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Applying Psychological Thinking To Sports

"Sports is by far one of the fastest growing pass times in the United
States" (Rainer 1987). Even if people don't take it to the professional
level, sporting events are happening in our backyards, and at all of our
local schools around the country. With the growing popularity and the
increasing competitiveness of the sports, it will take more than just a
physical advantage to compete at the highest level. This is where the
psychology of sports comes into play. In my research I will cover different
areas in which you can psychologically strengthen you mental and physical
skills to become a more skilled and competitive athlete.
Goal setting is a hugely powerful technique that can yield strong returns
in all areas of you life. At its simplest level the process of setting goals
and targets allows you to choose where you want to go in life. By knowing
what you want to achieve, you know what you have to concentrate on and
improve, and what is merely a distraction. Goal setting gives you long-term
vision, and short-term motivation. By setting goals you can achieve more,
improve performance, improve the quality of you training, increase your
motivation to achieve, increase your pride and satisfaction in your
performance, and improve your self-confidence (Bull, 1983).
Research (Bull, 1983) has shown that people who use goal-setting
effectively suffer less from stress and anxiety, concentrate better, show
more self-confidence, perform better, and are happier with their performance.
The way in which you set your goals strongly affects their effectiveness.
Before you start to set goals, you should have set the background of goal
setting by understanding your commitment to sports, understanding the level
you want to reach within the sport, knowing the skills that will have to be
acquired and the levels of performance that will be needed, and know where
this will fit into your overall life goals. The...