dd 1

Improving Performance in Athletes

Resources

Imagine, once again, that you are the first-year coach of a new college basketball program (as in your Unit 2 discussion, Athletic Skills: Nature or Nurture?). Your team is on a five-game losing streak, and morale is low. Despite maintaining optimal performance levels in practice, all but one of your starting players have shown decreases in their field-goal percentages during games, and turnovers and unforced errors are on the rise.

Select one of the focus activities or exercises from your Premier Sport Psychology Mental Training System workbook, and discuss how you might use it to redirect your players' focus and resurrect performance levels during games. Consider the following questions:

• When would you implement these exercises? During practices? Pre-competition? During games?
• Would you approach each athlete individually, or complete these exercises as a team?
• Would your approach with the one player on your team who is not struggling be any different from your approach with the rest of your team?