To rise to the next level in mental training, athletes and coaches should focus on a comprehensive and evidence-based approach that provides practical and valuable insights. Here are the key points simplified:
- Useful Benchmarks: Establish clear standards for attention, how your body reacts under stress, and how you think during performance. These standards should help predict and improve actual performance.
- Validated Methods: Use proven methods to assess and improve focus, physical responses, and thinking patterns. These methods should also be able to show whether mental training techniques are working, based on measurable results
- Beyond Self-Report: Move beyond just talking about how you feel. Use objective measures to assess psychological performance, so the results are more reliable and accurate.
- Long-Term Data: Keep detailed records of mental and physical responses during training and competition over time. This helps track progress and see which interventions are effective.
In short, rising to the next level in mental training means using reliable, science-backed methods to improve and measure both mental and physical performance over time.
Dr. Kevin Goddu, ABSP, MGCP
