Posted: October 12, 2006

Sports Psychology: Mental Training Gives Student Athletes A Competitive Edge

UPMC Sports Medicine Director of Mental Training Advises Students and Parents PITTSBURGH, Oct. 12 – Although physical training is essential for excellence in sports, mental training is equally important in helping student athletes gain a competitive advantage. By tackling the issues affecting an athlete’s mindset, mental training can raise self-confidence levels, improve stress-management skills and result in greater overall enjoyment of sports. Aimee C. Kimball, Ph.D., director of mental training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center’s (UPMC) Center for Sports Medicine, offers the following mental training tips for students as well as advice for parents. Mental Training Tips for Students: Visualize Success UL> Enhance performance and eliminate stress by focusing on the positives. Instead of worrying about the competition, think about how you can use your talents in the game. Picture yourself doing your absolute best. By centering on aspects of the game that you can control, you are less likely to worry about factors you can’t change. Relax the Mind Clear your mind of excess thoughts and direct all attention to the sport. Take a few deep breaths to release unneeded tension. Focus on the present moment. By relaxing your mind, you can give your best-possible performance and have fun in the process. Manage Stress Sometimes, personal stress can interfere with athletic performance. To manage this stress, make a list of worries and eliminate the things that are out of your control. Then, create a plan of action for correcting each concern that you have the power to address. With less worries, the mind can focus more of its energy on the sport. Advice for Parents: Encourage Balance Help your child to become a well-rounded individual by focusing on achievements beyond those related to athletics. Encourage participation in other extracurricular activities and compliment your child for succeeding in these areas as well. Teach Life Skills Point out the lessons on time management, cooperation, leadership and responsibility that can be learned through sports. Help your child to become successful in life as well as in sports by teaching him or her to apply these skills to issues outside of athletics. Encourage Enthusiasm Make sure that your child understands that having fun and making friends are just as important, if not more so, than winning the game. To help your child maintain a healthy attitude, remind your child why he or she started playing sports in the first place. Instead of focusing on stressful issues, such as the game’s outcome, encourage your child to have fun and try his or her best. For more information about UPMC Sports Medicine’s Mental Training Program, or to make an appointment, call (412) 432-3777 or (412) 647-UPMC (8762).

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