Details

Sports Psychology For Dummies

2. Aufl.

von: Leif H. Smith, Todd M. Kays
17,99 €
Verlag:	Wiley
Format:	PDF
Veröffentl.:	05.01.2022
ISBN/EAN:	9781119856009
Sprache:	englisch
Anzahl Seiten:	368

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Beschreibungen

Titelbeschreibung

Get your head in the game with this hands-on guide to the psychology of sport There's more to getting into the right headspace for the big game or event than trying to think like a winner. Modern sports psychologists emphasize advanced strategies like biofeedback and neurofeedback, while encouraging the use of mindfulness and other mental health techniques. In Sports Psychology For Dummies, 2nd Edition, a team of athletic performance experts and psychologists walks you through the mental side of intense competition and training. From the importance of focus to the tactics designed to restore and improve confidence after a loss, you'll explore ideas such as goal setting, self-perception, and self-talk. This book also covers: <ul> <li>Personalized plans for athletic success</li> <li>Real-life examples of sports psychology changing the athletic experience in different sports</li> <li>The wide variety of careers available in the field of sports psychology and how to get started in them</li> </ul> Ideal for athletes, parents of student athletes, and coaches looking for ways to improve performance both on and off the field, Sports Psychology For Dummies is also the perfect resource for anyone interested in a career in this rapidly growing and evolving field.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 3 Beyond the Book 4 Where to Go from Here 4 Part 1: Getting the Winning Edge: Sports Psychology Fundamentals 5 Chapter 1: Introducing Sports Psychology and Mental Training 7 Honing Your Sharpest Weapon: Your Mind 8 Knowing how your mind influences your sports performance 9 Discovering your ideal mindset in sports performance 9 Building your ideal mindset with awareness and the right processes 10 Understanding your motivation 10 Understanding and building confidence for your athletic performance 10 Building, Preparing, and Practicing Your Mental Toolkit 11 Seeing Sports Psychology in Action 12 Knowing the Hot Trends in Sports Psychology Today 12 Becoming a Sports Psychology-Savvy Coach 13 Chapter 2: Starting with the End in Mind: Know Your Ideal Athlete Mindset 15 Tapping Into Your Ideal Mindset 16 Discovering your ideal performance mindset 17 Performing without thinking 19 Developing a Plan of Attack to Make it Consistent 19 Preparing your ideal mindset 21 Practicing your mindset 21 Assessing and improving your mindset 21 Avoiding the mindset of perfection 21 Slipping into the flow state or zone 22 Chapter 3: Setting Goals: Aiming High and Hitting the Bull’s Eye 23 Setting Effective Goals 25 Determining your goals 25 Making your goals specific 28 Setting goals that challenge you 28 Setting deadlines for each goal 29 Working with tiny goals 30 Tracking Your Success in Reaching Your Goals 30 Holding yourself accountable 31 Celebrating your achievements 31 Measuring your goals 32 Giving yourself permission to adjust your goals 33 Realizing that perfection doesn’t exist 34 Chapter 4: Stoking the Fire in Your Belly: How to Fan the Flames of Motivation 37 Debunking Common Myths about Motivation 38 You can get your motivation from other people 38 Fame and fortune are great motivators 38 Motivation alone can lead to success 40 Defining Motivation 40 Understanding the two types of motivation: Internal and external 40 Identifying which type of motivation is better 42 Knowing your own personal motivations 42 Assessing and Understanding Your Current Motivation Level 43 Measuring your motivation 43 Making sense of your motivation 43 Building an effective motivation plan 45 Maximizing Your Motivation: How Small Sparks Can Become Bonfires 45 Being completely honest with yourself 46 Thinking about why you play the game 46 Being curious and non-judgmental 46 Focusing on tasks, not ego 47 Finding ways to experience success 47 Mixing up your training 48 Surrounding yourself with highly motivated people 48 Being disciplined 48 Seeking support 49 Moving on from your mistakes 49 Thinking positive 49 Overcoming Obstacles to Staying Motivated 49 When your role on the team has changed 50 When you’re burned out 50 When you’re being pulled in different directions 51 When you’re not seeing eye to eye with your coaches and teammates 52 When your priorities in life change 53 Chapter 5: Swagger: The Art and Science of Building Real Confidence 55 Understanding What Confidence Is and Why It Matters 56 Debunking Myths about Confidence: Don’t Believe Everything You See or Hear 57 Tapping into the Confidence Cycle 59 Thinking positively 60 Taking risks 61 Experiencing success 62 Building Your Confidence 63 Focusing on day-to-day success 63 Concentrating on process, not outcomes 64 Tackling the Obstacles That Get in the Way of Confidence 66 When you have a bad game 67 When you’re not getting playing time 68 When you’re sick or injured 68 When you aren’t as prepared as you could be 70 When you are feeling pessimistic and negative 71 Part 2: Your Mental Toolkit for Success 73 Chapter 6: Tool #1: Mastering the Art of Focus 75 Understanding What Focus Is and Why It Matters 76 Where your mind goes, your energy flows 76 Limiting distractions and focusing 77 Knowing the Zones of Focus 80 Focusing on What Matters 81 Relevant points of focus 82 Irrelevant points of focus 82 Using Focus to Reduce or Eliminate Pressure 86 Overcoming the Obstacles to Focus 87 Thinking about outcomes 87 Getting caught up overthinking and overanalyzing 88 Getting too emotional 89 Letting off-the-field stuff get in the way 90 Dealing with fans, officials, and coaches 91 Developing Tools and Habits for Improving Focus 92 Chapter 7: Tool #2: Seeing Is Believing: Employing Imagery 95 Introducing Imagery 96 How imagery helps change and build better mindsets 97 Internal imagery: From your own point of view 98 External imagery: Looking at yourself from the outside 98 Determining What Type of Imager You Are 99 Visual: Monkey see, monkey do 99 Auditory: I hear you loud and clear 100 Physical: I feel you, man 100 Considering the Key Characteristics of Ideal Images 101 Painting images with vivid detail 101 Picturing images of your success 103 Getting Started with Imagery 104 What to imagine 105 When to use imagery 107 Where to use imagery 110 Setting up an imagery program 111 Evaluating the Success of Your Imagery 111 Chapter 8: Tool #3: Self-Talk: Don’t Yell in Your Own Ear 115 Your Inner Critic Is Not You 116 Considering the Consequences of Self-Talk 117 The two types of self-talk: Positive and negative 117 How self-talk affects performance, mindset, and mood 118 Changing the Channel on Ineffective Self-Talk 121 Paying attention to the messages you send yourself 122 Stopping the negativity 124 Replacing ineffective self-talk with effective self-talk 125 Using Self-Talk to Improve Your Performance 128 Journaling and practicing self-talk before, during, and after practice 128 Coming up with cue words, mental anchors, and mantras 129 Creating a mental recovery routine 131 Practicing effective imagery to improve self-talk 132 Chapter 9: Tool #4: Winning Habits: How Routines Improve Performance in Competition 133 Identifying How Routines Improve Focus and Performance 136 Recognizing the Difference between Routines and Superstitions 137 Exploring the Routines of Elite Athletes 139 Example #1: First on the field 139 Example #2: Leisurely and relaxed 140 Example #3: Movies and meditation 141 Coming Up with Effective Practice and Game-Day Routines 141 Practice routines 142 Game-readiness routines 146 Post-game routines 148 Knowing When and How to Adjust Your Routines 149 Modifying your routines 150 Learning great routines from others (and making them your own) 151 Chapter 10: Tool #5: Handling Pressure: Playing with Fire without Getting Burned 153 Probing into Pressure: What It Is and Why It Occurs 154 The signs of pressure 155 What causes pressure in sports 156 Why some athletes choke under pressure 158 Pressure exists only in the mind 159 Pressure is energy steered in an ineffective direction 159 Understanding the Difference between Arousal and Pressure 160 Developing Your Ideal Mindset for Competition 164 Handling Pressure Like a Pro 164 Preparing your mind and heart to manage pressure 165 Focusing on the task at hand 165 Being prepared in every way 165 Getting perspective 167 Changing your self-talk 168 Understanding what you can control 169 Journaling 170 Breathing and stretching 171 Developing your personal plan for managing pressure 173 Chapter 11: Tool #6: Handling Adversity: The Art of Resilience 175 Resilience: Returning to a Better Mindset after a Struggle 176 Accepting adversity and mistakes as opportunities 176 Knowing that perfection is a myth 177 Developing your ideal mindset builds resilience 177 Looking at Loss Differently 178 Recognizing that loss isn’t necessarily failure 178 Knowing the difference between getting beat and losing 179 Pulling Yourself Out of Slumps 180 Understanding why slumps happen 180 Focusing on fundamentals 181 Being mindful 181 Bouncing Back after Mistakes in Competition 184 Knowing what happens mentally after a mistake 184 Establishing a post-mistake routine 186 Dealing with Injuries 189 Preventing injuries 189 Coping with injuries 192 Dealing with the Fear of Reinjury 196 Chapter 12: Tool #7: Sharpening Awareness: Being Mindful 199 Being Mindful in the Moment 200 Using mindfulness to change your mind, heart, and body 201 Improving your sports performance 202 Slowing down your thoughts and emotions 202 Practicing Mindfulness 203 Practicing mindfulness off the field 203 Practicing mindfulness on the field 206 Developing a plan of action for improving mindfulness 207 Part 3: Hot Topics in Sports Psychology 209 Chapter 13: Talking About Mental Health Issues 211 Reality Check: Mental Health Issues Affect Today’s Athletes 212 Debunking Mental Health Stigmas 212 Mental health issues are a sign of weakness 213 If you are mentally strong, you don’t need to see a therapist/sports psychologist 213 Sports psychologists and therapists will “mess up your head” if you talk to them 213 Talking about depression and anxiety makes you less of a person 214 Understanding Anxiety Issues 214 Defining anxiety 214 Identifying common anxiety disorders 214 Understanding Depression Issues 216 Defining depression 217 Identifying common depressive disorders 217 Understanding Eating Disorders 218 Identifying common eating disorders 219 Understanding how eating disorders affect athletes 220 Determining when you need professional help 220 Additional Mental Health Issues Facing Athletes Today 221 Loss of athletics and identity to athletics 222 Recovery from injury 222 Reliance on performance enhancing drugs 222 Retirement from sports 223 Knowing Where to Turn for Help 223 Chapter 14: Managing Stress Better 225 Setting Priorities 226 Striving for Balance 226 Adding Meditation to Your Routine 227 Using Imagery to Reduce Stress 228 Managing Your Thoughts and Emotions 229 Exercising for Stress Relief 230 Making Sleep a Priority 231 Cultivating a Support Network 233 Laughing 233 Practicing Gratitude 234 Chapter 15: Making the Shift from High School to Collegiate Sports 237 Determining What Division Level to Play in College and Where to Start 238 Choosing the division that suits you 238 Seeking out advice 239 Understanding the “Recruiting Game:” Getting Noticed by Colleges 240 Finding Your Perfect Fit: What to Look for in a Coach and Program 242 Making the Jump to Collegiate Athletics 243 Approaching your first year 243 Handling first year challenges 244 Balancing Sports, Academics, and Your Social Life 245 Chapter 16: Using Sports Psychology Skills in Daily Life 247 Preparing for the Workday 247 Defining Your Career Success 248 Balancing Work and Personal Life 249 Concentrating Amid Distractions 250 Taking a Timeout from Stress 251 Performing Well Under Pressure 251 Developing Effective Work Routines 253 Focusing on Tasks Rather Than Outcomes 253 Coping with Adversity and Conflict on the Job 254 Enlisting Your Support Team 256 Chapter 17: Exploring a Career as a Sports Psychologist 257 Understanding What a Sports Psychologist Does 258 What is a sports psychologist anyway? 258 Where do sports psychologists work? 259 Sports psychologist versus mental skills consultant 260 The path to becoming a sports psychologist 260 The path to becoming a sports psychology or performance consultant 262 Determining the Right Career to Pursue 263 The clinical/counseling path: pros and cons 263 The mental skills or performance consultant path: pros and cons 264 Investigating opportunities for internships 265 Job and Career Options in Sports Psychology 265 Understanding Whether You Are Ready for a Career in Sports Psychology 266 Part 4: The Sports Psychology-Savvy Coach 269 Chapter 18: Coaching Today’s Athletes 271 Improving Your Athletes’ Focus 272 Preparing athletes for practice 272 Keeping athletes focused 274 Evaluating and tracking your athletes’ focus 275 Teaching Your Athletes to Perform under Pressure 276 Simulating competition 276 Using imagery before, during, and after practice 277 Creating pressure-packed drills 278 Motivating Your Athletes 280 Showing athletes the big picture 281 Designing fast-moving practices 282 Finding inspiration 284 Getting Your Athletes to Play as a Team 286 Discussing the common mission everyday 286 Demonstrating how “we” is better than “me” 287 Giving teamwork more than lip service 289 Chapter 19: Mental Drills to Use with Athletes and Teams 291 Drills for Dealing with Pressure 292 Selecting material about managing pressure 292 Having your players take control of the topic 292 Creating pressure drills 292 Simulating game like-conditions 293 Bringing imagery drills to practice 293 Creating drills where the athletes do not need to think 293 Drills for Bringing Teams Together 294 Drills for Improving Communication 296 Drills for Improving Problem-Solving 297 Drills for Leadership Development 298 Part 5: The Part of Tens 301 Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Be a Better Competitor 303 Evaluate Where You Are 303 Know What Motivates You 304 Define Your Goals 304 Set an Action Plan 305 Improve Gradually and Consistently 306 Train Your Mind Daily 306 Improve Your Athletic Skills 307 Tweak Your Methods 307 Develop and Maintain Your Fitness 308 Seek Out Pressure 308 Chapter 21: Ten Ways to Parent an Athlete 311 Decide Whether to Specialize 312 Choose the Right League 313 Know What to Say after a Loss 314 Be a Fan, not a Coach 315 Cheer, Don’t Yell 316 Talk with Your Kid’s Coach 317 Reward the Things That Matter 317 Budget Your Time and Money 318 Focus on Learning Life Skills 319 Live Your Own Life instead of Living through Your Kid 320 Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Be a Better Leader for Your Team 321 Know Your Style 321 Know Your Teammates 322 Choose Your Moments 323 Understand Motivation 324 Find Your Sweet Spot as a Leader 324 Communicate More Effectively 325 Be Brave 327 Know When to Lead and When to Back Off 327 Take the Blame 328 Spread the Fame 328 Index 329

Autorenportrait

Leif Smith, PsyD, is president of a sports psychology and performance consultancy. His work has been cited in publications such as The New York Times. Todd Kays, PhD, is president of the Athletic Mind Institute, a sports and performance consulting firm. He’s a licensed psychologist whose training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes.

Back cover copy

Gain the winning edge through focus and grit If you’re in search of an essential resource for improving athletic confidence, performance, and motivation, look no further. The techniques in this book help you learn to focus better, stay more alert, keep a cool head under pressure, and be patient with yourself, no matter what your sport. This book is for athletes, parents, and coaches who want to gain that winning edge through mental toughness. With coverage on mental health, mindfulness, and resilience, this book focuses on the issues that today’s athletes increasingly face. Inside… <ul><li>Real-world anecdotes from the authors’ own work with athletes</li> <li>Tips for building confidence</li> <li>Ways to master the art of focus</li> <li>Using imagery and mindfulness to perform at your best</li> <li>Straight talk about mental health issues that athletes struggle with</li> <li>Advice for coaching and parenting today’s athletes</li></ul>