This is sports psychology applied to high performance

Psychology is much more than therapy applied to patients who have developed psychological disorders. A clear example of this we have in sports psychology, an area of ​​work that is increasingly known and demanded.

In this article you will know some of the keys to understanding the functioning of sports psychology applied to high performance: the objectives you intend to address, your areas of intervention, and more.

• Related article: "What is Sports Psychology? Learn the secrets of a booming discipline "

What is the goal of sports psychology?

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 as well as group and relational factors. that play a role in the performance and experience of participating in sports, both short and long term.

Psychologists specialized in this field of work may be hired by sports clubs or attend to several individuals who come to the professional's consultation or to the psychology center in which this he works.

In both cases, the work of the sports psychologist is considered to be part of a process, that is, to obtain results, a follow-up and a detailed study of the case to be able 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 magic solutions are offered to the instant, but rather a psychological intervention program that must be deployed over several weeks in a row.

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 affective 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 to the person develops this problem, which does not necessarily mean lowering performance expectations to reach.

2. Bad teamwork climate

In the same way that companies can have a bad working environment, the same can happen in teamwork both in those sports in which two groups compete with each other, as in the relationship between the athlete and his training team and 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 tied to anxiety

The phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophecy appears when a psychological predisposition that appears when the person predicts that a situation will occur makes that expected situation more likely to become reality. This happens a lot with stress and anxiety problems: fear of failing on key days, for example, quickly turns into fear of fear, which brings the athlete closer to the possibility that he may not perform adequately.

• You may be interested in: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

4. Mismanagement of concentration

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 focus on is key to obtaining the desired results in sport. This is an entirely psychological process, and it can be approached through sport psychology, which helps athletes to develop a very advanced management of their attention focus.

5. Training and preparation habits

The simple fact of knowing that you have to train in a certain way and avoid certain habits that are harmful to health does not imply having the ability to commit to this sports preparation plan, in the same way that we all know that smoking is bad but not all people are capable (at least, without help) of not using tobacco. For this reason, 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, that goes beyond theory.

Bibliographic references:

• Goodger, K.; Gorely, T.; Lavallee, D.; Harwood, C. (2007). Burnout in sport: A systematic review. The Sport Psychologist. 21 (2): pp. 127-151.
• Green & Benjamin, L.T. (2009). Psychology gets in the game. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
• Nachon, C. & Nascimbene, F. (2001), Introduction to Sports Psychology. Madrid: EOS Guidance Office.
• Roberts, C.G. (1992), Motivation in sport and exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
• Tenenbaum, G.; Eklund, R.C. (2007). Handbook of Sport Psychology. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
• Williams, J.M. (2006), Applied Sport Psychology: Personal Growth to Peak Performance (pp. 40-56). New York: McGraw-Hill.