Sports Psychology

Sports Psychology

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Sports Psychology

Sports is one of the most demanding activities, and it is often exhausting. Although most of the sportsmen and women get exposed to the same training, especially those undertaking the same discipline, it is usually an individual commitment that sets them apart from the rest. Athletics is one of the sports that attract many people, but few succeed in the sport. There has been a lot of speculation on what makes athletes great. Some people associate athletes’ performance with genetic factors, while others intimate that it could be environmental factors. In particular, there are athletes from certain parts of the globe who have dominated the sport for many years, and further research has formulated various possible causes of their dominance. Although there could be many factors that contribute to athletes’ success, many researchers agree that psychological factors play a crucial role in the success of an athlete. Athletes exposed to the same environment and training can compete, and those who prepare well psychologically often triumph over the rest. Therefore, it does not surprise that most of the athletes who formulate excellent psychological strategies usually perform well in the sport.

One of the psychological factors that play a critical role in an athlete’s performance is their ability to control their attention. According to Brick et al. (2016), attention-control involves an athlete’s power to focus on both internal and external factors that influence their performance. When an athlete is performing on the track, they must control their thoughts and focus on the race. A slight deviation of ideas from the race takes away their attention, and their performance is likely to be affected. Therefore, athletes must focus their attention on the race by controlling their thoughts. Further, when athletes control their attention, they can focus on what is happening in their bodies. These include their feelings and movement in the body system, which impact their overall performance on the track. According to Furley et al. (2015), athletes should also focus on controlling the external environment around them. When athletes get on the track, they can easily get overwhelmed by the cheering fans, affecting their concentration on the field. Athletes must focus all their attention on the race when they are on track.

Before athletes get on to the track to compete, they always train for a given period. Training is the most challenging part of athletes’ careers, and it comes with a lot of pain and endurance. Every athlete has goals to achieve, and they must be psychologically prepared to set achievable goals to enable them to perform better. According to McCarthy et al. (2010), setting goals is a critical component in every athlete’s success. An athlete should have the ability to visualize what they want to achieve and set attainable goals. This will enable them to focus on their goals and concentrate on their training. When an athlete visualizes on what they need to do to achieve their objectives, they can develop a more precise strategy that will guide them when they undertake their training. It enables them to concentrate their attention on the things that can help them achieve their goal. Equally, having a vision of what one needs to achieve enables them to do away with the things that can distract them from achieving their set objectives. Therefore, every athlete requires psychological strength to set achievable goals in their career.

Social factors in the community play a critical role in how athletes perform. Over the last few years, athletes from East Africa have dominated the medium and long-distance races. Various scholars have tried researching the factors that influence their dominance on the races, and many agree that social factors are critical to determining how athletes perform. Although several other underlying factors like the altitude of their training ground, the mental strength that these athletes exhibit sets them apart from other competitors. Social factors influence an athlete’s behavior, and it is essential to note that discipline is critical in shaping an athlete’s success. Disciplined athletes can adhere to the laid-down procedures given by their trainers, thus improving their performance significantly. Englert and Bertrams (2012) observe that their social surroundings significantly shape athletes and women like footballers. Most of them are influenced to work harder when they are surrounded by people who support them mentally. When athletes get the necessary support from the community members, they develop mental resilience to endure hard training, which positively impacts their performance.

There are many techniques that athletes use to improve their performance. Before they can compete, athletes often employ various strategies to relax their minds and reduce the anxiety that is associated with the sport. When athletes are anxious, they can quickly lose concentration, impacting their performance during the competition. Bali (2015) argues that many psychological factors influence an athlete’s performance. The psychological factors include anxiety, mental strength, and stress. One of the most effective ways to control these factors is by ensuring that an athlete gets enough time to relax. According to Kudlackova et al. (2013), athletes use several techniques to relax. Some athletes may prefer taking a walk to relax their minds while others may watch movies. Irrespective of the method used, the ultimate intention is to relax their minds and avoid the anxiety associated with a competitive sport.

Intrinsic motivation is another factor that influences how athletes perform. Every athlete experiences bad performance at some point in their careers. It is critical to note that inherent motivation enables athletes to pick up from their bad experiences and concentrate on the sport. Some athletes participate in sports because it is a means of making money to sustain themselves. The reward anticipated from their participation often influences how they perform on the track. However, some participate in a sport because they find it to be enjoyable and exciting. Intrinsic motivation affects how an athlete performs. Athletes who love what they do are likely to achieve better results on the track (Fransen et al., 2018).

There are sports like football, which is highly physical and demanding. When athletes are subjected to extreme physical activities like playing football, they are likely to get emotional when playing, affecting their performance. In most countries, highly ranked clubs have counselors who help the players manage their emotions. Emotional control is vital to the success of an athlete. According to Tamminen and Crocker (2013), successful athletes have emotional self-regulation to perform well in their sport. Further, athletes who manage their emotions can relate well with their teammates, which impacts the team’s overall performance.

In conclusion, it is essential to note that an athlete’s performance is not entirely on the training; instead, psychological factors play a critical role in their success. When an athlete is mentally prepared, they can concentrate and perform well. According to Sun and Wu (2011), the concentration of an athlete on the track is the most significant contributing factor influencing the outcome of their performance. Issurin (2017) argues that the most influential psychological factor affecting an athlete’s performance is how they are motivated. Several factors can motivate an athlete to perform well. These include the reward that the athlete gets when they perform well in the sport. Intrinsic motivation is another factor that influences the performance of an athlete.

References

Bali, A. (2015). Psychological factors affecting sports performance. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health, 1(6), 92-95.

Brick, N. E., MacIntyre, T. E., & Campbell, M. J. (2016). Thinking and action: a cognitive perspective on self-regulation during endurance performance. Frontiers in Physiology, 7, 159.

Englert, C., & Bertrams, A. (2012). Anxiety, ego depletion, and sports performance. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 34(5), 580-599.

Fransen, K., Boen, F., Vansteenkiste, M., Mertens, N., & Vande Broek, G. (2018). The power of competence support: The impact of coaches and athlete leaders on intrinsic motivation and performance. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 28(2), 725-745.

Furley, P., Schweizer, G., & Bertrams, A. (2015). The two modes of an athlete: dual-process theories in the field of sport. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8(1), 106-124.

Issurin, V. B. (2017). Evidence-based prerequisites and precursors of athletic talent: a review. Sports Medicine, 47(10), 1993-2010.

Kudlackova, K., Eccles, D. W., & Dieffenbach, K. (2013). Use of relaxation skills in differentially skilled athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 14(4), 468-475.

McCarthy, P. J., Jones, M. V., Harwood, C. G., & Davenport, L. (2010). Using goal setting to enhance positive affect among junior multievent athletes. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 4(1), 53-68.

Sun, Y., & Wu, X. (2011). Self-regulation of elite athletes in China. Social Behavior and Personality: an international journal, 39(8), 1035-1044.

Tamminen, K. A., & Crocker, P. R. (2013). “I control my own emotions for the sake of the team”: Emotional self-regulation and interpersonal emotion regulation among female high-performance curlers. Psychology of sport and exercise, 14(5), 737-747.