We talk a lot on the Courtside Culture Podcast about the use of positive psychology in sports. It’s a little different from sports psychology. And understanding the difference can be critical, if you’re a coach who hopes to implement positive psychology into your style.
The practice of sport psychology began in the late 19th century. It was furthered by the research of such psychologists as Norman Triplett, who in 1898 found that cyclists who rode with others performed better, thanks to the social and competitive aspects of groups.
Today sports psychology remains an important applied field in both amateur and professional sports. Psychologists often focus on the mental aspects of the games. Baseball great Yogi Berra (who’s as famous for his sayings as his playing and coaching ability) even realized it a long time ago. He said, “Baseball is ninety percent mental. The other half is physical.”
But positive psychology hasn’t been around very long. It’s a relativity new concept that’s garnering great results. So, let’s take a look at the difference between sports psychology and what it means to use positive psychology in sports.
What is Sports Psychology?
According to the American Psychological Association, Sport psychology is a proficiency that uses psychological knowledge and skills to address optimal performance and well-being of athletes, developmental and social aspects of sports participation, and systemic issues associated with sports settings and organizations. Say what?
In other words, sports psychologists help athletes utilize psychology to improve performance and mental health. They may function as trainers, consultants, or therapists. In some cases, the job includes helping athletes work through off-field problems and assisting them with rehabilitation after injury.
Some of the ways sports psychologists improve an athlete’s performance is by using various techniques. These include:
● Attentional Focus- which teaches an athlete how to tune out distractions like screaming fans.
● Visualization and Goal Setting- this involves getting an athlete to picture him or herself performing a task, or what they intend to do (like hitting a game-winning shot).
● Motivation and Team Building- a sports psychologist could be called in to help change the mindset of a team in order to create a better culture.
● Extrinsic Motivation- extrinsic motivators are external rewards, such as trophies, money, medals, or social recognition.
● Intrinsic Motivation- this is motivation that comes from within, like a personal desire to win or the sense of pride that comes from performing a skill.
● Anxiety- a sports psychologist also helps athletes deal with the pressures that come from competition.
● Rehabilitation- When an athlete gets hurt, they could develop feelings of anger, frustration, hopelessness, and fear.
And it’s important to point out that sports psychologists are not limited to helping athletes. They can use their psychological principles to help coaches and even parents, as well.
What Is Positive Psychology in Sports?
If you’re using positive psychology in sports, it’s different from sports psychology, but still pertains to performance enhancement. It was developed by researcher Martin Seligman. He’s considered to be the founder of positive psychology.
Positivepsycology.com describes the practice this way. The site points out that as a field, positive psychology spends much of its time thinking about topics like strengths, optimism, self-confidence and elevation.
Athletes and teams that are coached according to the findings of positive sports psychology perform at a higher level, exhibit greater resilience, optimism and emotional wellbeing. The result is better performance under pressure. It’s about focusing on the strengths of your players. By building up the strengths of your athletes, you can hide their individual weaknesses, building a good team culture and success at the same time.
Ask any athletic team’s general manager what differentiates the great player from the average player, and they will tell you that raw talent, while of course important, is not usually the difference maker. Instead, it is character, and a positive and growth-oriented mindset.
How To Use Positive Psychology
Old school methodology, and hard-nosed tough guy approaches in coaching are not only antiquated….but they are ineffective.
Instead, try using or developing a list of mental skills that include:
1. Choosing and maintaining a positive attitude.
2. Maintaining a high level of self-motivation.
3. Setting high, realistic goals.
4. Dealing effectively with people.
5. Using positive self-talk.
6. Using positive mental imagery.
7. Managing anxiety effectively.
8. Managing players’ emotions effectively.
We discuss many of these tactics on the Courtside Culture Podcast. Coaches, players, psychologists and authors come on to discuss different tactics to employ positive psychology in sports. There’s always something new to learn.