Shane O’Neill’s CLG © 2012

Visualizing an outcome before it happens or seeing yourself perform is another way to create success and set yourself up for victory. Everyone has the ability to rehearse themselves performing a skill, or a manoeuvre that would be key in a game situation.

When using imagery, a player will create images, like pictures or movies, that recreate their best performances or see their desired outcome. While imagining these scenarios, the player imagines every detail and the way it feels to perform the skill just the way they want to.

These images can be visual (images and pictures), kinaesthetic (how the body may feel, the feeling of the ball striking the Hurley, or the feel of the ball in the players hand), or auditory (the roar of the crowd from a successful free kick). The player can call up these images over and over, enhancing her skill through repetition or rehearsal, in the same way as skills are developed through practice. With mental rehearsal, both the mind and the body are trained to actually perform the skill imagined.

Mental Rehearsal & Imagery

Psychology

Goal setting is the process of outlining targets or objectives. These targets are usually sport-specific goals and can be long term - winning the league - or short term - score 3 points from 6 shots during a practice game. Goal setting can be a particularly powerful motivating tool for teenagers as it can:

Goal Setting

• Clarity - Make the images as vivid as possible, include the colour of the jerseys, the sliotar/football.

• Vividness - Incorporate as many of your senses as possible into your imagery so the scene is as clear and realistic as real life itself. Imagine the sights, smells, sounds and even tastes of performance.

• Emotion - Try to include emotional feelings in your images. Imagine the sounds of the crowd, how the activities make you feel - for example the feeling when you score a difficult free.

• Control - break down the image into small components and visualise those components. Your stance as you approach the ball, the pick up, taking the ball into your possession, evading tackles, releasing possession.

• Positive outcome - You should be imagining a successful outcome to all of the activities. If negative outcomes begin to enter your mind, try to recall a previous success.

Imagery has an advantage over physical practice as it can be performed anywhere, anytime the player wishes. It is best to rehearse in a quiet, relaxed and non-competitive environment.

To begin an imagery session, it is necessary to start by relaxing - closing your eyes and focusing on deep rhythmical breathing. As imagery involves the use of all of the senses to create the most realistic imagery possible, you must incorporate clarity, vividness, emotion, control and a positive outcome into your imagery:

The coach can play an important role in setting out goals for an individual player or a team. By helping the player or team set goals there is a commitment from both sides towards realising the goal.

Write down the goals, and placing them in a prominent place, helps to reinforce the commitment entered into when the goals are set down. The coach should recognise that the targets should be challenging and achievable but also flexible, as the aim is to challenge the player to achieve the goal, not provide an impossible task. By providing regular feedback, the coach can further challenge the players to achieving their goals. Shorter term goals are better for some teenagers as often they will not be able to realise how they are progressing towards a long term goal. This can result in a loss of focus and reduced motivation.

Goal setting is a smart move for any coach who wants to develop the self confidence of their players, increase motivation and achieve a higher standard of performance. To help you to remember the key principles of goal setting, coaches need to think SMARTER:

Goals should be

• S-pecific - indicate precisely what is to be done. Avoid being vague or open to interpretation

• M-easurable - you should be able to quantify your goals

• A-ccepted - goals must be accepted to be achievable. If players feel that a goal is unrealistic or unattainable they will not buy into the process

• R-ecorded - write down your goals. Make a contract with yourself or your players

• T-ime constrained - set time limits for each goal

• E-valuated - monitor your progress regularly.

• R-eversible - If injury or illness affects your goals, allow yourself time to re-evaluate them

• Focus attention on the target

• Increase the effort and intensity

• Encourage persistence and practice over time

• Promote the development of problem solving skills
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Belief & Self Talk

Your personal belief system has an effect on how well you perform, particularly in competitive pressurised situations. Loss of confidence can be a major impediment to peak performance and is a product of competitors being sabotaged by their own negativity. Always change the negative dialogue in your head into positive, constructive self-statements.

Elite performers perceive the world in a way that gives them an advantage towards success, they have an expectation of success. They believe in themselves and their capabilities.

Every player can learn to have winning thoughts and learn to produce an inner dialogue which will increase their chances of attaining peak performance.

Source - www.medicalwelfare.gaa.ie/psychologicalfocus.html