The mental benefits of performance coaching

July 03, 2011

Listening to sports professionals these days, a topic that increasingly crops up is that of mental prowess and ability. Andy Murray recently spoke in the press about needing to build mental strength as a means of improving his game. Erik Spoelstra, head coach of the Miami Heat, commented that his team needed more mental stability during their recent NBA playoff series.

We have also heard commentators question: “What makes that winning runner better than the second-placed runner today?”

In my view, the crucial difference can often come down to mindset. Yes, skill and athleticism are vital, too. But as the margins of physical performance narrow among competitors, so the defining factor that creates a winner is their ability to stay mentally strong and focused, especially when under pressure. 

One of the greatest assets for today’s sports person, whether professional or amateur, is an expert performance coach. 

What is a performance coach? 

A performance coach seeks to enhance the confidence and mental focus of a sports person. The coach can work with sports people from all disciplines including football, squash, running, cycling, or whatever the chosen field happens to be. The aim is to improve performance through a clear vision of mental expectations and tactics. Increased motivation, confidence and self- belief; improved work-rate; better attitudes and morale; improved focus and professionalism; these are a few of the by-products of the performance coaching available to athletes. 

Why is mindset so important?

When someone takes up a sport and starts to achieve and win it is most likely, in the first years, that they are revealing an excellent physical talent. If they work hard on their physical skills and goals, it is likely that the person will begin to reach higher levels. All going well they will continue to show physical improvement. 

At some point in their training, sports people might turn to a coach who will help design physical training sessions to meet physical goals and to achieve optimum performance. 

The same goes for amateur sports people. If you want to run a 10k or achieve your personal best time for a half-marathon it requires adherence to a training schedule, or advice and instruction from a qualified coach.

But at some point, physical ability and prowess may not be enough. Many sports people are driven, competitive and goal orientated.While these are all useful mental factors, they can sometimes lead to other more debilitating problems such as anger, stress, anxiety, nervousness, fear and other negative emotions that can undermine confidence. 

Very few people perform well when they are angry, stressed, anxious, nervous or afraid. And sometimes even the brightest sports stars carry subconscious beliefs that can be quite limiting to their success. So they may turn to a performance coach. 

What will a performance coach do for you?

 A performance coach will work with a player to develop and maintain a mindset that leads to optimum performance. Working in partnership, the coach can guide the athlete through some of the following tasks: 

* Setting clear, realistic and achievable goals.

* Cutting ties to limiting beliefs and emotional baggage.

* Assisting with anger management.

* Helping to identify and dispel negative thoughts and emotions.

* Revealing stress management techniques.

* Promoting positive visualisation of winning behaviours.

* Restructuring self-talk or inner dialogue to be more goal-oriented.

After experiencing performance-coaching sessions, many players and athletes report feeling:

• More creative while competing

• Calmer

• Highly motivated

• More centered

• More effective

• Self-confident

• Truly passionate about what they do

• Relaxed.

If you are looking for an improvement in your sporting goals, whether you’re a professional or an amateur, solo or part of a team, please call Molly Cameron at Nexus Coaching for a chat. Molly is an experienced performance coach and will assist you to achieve your true potential.