Page 15 - Mental Skills for Coaches

Objective: Start to develop an imagery model. Time to Spend: 10 mins.
Visualization or imagery is purposely rehearsing a skill, routine or performance in your mind's eye to program your body for success. It’s a rehearsed reel that will help you recreate the scenarios on the field you will need to be able to execute. In a sporting context a lot of athletes prefer to not only imagine or visualise, they want to feel the movements, skills, environment and the learning of a sill. We will embark on a 7 phase journey to developing your own visualisation. The Phases are
1) Physical
2) Environment 3) Task
4) Timing
5) Learning
6) Emotion
7) Perspective
The component “Physical” refers to the importance of making the image as physical as possible. This physical approach to imagery interventions could include not only the obvious step of imagining the sensations felt when performing the skill, but also wearing the same playing kit as when performing or feeling fatigued and the pain associated with that. Before we start any imagery rehearsal, let’s go back through the re-centering routine to prepare.
Ø Begin your re-centering steps you learned last week and have been practising,
Add in an additional step, this is the physical aspect to this process, become aware of your body. How fast are you breathing? Is your heart beating fast? Picture yourself in your gear. Can you see yourself, breathing, standing, can you feel your heart beat. Become aware of your core, contract your core muscles, hold for a count of three and release. Repeat three times.
One more time what is your breathing like? Heavy, slow, intense?
Take a final deep breath , now open your eyes.
Task: Practice this technique during a quiet moment at home. Do this in the morning, after your breakfast. When go to training tonight, repeat this in the car before you get out.