Sports Psychology: Is Mental Training Important to Athletes?

What skill do you need the most to be a successful athlete?

Most answers depend on the sport. For basketball, one must be good at offensive skills like shooting and dribbling. For more mentally complicated sports such as chess, players are expected to be good at pattern recognition and memory. But if we sum up every sport, the common ground athletes must possess is good mental training.

Mental training for athletes serves a similar purpose to the one the academe has for everyone. It’s a beneficial foundation that guides sports enthusiasts to thrive and succeed in their fields of choice.

Physical training may get the most exposure to the public as it revolves around the athletes’ maintenance or development of physical agility and conditions. However, treatments and developments to improve their mental state also play a crucial role in their sporting triumphs.

Train Your Mind to Train Your Body

The expression “mind over body” encompasses various aspects of life. As this typically refers to how people’s mental state mandates over their physical capabilities, it’s also understandable how this applies to sports. Hence, when it comes to training, mental training is as essential as its physical equivalent. Regardless of what sport it may be, athletes also have to sharpen their mental condition.

With how physically taxing most sports can be, it’s not always the heart or lungs that require the most attention. Instead, it’s the brain. It’s the critical organ that pushes athletes beyond their limits and towards achieving most of their capabilities.

Golfer and author Philip Ripley Ward has highlighted the critical role his mind plays while on the field. In his book about a solo golfer’s guide to success, Philip details the arduous training he had undergone in the decades he’s golfed. A consequential part includes aligning his mental attitude with success, a critical aspect of honing winning athletes.

However, the question of how mental training can improve performance may usually arise in these discussions, especially for sports that are relatively more physical than mental.

What Are the Benefits of Mental Training?

The answer to this question may be evident for highly mental sports. Sports like chess, where winning is based on intellectual capacity, show the immediate benefit of mental training.

However, for those primarily relying on strength and other physical traits, the question may still let people wonder.

Above giving athletes the structure and space to build qualities from the ground up and grow to become more successful, what other benefits can they reap from practical mental training?

Build Effective Strategies to Win

One of the advantages mental training gives athletes is the ability to outplay their competition. By training their mental conditions to withstand whatever pressure exists during the game, athletes can easily and effectively think on their feet. This means they’re able to come up with strategies on a whim, which can help them manage and overcome barriers that hinder their success.

With mental training, athletes cope with nervousness, fatigue, lack of focus, self-doubts, and any surge of emotions throughout the competition. For competitions that can change at any second, it’s crucial for them to remain level-headed and confident in themselves.

Build Confidence

Confidence can make or break athletes. For them to find footing and win in their fields, they must believe in their capabilities. This is what pushes them forward and toward trophies and medals. After mental training, athletes experience a shift in their mindset, especially in how willing they are to take risks. They never hesitate to challenge themselves if they believe they can overcome these.

Building confidence can happen when they’ve achieved something. By some luck or timing, they can do so. But in most situations, they must develop the right mentality to win. The right mentality can propel athletes to make decisions outside their comfort zones, evolving themselves to be better than their current conditions. Even when they experience mistakes or mishaps, they won’t equate these to failures. Instead, they embrace them and utilize them for growth.

Maintain Composure

Composure is integral in any sport. Athletes must keep their tempers under control in any situation, regardless of where they are. Although adrenaline can help them push beyond their limits, it can also disrupt their conditions. With too much emotional, physical, or psychological strain caused by excitement, it’s easy for athletes to mess up and ruin their competition.

With mental training, athletes are taught when to utilize this energy and when to keep it on the down low. They are taught to control and regulate these to keep everything under control. This allows them to play not only relentlessly but smartly, regardless of the scoreboard or time left.

Final Thoughts

Whatever sport you’re into, strengthening your mind will help you achieve more. Mental training will mold you into becoming a winning athlete and a humble and worthy sportsman. Cultivating a desire to win is essential, especially mentally, as this fundamentally facilitates growth.

If you’re interested in reading books about how athletes maintain the proper mental condition, purchase books like Philip Ripley Ward’s Golf Is Not What You Think.