A mental performance coach is often the last place a professional athlete looks to improve, yet they are often the secret sauce behind the best elite athletes in the world!
They may have a sports psychology degree; however, many of the best do not!
Mental health has always carried a stigma, yet we all struggle with the same problems.
The best athletes in the world use mental training to improve their mental health, and so should you!
This article answers all the mental game questions we get from athletes daily.
What Is A Mental Performance Coach?
A mental performance coach is a professional who helps individuals improve their mental skills and performance in a specific area, such as sports, business, or academics.
Mental performance coaches use various techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and visualization, to help individuals overcome mental obstacles, develop mental toughness, and perform at their best.
They may work with athletes to improve focus, concentration, and confidence or with business professionals to develop leadership skills and enhance decision-making abilities.
Mental performance coaching can be helpful for individuals looking to improve their mental skills and achieve their goals in a specific area of performance.
What Mental Skills Does A Mental Performance Coach Teach?
The mental skills training taught by a mental performance coach is designed to help individuals improve their performance by improving the mental aspect of their game for optimal performance.
Mental training can be for a head coach, a high school team, a conditioning coach, personal trainers, physical therapists, or pro athletes preparing for a big game.
Some common mental skills that mental performance coaches may teach include:
- Focus: The ability to concentrate on a specific task or goal.
- Concentration: Maintaining attention and staying focused on a task, even in the face of distractions.
- Confidence: The belief in one’s own abilities and the ability to perform well under pressure.
- Motivation: The drive to pursue goals and achieve success.
- Goal-setting: The ability to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and develop a plan to achieve them.
- Time management: Prioritizing tasks, managing one’s time effectively, and meeting deadlines.
- Decision-making: The ability to analyze options and make sound decisions based on available information.
- Resilience: A strong ability to bounce back from setbacks and continue pursuing goals in the face of adversity.
- Emotional intelligence: Managing one’s own emotions and the emotions of others.
- Mindfulness: The ability to be present and aware of one’s thoughts and feelings without judgment.
A mental performance coach may teach these skills through various techniques, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, visualization, and mindfulness practices.
How Do Athletes Work With A Mindset Performance Coach?
Athletes may work with a mental performance coach in various ways, depending on their specific needs and goals.
Some common ways that athletes can work with a mental performance coach include:
- Identifying mental barriers: A mental performance coach may help an athlete identify mental barriers holding them back, such as negative self-talk, anxiety, or lack of confidence.
- Developing mental toughness: A mental performance coach may work with athletes to develop mental toughness and resilience, helping them to handle pressure and adversity and stay focused on their goals.
- Improving focus and concentration: A mental performance coach may use techniques such as mindfulness and visualization to help athletes improve their focus and concentration during competition.
- Enhancing performance under pressure: A mental performance coach may work with athletes to develop strategies for performing at their best under pressure, such as managing anxiety and staying calm in high-stress situations.
- Setting and achieving goals: A mental performance coach may help athletes set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals and develop plans to achieve them.
- Improving teamwork and leadership skills: A mental performance coach may work with athletes to develop their leadership and teamwork skills, helping them to work effectively with their teammates and coaches.
Working with a mental performance coach aims to help athletes improve their mental skills and performance and achieve their goals.
What Is The Difference Between A Sports Psychologist And A Mental Coach?
Sports psychologists and mental performance coaches are both professionals who work with athletes to improve their mental skills and performance, but they have different training and focus.
Sport psychologists are trained in psychology and have a background in counseling and therapy.
They often work with athletes to address mental health concerns like anxiety, depression, and stress.
They may use cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques to help athletes manage their emotions and improve their mental health.
On the other hand, a mental performance coach is typically not trained in sport psychology and do not have a background in counseling or therapy.
They focus on helping athletes improve specific mental skills and performance, such as focus, concentration, confidence, and goal-setting.
They may use techniques such as visualization and mindfulness to help athletes perform at their best.
The main difference between a person with an applied sport psychology degree and a mental performance coach is their training and focus.
Sports psychology is training in psychology focused on mental health, while mental performance coaches are not trained in sport psychology and focus on specific mental skills and performance.
Many coaches hold a masters degree, and it’s become more common for even a personal trainer to provide coaching beyond just the physical.
What Is Mental Performance Training?
Mental performance training is a process through which individuals work to improve their mental skills and performance in a specific area, such as sports, business, or academics.
Mental performance training may be conducted by a mental performance coach or another professional who uses various techniques, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, visualization, and mindfulness, to help individuals overcome mental barriers, develop their mental game, and perform at their best.
More athletes improve performance within their sports team using the skills listed below.
Mental performance training may involve a variety of activities, including:
- Identifying and addressing the mental side of competing: A mental performance coach may help individuals identify and overcome what’s holding them back, such as overthinking, performance anxiety, or lack of belief in themselves.
- Managing emotions: Your emotions impact how you react, and not competing in the peak emotional state is a huge disadvantage for an athlete.
- Becoming curious: Mental performance coaches know the key to improving is to become curious about your process and why you failed to succeed without beating yourself up.
- Setting daily intentions: One of the most powerful skills and habits you can adopt is to set daily intentions in the morning while reflecting on how you executed in the evening.
- Developing the mental game: Mental performance coaches may help individuals develop their mental game and resilience, helping them to handle pressure and adversity and stay focused on their goals.
Overall, mental performance training aims to help individuals improve their mental skills and performance and achieve their goals.
How Can Mental Performance Help Athletes Improve?
Peak mental performance begins with developing self-awareness of one’s mental game more than the physical aspects of their game.
The biggest performance improvement one can teach athletes is to become mentally prepared before competing.
Physical training often trumps mental training when it comes to time invested.
Finding a better balance between the two is the key to true peak performance.
Any head coach will tell you they will always select a professional athlete with mental training over one without!
The mental illness of Antonio Brown has been a hot topic lately and highlights the importance of mindset in sports.
Mental performance coaching can be an effective way for athletes to improve their performance by helping them develop and refine specific mental skills.
Some specific ways in which mental performance coaching can help athletes improve their performance include:
- Removing limiting beliefs: Mental performance coaches can help athletes remove limiting beliefs holding them back, such as, “I am not good enough” or “I am not worthy.”
- Lowering expectations: High expectations from athletes, coaches, and fans affect athletes’ well-being and decrease their ability to perform consistently.
- Succeed in life outside of competition: Performance psychology doesn’t only develop skills come game time; many athletes find the quality of their life dramatically improves.
- Reducing fear: Fear of judgment, fear of other people’s opinions, and fear of failure!
Overall, mental performance coaching can be a valuable tool for athletes looking to improve their mental skills and performance and achieve their goals.
Whether you choose someone with a sports psychology degree is up to you.
If you’re looking for the best mental coaching program available, reach out to the #1 mental coach in Motorsports, Dr. Jay Cavanaugh of RAK Racing.
He works to improve performance primarily with motorsports athletes but has added Golf, Tennis, Football, and Basketball to the list.
If you were performing a “near me” search and I came up, that’s because I coach remotely but also offer the opportunity for athletes to have me at their completion locations.
Here are some of the cities I typically travel to:
- Austin, Texas.
- Atlanta, Georgia.
- Boston, Masssacussettes.
- New York City, New York.
- San Diego, California.
- St. Louis, Missouri.
- Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- Los Angeles, California.
- Dallas, Texas.
- Phoenix, Arizona.
I specialize in working with motorsports athletes, but we are growing fast and added the following sports in the last 6 months.
- Golf
- Tennis
- Football
- Basketball
- MMA
- Competitive basket weaving 🙂
Reach out to hear about our professional athlete programs and group coaching for young athletes.
For mental coaching available near you or remotely, Call 951-999-VIBE.
