Why Work with a Mental Skills Coach?

Ask an athlete what percentage of their athletic performance is mental. Then ask them what percentage of their time they dedicate to improving the mental component of their athletic life. For some, the discrepancy is huge and many athletes are neglecting the mental aspect of their sport. The work of a Mental Skills Coach is helping to change this and much of their work is based on the concept that being a well-rounded and successful athlete means being an athlete who is physically, mentally and emotionally strong. Many people are beginning to realize that successful, rewarding athletic performance is based on more than merely physical talent - that it is equally dependent upon mental strength.
Many people are still learning about the field of sport psychology. When athletes hear about Mental Skills Coach they often wonder "what do they actually do?" and "why would I need or want to work with one?". To answer those questions it is important to clarify what sport psychology professionals are doing out there in the field. In a nutshell, Mental Skills Coach educate, counsel and support athletes in order to improve the athlete's performance. Ultimately the Mental Skills Coach's role is to assist an athlete in helping themselves become a better athlete. Mental skills training involves extending theory and research into the field to educate coaches, athletes, and parents with the goals of facilitating optimal sport involvement and performance.
The work between the athlete and Mental Skills Coach is a combination of an educational component and a counseling component. Improving performance is a Mental Skills Coach's number one goal. A Mental Skills Coach will assess an athlete's current performance and evaluate goals and goal strategies to determine the best method for the athlete to improve their performance. The mental techniques that a Mental Skills Coach introduces are in the areas of goal setting, motivation, confidence, relaxation, focus & concentration, team cohesion and communication.
In order for any of the techniques that a Mental Skills Coach introduces to work, the Mental Skills Coach must really evaluate what is going on with the athlete emotionally and mentally to ensure that the use of mental training techniques will be effective. Mental Skills Coach's counsel athletes with regard to their personal and professional life and then use appropriate mental techniques to help an athlete enhance their performance. This is the major difference between a coach teaching sport psychology skills and a Mental Skills Coach teaching the skills. While a coach may know his or her athlete well, he may not have the proper educational background to explore the psychological foundation of the athlete. A Mental Skills Coach is trained to evaluate and understand what is going on in an athlete's personal or professional life that may take away or add to their athletic performance. Having the expertise to identify what method or technique will best fit an athlete based on where they are at mentally and emotionally is a large part of the job.
Helping athletes deal with the pressure associated with competition is another reason a Mental Skills Coach might work with an athlete. Every athlete deals with pressure in a different way. Whether the pressure is coming from coaches, parents or the athlete themselves, for some athletes, the pressure is debilitating. Mental Skills Coach are trained to help athletes understand how pressure affects them and what strategies might work to help them overcome the debilitating effects of pressure.
Many ask what type of athlete needs to or chooses to work with a Mental Skills Coach. The simple answer to this question is any athlete who wishes to improve his or her performance. Any athlete regardless of age, gender and skill level can benefit from working with a Mental Skills Coach. Some athletes assume that they have to be at an elite level to work with a Mental Skills Coach. This is entirely untrue. In fact, many recreational athletes who are making their sport an important part of their life are benefiting from working with a Mental Skills Coach. The most important thing is that an athlete needs to be open to working with a Mental Skills Coach and motivated to incorporate the information and skills that are delivered by the Mental Skills Coach.
If performing at their best is an athlete's goal, working with a Mental Skills Coach will help them leverage their mental strengths and take them to the next level. Athletes of all levels and abilities are discovering that working with a Mental Skills Coach can help an athlete achieve and maintain mental toughness and emotional stability with regard to their sport.
-Written by Paige Dunn