Skip to main content
Research

Mind over matter for sports stars seeking success

22 July 2014

 

As two Teesside University students launch their bid for medals at the Commonwealth Games, an academic says it is psychological skills as well as physical ability which are the key to success.

Swimmer Aimee Willmott and table tennis star Karina Le Fevre are both hoping to bring home medals from Glasgow after receiving specialist support and training as part of the University’s Elite Athlete Scheme.

But what goes through the minds of elite sports stars as they face defeat or the elation of winning?

Teesside University academic Daniel Eaves comments on the importance of sports psychology in helping elite athletes prepare for what might be the game, race or match of their lives.

For athletes preparing for top-level international competition, he says mental preparation is just as vital as preparing through physical training and exercise.

Daniel, Senior Lecturer in Motor Learning and Sport Psychology in the University’s School of Social Sciences & Law, said: 'There are many aspects of performance which athletes need to take care of, from physical preparation and conditioning to technique mastery, diet, and training schedules. But these components can hit a ceiling effect and there can be very little to separate athletes on the basis of their physical abilities.

'Quite often, it can be their psychological approach to the competition that helps the very great athletes succeed.'

He added: 'Psychological skills can be used to tackle a range of issues, from preparation to coping skills, which can help when things aren't going well, to techniques which help to focus or concentrate better.

'Athletes can vary a great deal in the extent to which they use or are informed on these skills. Sometimes they might use classical techniques, even without knowing it, while others seek support. What we do know is that success in elite sport is very strongly associated with the effective use of psychological skills.'

He said dealing with defeat not only depends on the individual, but also the support network around them.

Daniel added: 'Sport psychology offers a range of practical coping techniques, for example, to help an athlete reframe a devastating defeat in terms of a beneficial experience, but it takes time to equip athletes with such skills.'

Aimee, who is studying BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise (Coaching Science) and Law student Karina both benefit from the Elite Athlete Scheme at Teesside University which offers a comprehensive support package including physiotherapy, sport psychology and sports science support to athletes of international calibre.

And Daniel believes the extra support they have received will help the pair to deal with the pressure of competing at such a huge sporting event.

He added: 'Pressure is an interesting thing in that it can make us behave in ways we wouldn’t normally behave - a key issue is how athletes interpret the situation. There are many techniques ranging from relaxation skills, concentration techniques, visualisation and communication.

'My own personal interest has recently been in a technique known as motor imagery, a process where players imagine the effort and sensation which would be involved if they were performing the action themselves, but without doing any actual movement.

'In line with previous studies, brain imaging data coming out of our lab indicates there is a significant benefit to both the athlete's performance, but also that the brain is undertaking a great deal of activity, as if it were involved in actually performing the movement. For this reason, motor imagery is a very promising rehearsal technique for sports players.'


 
 
 
Go to top menu