Elite athletes say that 90% of their success is due to their ability and mental training, in high-level professional sport there are no big differences between athletes and others in terms of potential, training or physical ability, therefore, in sport, Psychological factors are differential and decisive to succeed.
In recent years, interest in knowledge of the psychological factors of sport has increased, so professionals related to psychology and sport have asked the following question: What are the psychological variables that determine athletic performance?
- What is clear is that mental factors affect athletic performance.
- Not only in high-level athletes.
- But in anyone who practices a sport.
- There is currently evidence to support this hypothesis: in sport.
- Whether elite or leisure.
- It can be useful to develop psychological tools that increase capacity and performance.
- Providing psychological support to athletes is just as important as providing them with a balanced diet.
“The battles of life are not always won by the strongest or the fastest. Will the person you think can win sooner or later win?Arnold Palmer?
We all know that regular sports directly benefit our health; exercise has also been shown to have a positive impact on our mental health; sports brings us many benefits, including increased attention, greater ability to work as a team, and greater self-confidence.
On the other hand, the psychological factors that most influence athletic performance are: self-confidence, motivation, emotional control and concentration.
“You can motivate with fear, you can motivate with reward. But both methods are only temporary, the only lasting thing is self-service?Homer Rice?”
The practice of professional sport requires a high degree of emotional involvement, in fact, the psychological characteristics of the athlete’s activity are determined by the actions of the game, the objectives of the competition and the characteristics of the athlete.
First, it is necessary to identify and analyze the weaknesses and strengths of athletes to apply personalized techniques that optimize their athletic performance and confidence; otherwise, the intervention may be directed against the athlete himself.
The most used techniques to improve athletic performance are
Finally, it should be noted that sport, especially high-level sport, has a lot to do with suffering and pain, not only with the pain caused by formation itself, but also with the pain that indirectly stems from it. opportunity to be present at a physiotherapy session by a professional athlete, he noticed all this suffering reflected in his face.
In this way, sport is a wonderful school for our personal resilience, and many of the psychological techniques that have been implemented in this sector can be used in other highly competitive and demanding contexts. The psychology of sport is a new applied science that has made important contributions to optimize the athletic performance of athletes and teams.
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, “I won’t give up. I’m going to suffer now, but will I live the rest of my life as a champion?”. Muhammad Ali, world boxing champion?