define concentration

The ability to focus on task at hand whilst ignoring irrelevant cues or distractions

Broad external

Attention paid to a large number of cues in the external environment. (Required for open skilled sports such as soccer, a player running down field looking for options)

Broad internal

Attention paid to internal thoughts and images. (develop specified game plan or strategy, for example a centre pass in netball)

Narrow external

Focus targeting (the ability to block out distractions and focus on specific cues for example Archery.)

Narrow internal

Focus on a specific image, thought or coaching point with a few other cues for example weight lifting

list 3 internal distractions

Attending to past events and past consequences (“Last time I missed this shot…”)

Attending to future events and possible consequences (“If I miss this shot..”

Game pressure

List 3 external distractions

Opponents or crowd deliberately trying to distract a perfors attention from the task at hand

verbal distractions (sledging)

visual distractors (goalkeeper swaying side to side)

List 2 and explain 2 strategies to improve concentration and reach the “zone”

Establish consistent performance routines (develop a simple routine which can be used prior to performing a skill)

Stimulating game specific situations during training (Recreating game situations at training allows players to recognise cues in the environment that will then improve performance)

What is arousal

The degree of stimulation or alertness present in an individual about to perform a given task

Characteristics of low arousal

Low motivation, lethargy and easily distracted

characteristics of high arousal

nervousness/butterflies, anxiousness, nausea

3 strategies to reduce arousal

meditation, breathing control, autogenic training

3 strategies to increase arousal

elevated breathing rate, music, warm up

How can anxiety affect an athletes performance

Too much anxiety can lead to ‘choking’ when the performer fails to perform to their full potential. High stress levels can lead to over arousal, resulting in the performer having a narrow internal attention focus leading to the missing of important cues and a diminished performance

What is goal setting

The process of deciding on something you want to achieve, planning the steps to follow that will help the goal, and then working towards achieving the goal

What is the Inverted U Hypothesis in relation to arousal levels?

Optimal performance may not always occur at the mid-point of the curve as represented in the Inverted U Hypothesis. Putting in golf requires athletes to lower arousal levels for optimal performance, whereas weightlifters would benefit from higher arousal levels.

What are the focus, features and an example of performance goals

Focus: end results, finishing place, ranking or medals

Features: often difficult to achieve as can be linked to the achievement of others

Example: win the New York marathon

What is the focus, features and an example of a outcome goals

Focus: Independent of other competitors (can be used to compare the past and present performance

Features: Excellent for improving performances as an athlete has control over the behaviour. Goals must be realistic for self-confidence to improve

Example: Improve free throw percentages from 70-80% this season

What is the focus, features and an example of a process goals

Focus: actions (such as physical movement and game strategies) that athletes must perform during a competition to achieve a performance goal

Features: effective at improving performance levels because they positively influence other factors such as self-efficacy and confidence

Example: Successfully a set play from a free kick in Soccer

What does the s refer to in the acronym SMARTER

Specific. Goals need to be specific and as clear as possible to focus attention (To use a float serve in volleyball effectively)

What does the M refer to in the acronym SMARTER

Measurable. Need to be able be assessable to see if progress is happening (to land the serve within the back court on 8 out of 10 attempts during training)

What does the A refer to in the acronym SMARTER

Accepted. Goals must be accepted by all parties involved in preparing the athlete

What does the R (first one) refer to in the acronym SMARTER

Realistic. Goals need to be achievable and within the Athlete’s capacity. (80% success rate is realistic)

What does the T refer to in the acronym SMARTER

Time phased. Specific date for completion need to be set (22nd May)

What does the E refer to in the acronym SMARTER

Exciting. The athlete needs to be challenged and inspired. (creating a game plan that can be used at training)

What does the R (last)refer to in the acronym SMARTER

Reviewed. Goals are monitored and adjustment made if necessary. Goals has been met and now needs to be readjusted to ensure the player is still stimulated