This Is Sports Psychology Applied To High Performance
Psychology is much more than therapy applied to patients who have developed psychological disorders. We have a clear example of this in sports psychology, an area of ​​work that is increasingly known and in demand.
In this article you will learn some of the keys to understanding the functioning of sports psychology applied to high performance : the objectives it intends to address, its areas of intervention, and more.
As its name suggests, sports psychology (also known as sports psychology) is a branch of applied psychology that focuses on the mental and behavioral aspects of sport both in the results obtained in terms of performance, and in its impact on people’s well-being.
Thus, this discipline takes into account both individual factors and group and relational factors that play a role in performance and the experience of participating in sports, both in the short and long term.
Psychologists specialized in this field of work may be hired by sports clubs or serve various individuals who come to the professional’s office or to the psychology center where he or she works.
In both cases, The work of the sports psychologist is considered to be part of a process That is, to obtain results, support and a detailed study of the case must be carried out in order to provide personalized intervention plans adapted to the needs of the athletes. In this way, the same logic that occurs in psychotherapy is followed: no magical solutions are offered instantly, but rather a psychological intervention program that must be deployed over several consecutive weeks.
Problems in which it intervenes in the context of high sports performance
These are some aspects of sport in which psychologists specialized in this field work.
1. Burnout
Training programs can generate burnout in athletes a psychological state in which typical symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression are mixed, such as emotional flattening, lack of motivation, insomnia, concentration problems, and irritability, among others.
Given this, sports psychologists examine the case and detect the elements that may have led the person to develop this problem, which does not necessarily involve lowering expectations of the performance to be achieved.
2. Bad teamwork climate
In the same way that a bad work environment can appear in companies, the same can happen in teamwork both in those sports in which two groups compete against each other, and in the relationship between the athlete and their preparation and training team. training. Psychosocial aspects are always very relevant in sports psychology and sometimes small misunderstandings or conflicts that have not been properly managed can ruin months of training.
3. Self-fulfilling prophecy linked to anxiety
The phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophecy appears when a psychological predisposition that appears when the person foresees that a situation will occur makes that expected situation more likely to become a reality. This happens a lot with stress and anxiety problems: the fear of failing on key days, for example, quickly turns into fear of fear which brings the athlete closer to the possibility of not performing adequately.
4. Poor concentration management
Sport is much more than the simple mechanical phenomenon of moving muscles in a certain way: Knowing how to properly control when and what we concentrate on is key to obtaining the desired results in sport This is an entirely psychological process, and can be addressed through sports psychology, which helps athletes develop very advanced management of their attentional focus.
The simple fact of knowing that you have to train in a certain way and avoid certain habits that are harmful to your health does not imply having the ability to commit to that sports preparation plan, in the same way that we all know that smoking is bad but not all people. They are capable (at least, without help) of not using tobacco. Therefore, the support offered by sports psychologists also provides resources to structure the day to day well and make the commitment to training and preparation something real which goes beyond theory.
