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Emma Kate Rhymer

Psychology 380 sec 001
Reaction Paper 3
12/03/18
Five Mental Skills for Sports and Performance

Those who work on their mental game are giving themselves a huge advantage in their

sport. Becoming confident and focused are easily achievable through a few mental drills that

should be practiced daily. Mental toughness training can be done anywhere, therefore, athletes

do not have to wait until a competition to practice. The Mental Toughness trainer in this video

shared 5 daily training drills that can be done anywhere: mental practice, be present, use a

mantra, let go, and practice ability to focus. Mental practice, also known as visualization, is

affective when an athlete is specific with their goals and expectations. The concept of being

present is extremely underrated, however it can easily be improved. In order to focus on the

present moment, you must pay attention to the 5 senses. Fear is known as the biggest enemy in

sports, but fear cannot exist in the present moment. Using a mantra such as “I never give up”,

repeated over and over again is affective to help an athlete believe in their abilities. It can be

extremely difficult for athlete’s to let go, but once it is made a conscious practice to move on

through verbally forgiving yourself for making mistakes it will lead to resilience. A suggestion

given to practice the ability to focus: pick something to stare at it and time yourself to see how

long you can focus without other thoughts coming in. Mental toughness is not about doing what

is exactly right, but about repetition and attention. The most important statement expressed in

this video is that you can learn mental toughness. As discussed in class, mental toughness is an

unshakeable belief that you can achieve your goals regardless of obstacles or setbacks that an

athlete may face. An athlete must belief in themselves and their ability, as well as focus on the
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present moment. It is important to focus by prioritizing sport goals over other life goals and to

unfocus by balancing their daily lives. It is important for an athlete to be mentally tough because

it regulates performances, provides cope while under pressure, makes athletes aware and aids in

controlling the environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sp-0jfKvqw