Year 11 - Physical education
Mental preparation
Sports psychology: mental preparation for performance
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
This unit develops understanding of how to best prepare our mind for competition and explores strategies like mental rehearsal, visualisation and imagery to support peak performance.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify and use a range of mental preparation techniques.
Key Notes
- Mental preparation techniques help performers improve their performance by beneficially managing their emotions.
- Mental rehearsal involves imagining a successful performance to improve confidence and focus.
- Imagery can be used to imagine being in a happy place and can help lower anxiety levels.
- Selective attention is used to focus on only the important stimuli and block out distractions.
- Performers can use positive thinking to increase confidence.
Vocabulary To Learn
- mental rehearsal: relaxation technique which involves the performer picturing themselves performing the skill perfectly or imagining positive outcomes before attempting it
- imagery: a relaxation technique to control mental thoughts which involves the performer imagining themselves in a relaxing or happy place
- selective attention: focussing on the important stimuli and blocking out any which might be distracting
- positive thinking: developing cognitive positive thoughts about your own performance
- mental preparation: the rehearsal of a physical skill that takes place within the mind of the performer without any actual physical movement
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Mental preparation is just for elite athletes.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Mental preparation techniques help performers improve their performance by beneficially managing their emotions. Mental rehearsal involves imagining a successful performance to improve confidence and focus.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'mental rehearsal'
relaxation technique which involves the performer picturing themselves performing the skill perfectly or imagining positive outcomes before attempting it.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Mental preparation is just for elite athletes. Correction: Students should understand that everyone can benefit from mental preparation techniques and that performers in many fields of work practice them. They too could benefit in their own pursuits.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 11 Physical education guide library.