Contact us to take the MSA now.

The AS&K Sports MSD

TIPS FOR DEVELOPING ATHLETES' MENTAL SKILLS

ATHLETES | COACHES | PARENTS |

10 MENTAL SKILLS

TOOLS

TIPS

ROLE

TIPS FOR DEVELOPING ATHLETES' MENTAL SKILLS

Below are a set of tips for developing the ten mental skills. These tips are based upon coaches' experiences and studies by sports psychologists. The bottom line: mental skills can be learned. Mental skills are critical to the success of an athlete - on and off the field. Below you will find a list of some tips for parents, coaches, and athletes. Use these tips to develop the mental skills and gain a greater understanding of their meaning and importance.

TIPS BY ROLE & MENTAL SKILL

ATHLETES

For most athletes, mastery of the ten mental skills is greater in some situations than in others. Strive to achieve higher levels of mastery of these skills and consistency across key performance situations such as these six that are assessed by the MSA.

EFFORT TIPS FOR ATHLETES

To improve Effort, assess how important your goals are to you. If success in the sport is not very important to you or and there is little enjoyment then increasing your Effort will be very difficult.

Make a list of your Effort BITEs especially those that occur in the face of mistakes, frustrations, obstacles, and setbacks. Identify which ones are positive and helpful for building a sense of personal control over events and which are not helpful.
Your level of effort is the result of having strong mental skills especially those related to goals (Goal Setting, Goal Implementation, and Mastery Approach) and self-concept (Task Confidence, Self-Worth, and Personal Control).

OPEN TO FEEDBACK TIPS FOR ATHLETES

What is the evidence for and against the presence of good Open to Feedback skills? Is your MSA score high or low? What are your Open to Feedback BITEs?

You and the feedback giver may feel uncomfortable about getting honest feedback, so put yourself and the feedback giver at ease by sharing an observation about yourself when you performed well and when you did not. Give yourself feedback first as an example. Then the feedback giver can respond and add comments about your observation and provide additional feedback.
Listen to the feedback giver, do not rationalize, explain, defend, or challenge the information. Ask only for clarification. Thank the feedback giver and ask if you can ask again in the future.

GOAL IMPLEMENTATION TIPS FOR ATHLETES

How well do you implement the goals you set? Is your MSA score high or low? What are your Goal Implementation BITEs?

Goals are intentions and expectations of you. There is no guarantee that you will implement them over time. Your best chance of implementing your goals is to have specific plans for each goal you set.
Make adjustments to your goals based upon a review of the records you kept about your goal progress. Recognize that some of your goals may be more difficult to achieve than you originally anticipated. Set less challenging goals and recognize that these less challenging goals are really sub-goals on the path to achieving eventually the original more challenging goal.

GOAL SETTING TIPS FOR ATHLETES

How well do you set goals? Is your MSA score high or low? What are your Goal Setting BITEs?

Make sure your goals have short-term sub-goals and especially be sure your longer term goals have short term sub-goals. For example, if your long-term goal (three months) is to improve your batting average 30 points, short-term sub-goals might be to improve by 10 points in one month, or improve by 50% making solid contact on breaking pitches, or hitting more pitches first pitches to center field.
A challenging goal is one that represents a genuine increase in your skill and performance and requires sustained effort and practice. You should be confident that will sufficient practice you will achieve your goals.

PERSONAL CONTROL TIPS FOR ATHLETES

Do you have strong Personal Control? Is your Personal Control MSA score high or low? In what situations is the score high and in what situations is it low? What are your Personal Control BITEs (behaviors, images, thoughts, emotions)? Are they different in different situations?

Make a list of your Personal Control BITEs especially those that occur in the face of frustrations, obstacles, and setbacks. Identify which ones are positive and helpful for building a sense of personal control over events and which are not helpful.
Do you blame others, other players, coaches, equipment, weather or other external causes when you make a mistake or perform less well than you can? If you do your BITEs are about external control of your performance and your Personal Control is low.

LEADERSHIP TIPS FOR ATHLETES

Do you have a strong Leadership skill? Is your Leadership MSA score high or low? In what situations is the score high and in what situations is it low? What are your Leadership BITEs? Are they different in different situations?

Not all athletes wish to be team leaders. Decide whether or not you wish to serve as a team leader. You can build your Leadership mental skills without having to serve as a leader in any official capacity.

Leaders are role models. Role-models are those athletes whom others respect and admire. Leaders may or may not be the most skilled athletes. Effective leaders have high scores on most, if not all, of the mental skills consistently across situations.
Leaders have strong mental skills and encourage the same in others. Their encouragement and “positive attitude” has an emotional impact on their teammates. Leaders speak to their teammates about their athletic and mental skills and help other athletes develop both.

MASTERY APPROACH TIPS FOR ATHLETES

What is the evidence for and against the presence of a strong Mastery Approach? Is your MSA Mastery Approach score high or low? What are your Mastery Approach BITEs?

Make a list of your BITEs when you are thinking about what, beyond a win, you want to achieve in a game or competition or during the next week or two of practice and training.
When setting and working to achieve goals, it is better to have goals and be motivated by a desire for personal improvement – being better than you were yesterday – than by a desire to obtain, for example, external rewards and recognition.

SATISFACTION TIPS FOR ATHLETES

What is the evidence for and against the presence of Performance Satisfaction? Is your MSA score high or low? What are your Performance Satisfaction BITEs?

Consider how your short term goals for skill development are related to your long-term goals for skill development (see Goal Setting). If they are not aligned, fix them so they are.
Seeing and appreciating the linkage between your short and long-term goals will help make you feel successful and satisfied that you are achieving your long-term goals as you accomplish your short-term goals.

SELF-WORTH TIPS FOR ATHLETES

What is the evidence for and against the presence of a positive sense of Self-Worth? Is your MSA score high or low? What are your Self-Worth BITEs?

Do you know how you appraise your own competencies and yourself and how it influences your sense of Self-Worth? You can answer this question by observing the BITES - behaviors, images, thoughts, and emotions – that are associated with your descriptions and appraisals of yourself (see Open to Feedback).
Make two lists of your positive BITEs – make one list as an athlete and one list of non-athletic BITEs. Which list is longer, more important to you, do you believe in more firmly?

TASK CONFIDENCE TIPS FOR ATHLETES

What is the evidence for and against the presence of Task Confidence? Is your MSA score high or low? What are your Task Confidence BITEs?

It’s important to identify the specific skill and specific situations in which the skill will be performed so you can practice the skill in different situations. So you should identify the skill or task you wish to target for improving task confidence (e.g., improve foul shooting during the final minutes of close games). If they are not aligned, fix them so they are.
For the targeted skill (or task) identify the skill (or task) related BITEs that help and inhibit performance. Consider your behaviors, images, thoughts, and emotions that you experience during the targeted task. Some of the BITEs facilitate success, some do not. Make a note of them and identify the helpful and unhelpful ones.

COACHES

EFFORT TIPS FOR COACHES

How much Effort do your athletes make? How high were their Effort scores on the MSA? In which situations was Effort high and in which situations was it low?

High levels of Effort cannot be sustained in an athlete who does not genuinely value and enjoy success in the sport. Discuss with your athletes how enjoyable and important are participation and achieving the highest level of mastery possible.

You can increase the level of effort your athletes make by improving their mental skills especially those related to goals (Goal Setting, Goal Implementation, and Mastery Approach) and self-concept (Task Confidence, Self-Worth, and Personal Control).
Increase athletes’ Effort by improving their Goal mental skills. Review their goals with them. Make sure they Set Goals that are important to them, that are specific, challenging, and realistic (See Goal Setting). Check that they created and put into action specific plans to implement your goals (see Goal Implementation). Reward athletes for achieving their sub-goals, milestones, and goals. Avoid setting goals that are externally focused (e.g., be ranked #1, be better than another player or competitor, and receive special recognition). Set goals that are internally focused (33% improvement over last year’s performance, mastering specific skills).

OPEN TO FEEDBACK TIPS FOR COACHES

Which athlete(s) had high scores on Open to Feedback in the MSA? Am I Open to Feedback about my own role as coach? Is the feedback I provide clear? Is my feedback specific? Is it given to athletes in a positive context?

Select as your team leaders or team captain the athlete or athletes who score well on most or all of the MSA mental skills. Select your team leaders or team captain based upon whether their teammates do or will respond to him/her as a role model.
Recognize that different athletes may act as leaders in different situations. The athlete who is the leader in a game or following a setback may not be a leader during practice or in off-the-field situation. Ideally your team captain and formal leaders act as leaders in all or most situations.

GOAL IMPLEMENTATION TIPS FOR COACHES

goal implemnetation - volleyball What methods do your athletes have for tracking goal implementation? Do you emphasize specific milestones towards meeting a goal? Do your athletes generally accept the team's goals as their own?

Review your athletes’ goals and sub-goals and make adjustments to improve them but be sure to include the athlete in any decisions to adjust the goals and sub-goals. If the athlete does not genuinely accept the goals as their own, there is a greater risk that they will not achieve them.
When making adjustments to goals that were not met because they may have been too difficult, avoid any suggestions that the athlete is not capable of achieving the more challenging goal at a later date. Instead, describe the more challenging goal as one to be achieved at a later date and the new, still challenging, but more realistic goal is still a positive step toward achieving the longer term, more challenging and currently unrealistic goal. Especially avoid negative comments or BITEs regarding the athlete’s character, innate ability, or self-worth.

GOAL SETTING TIPS FOR COACHES

What are your athletes' goal setting BITEs? Are your athletes' goals specific, measurable and time limited?

Help athletes establish short-term sub-goals and longer term goals that are properly aligned and represent a logical and achievable progression of skill and performance.
Review your athletes’ goals and make adjustments to improve them but be careful to include them in any decisions to adjust them.

PERSONAL CONTROL TIPS FOR COACHES

What drives your athletes to succeed? Are they strongly affected by setbacks that affect performance? Do they blame themselves for setbacks? Are you a good role model for strong Personal Control?

Note tendencies in your athlete to blame others for his or her mistakes, losses, frustrations, obstacles, or setbacks. Without making statements that diminish the athlete’s character, ability, or self-worth, redirect the conversation to ways in which the athlete can positively influence events.
Help your athletes understand and come to believe that most mistakes, losses, frustrations, obstacles, or setbacks can be most effectively managed by focusing on positive actions (BITEs) the athlete can take that are under their control. Focus on what can be learned from the mistakes, losses, frustrations, obstacles, or setbacks. Consider setting or adjusting goals based on the mistakes, losses, frustrations, obstacles, or setbacks.

LEADERSHIP TIPS FOR COACHES

Which athlete(s) had high scores on Leadership in the MSA? Did these athletes score well on most mental skills, especially Goal Setting, Goal Implementation, and Open to Feedback?

Select as your team leaders or team captain the athlete or athletes who score well on most or all of the MSA mental skills. Select your team leaders or team captain based upon whether their teammates do or will respond to him/her as a role model.
Recognize that different athletes may act as leaders in different situations. The athlete who is the leader in a game or following a setback may not be a leader during practice or in off-the-field situation. Ideally your team captain and formal leaders act as leaders in all or most situations.

MASTERY APPROACH TIPS FOR COACHES

Do your athletes have a strong Mastery Approach? Are they motivated to improve their skills & knowledge or to be the best on the team? Are you a good role model for strong Mastery Approach?

As a coach, be aware of your own Mastery Approach. Do you tend to set goals and give performance feedback that focuses on an athlete’s specific behavior and personal improvement (a mastery approach) or do you compare athletes’ skills and performance to other athletes (a non-mastery approach)?
When formally setting goals with your athletes for games, competitions, practice, or training sessions, set mastery-oriented goals (see Goal Setting).

SATISFACTION TIPS FOR COACHES

How important are goals to your athletes? Do they distinguish between short-term and long-term goals - do they realize the different amounts of effort that they require? How do your athletes chart their progress?

Provide emotional and verbal support for the athlete after failures and setbacks and provide supportive comments and examples of previous successes or examples of progress.
Monitor the level of perceived effort compared to perceived level of performance to be sure the athlete believes that the performance justifies the effort.

SELF-WORTH TIPS FOR COACHES

What is your role in developing your athletes' Self-Worth? Can I distinguish between an athlete's accurate and inaccurate negative BITEs?

An athlete whose Self-Worth is not overly dependent on performance in sports is more able to handle pressure situations in sports and respond positively to setbacks.
When criticizing behavior or performance that requires improvement, criticize the behavior and not the person.

TASK CONFIDENCE TIPS FOR COACHES

What are your athletes' behaviors and emotions during the targeted task or skill? Which behaviors and emotions facilitate success?

Set a goal for the athlete to increase the BITEs that facilitate task performance and decrease or eliminate those that do not (see Goal Setting and Goal Implementation). For example, teach the athlete to repeat to her or himself (and believe) statements such as, “I don’t worry about the score or the game situation, I just concentrate on visualizing the ball dropping through the hoop the way I’ve done it a thousand times before.”
Put the athlete in situations that, increasingly, are similar to the target task and desired level of performance. Be sure that, to the extent possible, the athlete is able to perform the task successfully. For example, during practice recreate the final minutes of a close game as nearly as possible and then have the athlete come in to shoot foul shots. After mastering the skill in that situation, have the athlete shoot fouls during actual games but in less critical situations. As mastery is achieved increase foul shooting in more critical situations.

PARENTS

EFFORT TIPS FOR PARENTS

How much Effort does your athlete make? How high was his/her Effort score on the MSA? In which situations was Effort high and in which situations was it low?

High levels of Effort cannot be sustained in a athlete who does not genuinely value and enjoy success in the sport. Discuss with your athlete how enjoyable and important are participation and achieving the highest level of mastery possible.

Be sure that your athlete’s judgments of the importance of success in the sport are not actually a reflection of your judgment of importance.
You can increase the level of effort your athlete makes by improving their mental skills especially those related to goals (Goal Setting, Goal Implementation, and Mastery Approach) and self-concept (Task Confidence, Self-Worth, and Personal Control).

OPEN TO FEEDBACK TIPS FOR PARENTS

Do I express confidence in my athlete? Am I Open to Feedback about my role as a parent? Do I encourage my son/daughter to seek feedback from many different sources?

Be a role-model. Be open to feedback yourself. Ask your athlete for feedback about your role in their athletic pursuits. For example, ask in what ways your participation helpful or not helpful.
Focus feedback on behavior, not the person (see Self-Worth). Instead of saying, “You are …,” say, “Your behavior was …” This approach focuses on development and support, it avoids a sense of personal criticism.

GOAL IMPLEMENTATION TIPS FOR PARENTS

How well does your athlete implement goals? Is his or her Goal Implementation MSA score high or low? What are your athlete’s Goal Implementation BITEs?

When it is necessary to set less challenging goals because a goal is not being met, be sure your athlete recognizes that the less challenging goals are really sub-goals on the path to achieving the original more challenging goal. Avoid negative comments and BITEs about your athlete’s character, innate ability, or self-worth.
When obstacles occur, assist your athlete with the implementation of the plan established to overcome the obstacle. Reinforce the value of goal implementation planning, comment positively on their ability to continue making progress toward their goal, despite the obstacle (Personal Control).

GOAL SETTING TIPS FOR PARENTS

How well does your athlete set goals? Is his or her Goal Setting MSA score high or low? What are your athlete’s Goal Setting BITEs?

Recognize and even reward your athlete for meeting his or her short-term sub-goals. Recognition is a surprisingly strong “reward” that a parent can provide.
Help your athlete focus on short-term goals and their alignment with longer term goal(s) by discussing them and ensuring he/she understands and believes in his or her short and long-term goals.

PERSONAL CONTROL TIPS FOR PARENTS

Does your athlete have a strong Personal Control? Is his or her Personal Control MSA score high or low? In what situations is the score high and in what situations is it low? How are your athlete’s Personal Control BITEs different in the different situations, if at all?

Working with your athlete’s cooperation and consent, make a list of your athlete’s Personal Control BITEs especially those that occur in the face of frustrations, obstacles, and setbacks. Identify which ones are positive and helpful for building a sense of personal control over events and which are not helpful.
Note tendencies in your athlete to diminish the credit she/he deserves for success. Find opportunities to discuss when your athlete performed well, made a good play, performed well in the clutch, etc. Describe specific actions, behaviors, and reasons (BITEs) why your athlete was responsible for his/her own success. Ask your athlete to describe in his/her own words what he/she did well that caused their success. If you have videos of your athlete they can be used effectively in this manner. The discussion must be sincere, accurate, and believable to you and your athlete.

LEADERSHIP TIPS FOR PARENTS

Does your athlete have strong Leadership skills? Is his or her Leadership MSA score high or low? In what situations is the score high and in what situations is it low? Identify where Leadership scores are high and low. The more situations in which your athlete scores well the more she/he is a leader.

If your athlete is in a leadership role, especially help them develop Goal Setting, Goal Implementation, and Open to Feedback skills. Leaders set and implement team goals and hold others accountable for achieving them by providing constructive feedback.
Consider your own leadership skills as a parent. Are you a role-model for the mental skills? Are you strong in Goal Setting, Goal Implementation, and Open to Feedback? Do you exhibit these mental skills? Do you encourage and develop them in your athlete by providing constructive feedback on the mental skills?

MASTERY APPROACH TIPS FOR PARENTS

What motivates your athlete to improve his or her skills? What motivates your athlete to learn more about their knowledge and strategy about the game? Do you or your athlete tend to compare your athlete's performance to that of his or her teammates?

When speaking with your athlete use specific examples and factual information about improvements or lack of improvement in behavior compared to earlier examples. Include the athlete in the selection and identification of examples and factual information.
Discuss your athlete’s BITEs after games and competitions. He or she may be appraising or evaluating his or her performance on what others will say about his or her performance, especially what you as the parent will say or think.

SATISFACTION TIPS FOR PARENTS

How does your athlete monitor his or her improvement and progress? What are your athlete's BITEs after achieving a goal? After failing to achieve a goal?

Gather factual evidence (statistics and examples from actual performances) to support your athlete’s statements of satisfaction with their performance.
Express your satisfaction with your athlete’s progress toward achieving short and long-term goals. Use concrete examples of the success.

SELF-WORTH TIPS FOR PARENTS

In which areas does my athlete have high Self-Worth? How can I achieve the proper balance of praise and criticism?

Self-worth is enhanced by creating a positive atmosphere during practice and games and providing positive support to your athlete (on and off the field), especially in times of setbacks.
When criticizing behavior or performance that requires improvement, criticize the behavior and not the athlete. For example, instead of saying, “Annie, you’re a sore sport when you refuse to talk to anyone after making a mistake” say, “Annie, refusing to talk to anyone after making a mistake increases the bad feelings and can offend your friends. Remember last week in the same situation you succeeded – you can succeed again next time.”

TASK CONFIDENCE TIPS FOR PARENTS

In which areas does my athlete have high Task Confidence? How can I model Task Confidence positively?

Recognize skills and situations where your son or daughter has a high level of task confidence (e.g., math skills or Wii bowling). Help your son or daughter become self-aware of his/her task confidence by discussing it (see Open to Feedback). Reinforce and describe the skill/task confidence he/she experiences while performing successfully, expectation of success, enjoyment, and absence of anxiety.
When your son or daughter experience a setback for a skill/task being developed, be aware of negative thinking and the potential for him/her to build failure expectations. Remind your son or daughter of successes of the past and focus on expectations of success in the future.