Mind Coaching involves the study of how psychological factors – most noticeably stress – affect performance. It can affect people in all walks of life but the increased anxiety created before and during sporting competitions can cause athletes to react both physically and mentally in a way that can negatively affect their performance.
The symptoms are numerous – racing heart rates, cold sweats, over-worrying about the final result, difficulty concentrating – but they are all equally debilitating.
This has led athletes and coaches to look for ways to control the levels of stress and to maintain concentration during competition. Mind Coaching with Mind In Sync provides some of the tools and techniques to help athletes stay in control, relax and focus on their performance.
Sports men and women in Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and London have all benefitted from working with a Mind In Sync coach to help them ‘get out of their own way’ and to gain a winning edge.
Mind In Sync coaches, based in Harpenden, also support athletes looking to regain confidence; remove performance blocks; control aggression and anger; suppress irrational fears and to improve stress control.
All programmes are tailored to suit the individual needs of the athlete and characteristics of the sport because every individual is unique and they all have their own training schedule, preparation routine and mental approach to their sport which has to be factored in.
Mind In Sync targets improvement in performance by working with athletes, coaches, and parents as part of a coordinated team effort to ensure that all aspects of an athlete’s preparation is as thorough as it can be.
There are many factors to be considered by a mind coach, including the personality of the athlete, their inherent self belief, motivation, confidence, focus and composure under pressure. These concern all athletes but can be particularly pronounced in young athletes, who sometimes have problems separating their worth as an athlete from their worth as a human being. This can lead to a number of self-esteem problems which may be tackled using hypnotherapy. Young athletes are also prone to burnout which can be brought on by perfectionism, boredom, injuries, excessive pressure, and overtraining, to name but a few.
As all athletes are unique mind coaches usually work with individuals. However, the same techniques can also be effective for teams where social and task cohesion are very important.
Some of the techniques employed by Mind in Sync coaches include goal setting, visualisation, pre-performance routines and self talk or self hypnosis. They are all aimed at improving Commitment, Confidence, Concentration and Control.
An athlete’s level of commitment can be affected by many factors and will fluctuate naturally but it’s important to maintain as high a level as possible to enable the other improvements to happen.
Confidence in their own ability can also be affected by many things, usually other people and their comments about the athlete’s performance. This is particularly influential when deal with young athletes.
Maintaining concentration is a very effective method of boosting confidence and commitment which leads to the athlete feeling more in control of their performance.
For more information about how Mind In Sync helps sportmen and women in Herts, Beds and Bucks become champions please email info@mindinsync.co.uk or call 07885 350469.