Psychology is an integral component of sporting performance, and the demands of sport can affect many aspects of an athlete's life. Sports psychology can assist in the well-being and sporting performance of individuals and teams at any level of competition, from the recreational amateur to the elite professional athlete.

Sport Psychology

In training everyone focuses on 90% physical and 10% mental, but in the races its 90% mental because there's very little that separates us physically at the elite level.

— Elka Graham

Before the Olympics I did a lot of relaxation and visualization to get a feel of what it was gonna be like when I got there. I knew that I had done everything physically and mentally.

— Michael Phelps

I am willing to fail, it's ok to fail, but I am going to get back up, I may take a step back, but in the end, I am going to take a giant leap forward.

— Tiger Woods

I think to myself "I'm confident, I'm in the driver's seat, I've won the last couple of meetings, and I've won the big tournaments. Whoever comes, I'll try to beat him.

— Roger Federer


Sport psychology may include

  • Developing strategies for arousal management in training and competition
  • Dealing with performance anxiety and other emotions
  • Developing a high performance mindset
  • Competition preparation
  • Goal setting and achievement
  • Commitment
  • Visualization
  • Developing positive self talk and thought control
  • Increasing mental toughness and resilience
  • Improving focus and attention during competition and training
  • Obtaining and retaining 'flow' and 'being in the zone'
  • Coping with training and competition demands
  • Overcoming fear of failure or success
  • Injury and rehabilitation management
  • Establishing and maximizing training and competition routines
  • Overcoming fear in risky situations or following crashes, injury, mistakes, etc
  • Improving communication with team-mates and coaches
  • Enhancing team cohesion
  • Increasing and retaining motivation
  • Maintaining sport / life balance
  • Preventing burnout and over-training
  • Dealing effectively with deselection, transition, and retirement from sport
  • And more...