Taking A Look At Sports Psychology

According to Weinberg and Gould (2008), sports psychology is the study of athletes’ behaviours in sport and exercise activities as well as the practical applications of the knowledge. Sport psychologists understand that in order for athletes to perform better, they do not need to train harder and more frequently, they understand that there may be mental barriers getting in the way of athletes achieving their goals. Sport psychology is important because it allows athletes to unblock any barriers in the way of them achieving their optimum performance in a sport. Sports and exercise psychologists attempt to understand the psychological factors that affect the performance of professional athletes. They also aim to study how athletes are affected

Psychologists believe that mental skills training involves applying strategies to athletes in order for them to overcome any mental barriers getting in their way of achieving their maximum level of performance. Mental skills training helps athletes to perform more consistently and to develop mental toughness (Stephenson 2015). There are different mental skills athletes can use to improve their performance and each one focuses on a different aspect of the psychology of sport. Two methods of mental skills training are goal setting and self-talk, which aim to improve performance of an athlete by limiting the distractions of the athlete and setting goals for which they can focus

There are three different types of goals. The first is outcome goals, where the athlete aims to attain a specific result during a competition. The second is performance goals, where the athlete attempts to achieve a personal objective that is independent of any competitors. Lastly, are the process goals where the objective is based around the improvement of the actions an individual does in their sport or exercise (Stephenson, 2015). Many researchers have studied into the effectiveness of goal setting as a method of mental skills training. Research suggests that in order for goal setting to be effective, they must meet certain criteria. According to Locke, Mento, & Katcher, (1978), goals must be specific. They must be set in such a way that the athlete understands what is to be achieved. Research by Locke (1968) also suggests that goals must be challenging in order to be effective. This is in order to motivate the athlete because if the goals set were too easy then the athlete would lack motivation and hence wold not achieve their optimum performance. Research by Latham & Yukl (1975) and Locke (1968) found that the most effective use of goal setting is when the goal is both specific and challenging. In order for an athlete to achieve their optimum level of performance they must set their goals based on these guidelines. However, this also suggests that goal setting may not work when the goals