Introduction to Sports Psychology

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Introduction to Sports Psychology

• Mr. Doron

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Dorons Top Video Clips!

• Spider Jones 1/2
• Spider Jones 2/2
• Al Pacinos speech to Football Players
• Al Pacino is Scent of a Woman
• Al Pacinos moving speech
• Al Pacino in the Insider

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Administrative
• Definitions related to sports psychology
• History
• 1st Topic Psychological Characteristics of Peak
  Performance
• Highlights

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Introduction

• We often hear that the game is 90 mental or more
• Often more so the higher up the performance (from
  recreation ? city ? provincials ? national ?
  international or professional
• Unfortunately, at the lower level, athletes
  either do not know how to improve their mental
  skills or spend little or no time working on the
  mental part of their game

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Introduction

• Unfortunately, it is often viewed as something
  necessary for the weak-minded competitor who has
  issues. The reality is that the mental game of
  sports affects every athlete, no matter what
  their strengths or weaknesses may be.
• Psychologist vs psychiatrist
• One does not prescribe medicine while the other
  one does

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Success
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Administrative

• Course Syllabus
• Some marks are based on your presence and
  participation in class.
• If 1-2 are misbehaving, I will deal with you on
  my own if more then that then the class will be
  disciplined
• Surprise quizzes, work, staying back after class
  etc.
• Let us not even go there once!

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Administrative

• 1st five minutes no questions
• this is my time to get myself organized
• Give class instructions for the period
• Sometimes instructions are written on the board
  so therefore do it
• Often teach for the 1st 20 minutes and then you
  do the work.
• Questions or Comments please raise your hand!
• Internet site for class notes click here.

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PBH Points

• Participation
• Behavior
• Homework
• Do Good things
• Homework done (90 or more), answer questions in
  class, correct me if I make a mistake (be nice
  about it) 5 points
• Do Bad things
• Come late to class, disrupt, not do homework -5
  points
• Get kicked out of class 10 points!

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Lates Absences

• If you are late enter the class quietly
  (doorknob might be unlocked). Do not make a show
  of it! I keep track of lates and you may receive
  a detention.
• If I award points for homework and you are
  absent, it is your responsibility to show it to
  me after class on your time (not mine). This
  should take 20 seconds.
• Late assignments -5 / day.
• If absent, must be handed in upon your return (no
  penalty). If you do hand it in the next day, this
  will be considered two days late 5 / day
  late).
• Get two reliable classmates number.
• Tests or quizzes are expected to be written the
  day you come back. Make sure your absence is
  justified to avoid headaches.

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Definitions

• Psychology The study of human and animal
  behavior
• Sports psychology It is the principles of
  psychology used in a sport setting
• Through sport psychology, an athlete can gain the
  mental edge to reach their goals, recover from
  injury, or gain confidence.
• Sport psychology is the bridge that links the
  mental and physical aspects of training.

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Definitions

• Flow is the mental state of operation in which
  the person is fully immersed in what he or she is
  doing, characterized by a feeling of energized
  focus, full involvement, and success in the
  process of the activity. Proposed by psychologist
  Csikszentmihalyi
• Confidence the belief in oneself

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Definitions

• Self-talk An internal dialogue
• Optimism The ability to see the positive side of
  things
• Pessimism the tendency to see the most gloomiest
  of outcomes
• Focus concentration at the task at hand and the
  ability to exercise distraction control

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Definitions

• Mental imagery Clear pictures in your mind of
  your performance using all the senses (sight,
  sound, taste, smell and touch) to successfully
  imagine successful performances
• Motivation the drive or action towards a goal

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Goal of Sports Psychologists or Sports Psychology
Coaches

• Teach athletes techniques that are commonly used
  in sport psychology such as mental imagery,
  relaxation, goal setting, building confidence,
  learning to focus, create a positive self-talk
  and regulating energy levels and becoming more
  optimistic.
• Through learning and practicing these techniques,
  an athlete or person has the ability to reach
  their potential, achieve peak performance or what
  is called flow.

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Positive Quotes
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History of Sports Psychology

• The first sports psychologist has said to be
  Norman Triplett a North American man from
  Indiana, born in 1898. Tripletts first finding
  as a sport psychologist was that cyclists cycle
  faster in pairs or a group, rather than riding
  solo.

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History of Sports Psychology

• Carl Diem, a German who lived in Berlin, founded
  the worlds first sports psychology laboratory in
  1920.
• In 1925, Cloman Griffith opened the first sports
  psychology lab in North America. He began his
  research in factors that affect sport performance
  in 1918, and in 1923, offered the first ever
  sports psychology course.

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History of Sports Psychology

• Today, sport and exercise psychologists have
  begun to research and provide information in the
  ways that psychological well-being and vigorous
  physical activity are related.
• Just recently have sport psychologists begun to
  be recognized for the valuable contributions they
  make in assisting athletes and their coaches in
  improving performance during competitive
  situations.

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Positive Quote
Act as if it were impossible to fail.