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Mental Training is Work, Not Magic
Todd M. Kays, Ph.D.
Sport Psychologist
A lack of understanding about mental training exists in sport today. Athletes, student-athletes, coaches and parents think mental training is different than skill training in that they do not think it should require as much work to improve. They understand the dedication, practice and training required for skill development, but seem to think that mental training should be successfully accomplished in a few weeks. Certainly athletes can gain awareness and knowledge by reading a book or a few meetings with a sport psychologist, but proficiency of the mind takes years. Just like athletic skills take years to develop, so too does the mind. It is not magic.
Three key things to keep in mind:
Seek out experienced and knowledgeable sport psychologist. It does not mean you have to see this person week after week, although it would be helpful, but he can guide you in the process of what mental training is, how to begin the process, and basic steps to skill-building of the mind. If athletes do not practice, they will not get better. It is the same with skill development - if a golf instructor tell his player to work on a drill and she does not, then improvement does not take place.
Be prepared to drill the mind. There are numerous ways to train the mind - all the way from reading books to regular mental exercises, such as thought stopping or progressive muscle relaxation. But again, once you know these strategies and exercises for refining your mental process, you have to be willing to practice consistently. Like I have said numerous times to clients, if you want to increase vertical leap and only go to the gym one time per month, your vertical leap is not going to improve.
Pick one skill and go for it! The first step is to identify the mental area needing the most work, such as maintaining composure under pressure, mentally recovering from mistakes, or developing ideal pre-game routines to maximize focus and reduce distraction. The second step is to pick one "mental drill" to improve this skill and practice it each and every day for a minimum of two weeks. Again, effective mentally drilling creates more consistent performance.
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