How many hours each week do you spend practicing physical skills in your sport? Passing, dribbling, footwork, hand-eye coordination, technique… you name it. 

Now… how many hours each week do you spend practicing mental skills in your sport. I’m talking INTENTIONAL, dedicated practice time.

Probably not as much. Maybe nothing at all. Maybe you’ve never even heard of mental skills. 

But here’s the thing. Mental skills are CRITICAL to performance. 

This post is going to go over the who, what, where, when, and why of mental skills and mental skills training. 

WHAT are mental skills?

Mental skills are internal capabilities that help an athlete improve performance by learning to control their minds efficiently and consistently as they execute attainable goals. 

Mental skills can be categorized into foundational skills, cognitive skills, and psychosomatic skills. (1)

• Foundational skills are the building blocks for performance. These are the fundamental skills that are required for all other skills to be built on. These include self-awareness, self-regulation, goal-setting, confidence, and commitment.

• Cognitive skills involve mental thought processes and strategies that are used to process and interpret information. These include focus / refocus, imagery/visualization, competition planning, self-talk, and mindset training.

• Psychosomatic skills related to the connection between the mind and body, including how psychology influences physical responses. These include stress management, emotional control, and energy management. 

WHAT is mental skills training?

Mental skills training is the systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills for the purpose of enhancing performance, increasing enjoyment, or achieving greater self-satisfaction. (2)

WHO should use mental skills training?

• Anyone interested in improving or learning in their sport / performance domain.

• Anyone interested in improving their general health and well-being

• For high performers… mental training should be at least as important as physical training!

WHERE should mental skills be practiced?

Once you have the knowledge, confidence, and guidance, mental skills can really be practiced anywhere. If you are an athlete, mental skills can and should be practiced at training and in competitions and even outside of training. Time can be set aside in your daily schedule to work on different skills!

WHEN should mental skills be practiced?

The earlier you start mental performance training, the better. Different skills can be adapted to any age or skill level. 

Ideally, it is best to start in the off-season or in pre-season. You wouldn’t ask your strength coach to help you get as fit as possible DURING the season, or right before an important competition. You should be working on mental skills training way before major competitions begin, so that you are already trained once it’s time to compete.

Remember, it takes continued exposure and process to form a habit and to become comfortable and confident with a skill. The more repetitions you can put in, the better. 

WHY should I start mental skills training? 

1. It will help you optimize your performance in training and competition

2. It promotes resilience when faced with challenges.

3. It enhances learning, skill acquisition, and confidence.

4. It supports mental health and well-being

5. It contributes to quality daily living and translates to life skills. 
   

Ready to start mental skills training?

We offer one-on-one coaching, workshops, and presentations to athletes and teams of all ages and abilities. Check out our services here to learn more or book a free discovery call here. 

References 

1. Durand-Bush, N., Salmela, J. H. and Green-Demers, N. (2001). The Ottawa Mental Skills Assessment Tool (OMSAT-3). The Sport Psychologist, 15(1), 1-15.

2. Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (2023). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Human kinetics.