Sport coaches tend to be a central influence on helping athletes develop and stay focused on their major sports goals. Excellent coaches effectively guide athletes in their tactical, physical, mental, and technical development, pushing them beyond what they think they are capable of achieving, but paced in a ways that the athlete progressively and safely develops. They encourage and support athletes to stay motivated and focused during the times of challenge so eventually athletes can reach their goals.
The best sports coaches know their limits and areas of expertise. They turn to and rely on other specialists who can help an athlete develop additional skills to accelerate the an athlete’s or team’s development. Coaches tend to rely on athletic trainers for sports medicine and injury recovery. They rely on strength and conditioning coaches for sports specific development around speed, balance, agility, power and endurance while reducing injury and improving performance. They rely on sports nutritionists to fuel and hydrate the athletes with type and timing of fuel sources so the athletes have the energy to last during their competition or series of competitions, and properly recover for the next performance or practice. Finally, the wisest coaches are turning to mental performance and mental health specialists to ensure that their athletes are as healthy as they can be as performers, and as humans.
Here, we discuss the importance of one-on-one, personalized mental coaching for athletes:
- Accountability
A coach holds you accountable for your progress while helping you stay enthusiastic about your progress. Accountability is as simple as athletes taking ownership of their performance. There is no learning when there is blaming and finger pointing at every one else for your lousy performance. Accountability and ownership give an athlete more of a sense of control over their performance and their learning. In our sports psychology practice in Colorado, we help athletes develop accountability, reduce or eliminate distracting activities, or unproductive behavior which begins to develop their trust in themselves which is the basis of self-confidence. No accountability. No trust. No confidence. They all work together.
- Personalized Training
Individual coaching includes a plan that is tailored to meet your unique goals and needs. An mental coach will also take into account details like your practice and game schedule, your whole fitness level (including sleep, nutrition, training and recovery), and your preferences to create a plan that offers mental challenges while celebrating the small wins. This will keep you on track while hopefully also preventing injury and burnout.
- Guidance
Coaches are also there to provide guidance and feedback. A good mental coach provides valuable feedback and guidance on your thinking, your behaviors and your emotional management. These enable you to identify areas where you can improve while receiving strategies for overcoming your mental obstacles.
- Mental and Emotional Support
Mental performance coaches also support your mental health. At our practice in Colorado Springs, CO, we ensure that your mental performance coach either has the proper license or knows how to refer you to additional support if needed. Mental Performance coaches work with you to build your confidence skills to help you overcome non-serving doubts leading into your most important competitions.
At 360 Mental Health & Performance Services, we work with you to identify your strengths and weaknesses. Through our personalized mental performance services in Colorado, we help you reach your full potential. For more information about coaching, reach out to us.
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