High Performance Psychology for Athletes

What is the definition of being a "high performer"?

• Reaching peak states

• Reaching long term goals

• Being YOU at your best

• Being YOU and beating the best

What is a personal philosophy?

• Mission statement

• Mission control

• Your guiding principles- what guides you

• Your guiding vision- where you are going and when

What is S.C.C Framework?

• Structure, Conviction, Conscientiousness

• Structure, Conviction, Connection

• Structure, Conviction, Conscience

• Structure, Compete, commit

Why is front loading (preparing mentally) for something difficult like sports or a difficult conversation so important?

• It helps us show up and me more authentic and be more of who we really are

• It helps us show up and see what happens

• It helps us show up so we can prove our points

• It helps us show up and fake it until we make it

Park it is a technique we use to acknowledge a mistake, let it go and then come back to it at the right time. Why is this useful?

• Mistakes could help us by making us frustrated at the situation and judging.

• This technique is useful because it allows us to deny all responsibilities. As a result, we lose focus and performance goes down. Park it allows us to shift attention to what is most important right now.

• Mistakes could frustrate us and move us out of the present moment. As a result, we lose focus and performance goes down. Park it allows us to shift attention to what is most important right now.

• This technique is useful because it allows us to deny all accountability.

Why is creating a square squad so beneficial?

• Square squad allows us to control the environment.

• Square squad allows us to achieve all of our goals.

• It allows us to put more our energy on what other people think about us. This is important because we can control what others think or feel.

• It allows us to not put our energy on what other people think about us. This is important because we cannot control what others think or feel.

Segmenting is a mental skill to break the day down to smaller parts. Additionally, we can use this in breaking practice, games or classes down. Why is this helpful?

• Segmenting can really create more stress for us.

• Segmenting is a good way to risk it to get the biscuit.

• This helps us be present and Mindless with what we are doing. Many times we get "stuck" in championship mode and this can be a major distraction.

• This helps us be present in the moment with what we are doing. Many times we get "stuck" in our head in previous moments we were just in. This helps us make good transitions: example- from class to a practice session.

Mindfulness is being present and aware in a non-judgmental way. Why should we work hard to be non-judgmental in sport performance?

• As athletes, the judgment of good or bad creates performance issues. Such as, right after a mistake: when we judge, we tend to overgeneralize: "I am horrible", I am no good". Being non-judgmental allows us to make the necessary adjustments and keep playing.

• As athletes, the judgment as good or bad creates the platform for optimal performance. Such as, right after a mistake: when we judge, we tend to play harder and be more present.

• Mindfulness and non-judgment is just for yoga gurus.

• Mindfulness allows us to reach peak levels of flow states that could be a hindrance to us.

What are the 3 C's of pre-performance routines?

• Control, Crack, Compete

• Control (self-control), Commit (to a mission), Compete

• Control, Commit, Capitulate

• Control others, Control environment, Control me

Why is credible self-talk so important?

• It means we have done the work to do difficult things so that we can tell ourselves credibly, we have what it takes.

• It means we have not done the work to do difficult things which is not a big deal because we can just say to ourselves "we got this".

• Credible self-talk is all about just repeating in your head want you want and it will happen.

• Credible self-talk is all about inverted U-Hypothesis theory.