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Psychological state is the mental condition in which the qualities of state are relatively constant even though the state itself may be dynamic. A major part of this factor, I will look at imagery. This involves the athlete imagining themselves in an environment performing a specific activity using all of their senses (sight, hear, feel and smell). The image should have the athlete performing successfully and feeling satisfied with their performance. Studies have shown that all elite athletes intentionally employ imagery. With most sport psychologists systematically apply imagery in their work with athletes (e.g., Rushall and Lippman 1998; De Francesco and Burke 1997). Imagery is ever-present in sport and life, even if it isn’t clear why, imagery
frequently predicts our behaviour: As imaging disaster or success in any area including sport often leads to that outcome (Morris et al., 2005). Imagery can be used for a number of things for a defender in circle ball as Mackenzie (2002) states it can be used to motivate them by recalling images of their goals for the session meaning they can reach them easier in the training plan set so you don’t have to stay on that part of the session for too long, or it can motivate them by remembering of success in the past (circle ball festival) giving them the confidence against their opponents. Imagery can also be used by a defender in circle ball to reduce negative thoughts as they can focus on positive outcomes instead so they do not lose their head during the festival, even if they are losing. For imagery to work for my athlete they must learn to use it for all scenarios for example on their way to and from training and during training. In all training sessions they must use imagery before trying to perform any play or skills, so they can see themselves doing it successfully giving them the confidence to execute it correctly
According to Weinberg and Gould (1995), mental practice is related with mental training to competition. Based on Murphy and Martin (2002), mental practice can be divide into two which is imagery techniques and verbal techniques. Imagery techniques can be visual rehearsal, kinesthetic rehearsal or emotional rehearsal. While verbal techniques are self talk and performance cues. Based on Suinn (1993), mental imagery can be defined as mental creation or re-creation of sensory experiences that appear to the person imagining them to be similar to the real event. Imagery is one of the techniques that can be used to improve sport performance among athletes. According to Morris, T., Spittle, M. and Watt, A. P (2005), the most important thing to know
Over the years the perception of women in sport has changed considerably. In this course we have viewed several films all dealing with the depiction of female athletes in an attempt to gauge society's current perception of women in sport. I will briefly summarize each film and the main themes of the films before providing a description of the female athlete which I will infer from commonalities between the films.
The age of overwhelming strength and stamina governing sports is over, and the age of the mentally tough athlete has arrived. Athletes are no longer the superficial jocks and robots programmed to accomplish one goal, victory. Modern athletes ranging from the high school to professional levels are faced with many pressures and temptations, normally outside the realm of their sport. These pressures can inhibit an athlete’s performance substantially; therefore, the pressures need to be dealt with by psychologists. The effectiveness of sports psychology is demonstrated through the fields many theories, applications, and variety of techniques and procedures.
I am a young ambitious student who strives to excel in everything I do. I want to study Sport Psychology as I know I possess the right skills to further and develop myself in the career of sports. I have the ability to understand others in sports as I also play sports myself. I have been in high pressured sporting situations which I have used my psychological skills to help increase my performance. What interests me in Sport Psychology is that I can make a big difference to not just my life but the lives of people in sport such as rehabilitating athletes or boosting athlete performance. I am fascinated by how different athletes perform in the same environment and getting practical with the mind, body and brain. Improving performance, consistency and stability in an athlete’s
Wiese-Bjornstal, D. M., Smith, A. M., & LaMott, E. E. (1995). A model of psychological response to athletic injury and rehabilitation. Athletic training: Sport health care perspectives, 17-30.
Young athletes account for about 4 million injuries a year in the U.S. according to an article published in the Los Angeles Times (2010). US Today reported that approximately 1.35 million student athletes’ injuries were severe enough to send them to the hospital emergency department. Athletic injuries range from the simple ankle strains and sprains to more serious injuries such as: fractures, contusions, abrasions, and even concussions. The unexpected injuries can cause great physical and emotional challenges for these student athletes. Besides having to deal with the physical and emotional stresses they must also have to deal with the financial turmoil the injuries triggered. Recovering from sport injuries require more than undergoing rigorous physical rehabilitation. Physical healing which can take months is quite different from the mental and emotional healing which can take years to recover from.
What is the thought pattern of an athlete? Is there anything special or unique that goes on in the mind of an athlete, that doesn’t happen in the average person’s mind? These are questions that are very difficult to answer. Every athlete thinks differently, learns differently, and is motivated in different ways. But maybe there is something dealing with the mind of an athlete that separates them from the rest of civilization.
A. A Psychoanalytic Perspective on Anxiety in Athletes. April 2002. Athletics Insight: Online Journal of Sports Psychology. 29 May 2002 http://www.athleticsight.com.vol1iss2/Psychoanalytic_Anxiety.htm Stress Management: Behavioral Psychotherapy for Performance Enhancement.
Sport and identity together have a unique relationship in which any regional or national place can use sport as a means to create a sense of identity. The relationship is complex and varied. Identity can be explained as understanding what or who a person or a thing is. Sport is capable of creating a feeling of nationhood and this is an important factor. It is important too for a nation to create a sense of identity but it is especially important for a regional area. For a small country to host a major sporting event is a significant achievement especially with having rivalry with bigger neighbouring countries. Nationalism can be expressed in a less aggressive manner through sport because there is a clear winner and loser; it is a clear cut way of asserting superiority of your notion over others. In this essay, one regional and one national example will be looked upon to see how they use sport to assert their sense of identity. Cricket in Yorkshire County Cricket Club will be used as a source of a regional example and rugby in South Africa will be used as a national example. We will look at the factors they used to inflict sport as a means to promote their identity and also if these identities are sustainable.
There is, of course, a huge difference between the ways women are typically supposed to act and what is expected from a typical athlete. Whereas women are expected to comply to their gender role prescribing passivity and compliance, athletes are connoted with an aggressive, competitive nature. Furthermore, society trains women to be ashamed of their bodies and supplies an unrealistic ideal body type and encourages restricting feminine clothing, whereas athletes must have a keen understanding and appreciation of their bodies. In this way, athletes are implicitly coded as male. Though women and men can both be great athletes, of course, gender roles limit the social image and expectations for individuals based on their sex. It is culturally impossible for a woman to be considered both fully athletic and fully feminine – or, in the words of a Bend It Like Beckham character – "There's a reason why Sporty Spice is the only one without a fella!" This is particularly problematic for films portraying women in sports. Mainstream cinema tends to glamorize women and portray them in ways that comply with their gender role. To at the same time depict them as athletic presents conflicts with their filmic image. As a result, films which feature a female athlete tend to compromise her athletic image and apologize for her gender-nonconformity and participation in sports in a variety of ways.
...ompetition environment. There is increasing recognition by the sports community that supporting athlete mental health is a vital aspect of competitive performance, and is as integral to success as the athlete’s physical abilities. The profession of sports psychology provides a very meaningful contribution to help facilitate athlete wellbeing and maximize the psychological skills required to compete at the highest level of competition.
The Importance of Sports to Mass Communication Understanding mass communication without attention to sport coverage is practically impossible. Through the mass media, millions and even billions of viewers, listeners and readers are brought into the experience of a great sports performance. The emotional power of sports performance, enchanted by slow-motion video and musical sound track, can take you to breath away or bring tears to your eyes. There are a lot of massive spectacles like the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA play-offs, the Olympic Games, and the College Football Games. Each of these sports activities takes in many millions of dollars from television revenues and dominates national sports news for days or weeks.
Gill, D. L., (2000), Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise, Champaign, IL, 2nd Ed., p197, Human Kinetics.
Jeff Kemp, a retired professional NFL quarterback, once stated, “Sports teach positive lessons that enrich America even while revealing its flaws” (Kemp). Athletics offer so much more than the joy of game day and the thrill of a win. Being involved in sports holds the key to a world filled with passion, excitement, and once in a lifetime opportunities. There is nothing better than seeing the student section arrive in full force or hearing the school fight song chanted before kickoff. However, when life moves on and leaves sports behind, the lessons it has instilled in athletes never disappears. The play calls may be foggy and the jersey will be too tight, but what was innocently learned in the jersey shines out at an older age. Although life lessons can be learned through everyday activities, lessons such as teamwork, self-confidence, and dealing with failure are only truly learned through sports by young athletes.
Sport and exercise psychology is a mandatory aspect of the sport science discipline. This discipline contributes to the various professional practices associated with physical activities such as - teaching of physical education, recreation and health promotion, and kinesiology related professions - because it plays a mental role for the participants. Sport and exercise psychologists view physical activity in several different ways: physical activity as a tool for health, physical activity as a tool for human potential, and physical activity as a tool for social change. This aspect of psychology may be the most important aspect of physical activity, because of the contributions of exercise and sport psychology to health, human potential, and social change.