Miguel A. Rodríguez: "Managing the psychological requires training"

Beyond the spectacular nature of tournaments and matches held in competitive sport, there are other aspects that, although more subtle, play a fundamental role in explaining the performance of athletes.

Psychological processes related to the management of emotions and attention focus they are a sample of it. In this case we talk about these psychological variables with Miguel A. Rodríguez Ramírez, expert in sports mental performance.

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Interview with Miguel A. Rodríguez Ramírez: what is sports mental performance?

Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Ramírez is a coach specialized in sports performance and emotion management, with more than two decades of professional experience in this field. In this interview he talks to us about some of the key aspects to consider to improve performance in sport.

What led you to be interested in sports mental performance and professional support for athletes?

I've been dedicated to sport my whole life. First as an athlete, and later as a sports coach, coach trainer and managing sports entities. Sport is an activity closely linked to performance, although results are often given more importance. And of course, for an athlete or sports team to reach their maximum performance, the key is that they know how to manage their mind.

In competitive sport, what are the main aspects of performance in which it shows who knows how to manage their thoughts and emotions and who does not?

Well, during training, motivation is the most obvious aspect. To do this, having a good planning of objectives and developing your commitment and responsibility with the goals you want to achieve are the key. In competition emotions come into play more.

I meet many athletes who perform very well in training but fall a lot in competition. Knowing how to manage what happens inside your head, the psychological, requires training, such as any other field (technique, tactics, physical preparation), and the results you get are magnificent.

Does the age of the athlete influence a lot when intervening to improve their performance from the management of psychological elements?

Should not. Many coaches and parents understand that there must be mental training when their athlete has problems, and that is a mistake. The mental qualities (concentration, attention, activation ...) must be trained and enhanced.

Although all this is given importance when the bad results arrive, in reality there is a development progressive, and like any learning, the younger the athlete is, the greater his achievements and evolution.

What role does Emotional Intelligence play in managing anxiety when competing in sport?

Very important. As I mentioned, understand what it is that you are feeling, stress, anxiety, fear, pressure, where it comes from and above all how it can help you, change things completely. For this reason, emotional intelligence applied to sports, I call it Sports Intelligence, is key to making something negative, one more strong point in your performance as an athlete.

Regarding the ability to concentrate on sports activity and not give in to psychological rumination or catastrophic thoughts, what are the most used strategies?

In my case I always opt for a training based on Mindfulness. It is the best tool to develop attention and concentration, and not to fall into negative internal dialogue.

Outside the field of play I propose it in a practical and planned way, to make it enjoyable for the athlete who is looking for action, not someone who explains things to him.

On the playing field, with concentration rituals and attention focus techniques. It is very important that the athlete perceives it as one more training, because that is his way of improving in all facets of his sports career.

What are the main phases of intervention in athletes to help them develop their emotion management skills?

The first thing to do should be to help them be aware of their level in this regard. Of the aspects that empower you and those that need to improve. From that point of view, the work then focuses on finding the best way to apply each of the performance variables and mental management that an athlete has to control to be the best version of him, to achieve his maximum performance and his goals sports The process that marks them is awareness-definition of objectives-development of responsibility-practical training.