Sport Psychology
Articles and Videos
A popular group of articles on what ‘is the difference that makes the difference’ in sporting success. The mental game and sport psychology is where true champions emerge. You may find our sections for our most recent articles, resources and materials, latest newsletters, or 5 Minutes with Bo Hanson video series valuable too.
Get attached to Your Big Why
Elite athletes are comfortable in uncomfortable situations, they need to be, in fact, this skill alone can convert all of the work they’ve done leading up to this moment into a victory.
US Navy SEALs Resilience: Lessons on Mental Toughness
Mental toughness and resilience is a key quality in athletes that are revered and successful in their chosen sport. The US Navy SEALs resilience is renowned, they are some of the most mentally tough people in the world. The Navy SEALs consistently work where regular combat units do not have the capabilities to create a successful outcome. This sees the Navy SEALs operating in places civilians cannot imagine, under circumstances which demand the highest levels of mental toughness and team work. That is what sets the Navy SEALs resilience apart.
Research on Abuse in Sport and Athlete Welfare
Recently Sports Illustrated published an important article titled, ‘Is the era of abusive college coaches finally coming to an end?’. The article highlighted alarming issues with modern collegiate athletics based on surveys of 20,000 college athletes, as well as the latest research in psychophysiology, psychology, depression, health and abusive leadership.
Solving Athlete Confidence for Good: A Coach’s Guide
By Bo Hanson 4x Olympian and International Coaching Consultant Whether you have been coaching for years or decades you will know the struggle of week-to-week athlete up and downs. Often this fluctuation in performance is attributed
The Importance of Mental Skills in Sport
It’s now accepted that it is the mental game that ultimately wins any race or competitive game. It is what distinguishes the very top athletes from the ordinary. So, why are mental skills so important for success in sport? Find out what Bo Hanson has to say on this critical topic in the below video. In the end, having solid mental skills can be more important for elite performance than an athlete’s physiological capabilities.
Resiliency in Sport Presentation
Video Presentation by Bo Hanson, 4x Olympian, Coaching Consultant and Director of Athlete Assessments In this 14 Part Video Presentation Bo Hanson, 4x Olympian and Coaching Consultant from Athlete Assessments, discusses the critical topic of Resiliency
Mental Toughness: Unique Experience at the US Navy Seals Training Day
By Bo Hanson – 4x Olympian, Coaching Consultant & Director of Athlete Assessments Recently I was fortunate to take part (as a coach, not athlete!) in a US Navy Seals training day in San Diego, specifically
Teaching Mental Toughness: US Navy Seals
Video Presentation by Bo Hanson, 4x Olympian, Coaching Consultant & Director of Athlete Assessments In this video Bo Hanson recounts his experience of spending a day with the U.S. Navy Seals and what he learnt from
Goal Setting using DISC for Sport
By Bo Hanson – 4x Olympian, Coaching Consultant & Director of Athlete Assessments In previous articles on Sport Psychology and the Mental Game in sport, we have touched on the concept of goal setting. Whether you
Brain Snaps in Sport – The Amygdala Hijack
By Bo Hanson – 4x Olympian, Coaching Consultant & Director of Athlete Assessments Everyone loses their temper from time to time – we are all human! Infamous examples of brain snaps in sport have seen Mike
When All You Have Is Sport: For Coaches and Athletes
By Liz Masen – Client Director of Athlete Assessments Almost by definition, elite athletes (and often serious student-athletes) and coaches are extremely dedicated to their sport. The large majority of their life effort and energy is
Amy Cuddy TED Talks – Implications for Sport
By Liz Masen, Client Director at Athlete Assessments Posing like a Superhero Improves Performance – your body language shapes who you are There is always something interesting or inspiring to see on TED Talks and
Athlete Learning Styles: A Must-Have for your Coaching Toolbox
Have you ever noticed how some athletes “get” instructions immediately, while for others it takes a while for things to click? If you’re involved in coaching this is something you’ve had to deal with on numerous occasions. Many Coaches develop their own ways of working with their athletes learning styles and having a well-proven framework can be extremely useful. We understand all athletes are unique and cannot be coached in exactly the same way because as athletes (and people in general) everyone has their own unique way of learning.
Control and Influence Model in Sport
At some point in time most athletes have been (or should be) exposed to the Control and Influence Model also known as the Circle of Concern and Circle of Influence. This model is taken from The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey, a fantastic book which we highly recommend.
Prevent Choking in Sport using Holistic Word Cues
This article delves into more depth on how choking can be prevented at the highest level of sport and how can you ensure you “make it happen”.
Poor Performance in Sport – How to Cope
In sport as in life there are times when we don’t deliver our best when called on to do so. At the elite level, a poor performance in sport is when you or your team are 1% off your best. This contributes to an unwanted result combined with the feeling of letting yourself or others down. It is important to note, that occasionally we produce a poor performance relative to our potential capability, yet still manage to win. But this type of scenario can also produce feelings associated with a loss.
Training and Competition: What to do when your athletes don’t perform?
This article was written during national team selection time for one of our clients. It reminded me of how I felt during my own selection for various national and Olympic teams, and inspired me to share the most important lessons I learnt about the connection between training and competition. This article is about techniques to help athletes control their nerves so they can compete at least as well as they train, if not better. At the end of this article, I’ve also included my top three coaching tips for helping athletes manage their nerves during competition.
Improve Athlete Resiliency – 6 Tips for Coaches
No one will ever forget seeing Greg Louganis recover from his poorly executed 2½ pike preliminary dive in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Greg dove and struck his head bleeding into the water. Although he had obviously suffered an injury, he went on to earn the highest single score of the qualifying. He then went on to repeat the dive during the finals, earning the gold medal by a margin of 25 points.
Choking in Sport: Inside Every Athlete’s Worst Nightmare
How many times have you witnessed the heartbreak of an athlete faltering at a crucial moment? The painstaking drama of the moment can be excruciating to watch, particularly when the athlete is at the height of their career or even worse, an athlete you coach. At these times, the terms choking or panicking are thrown around loosely to label the under-performance of the individual or team. But what do these terms mean? Is there a difference between them? And can anything prevent an athlete from choking?
Sport Psychology for Sport Coaches: What You Need to Know
Understanding the importance of sport and exercise psychology is paramount to getting better results on the field, in the pool or on the court. Often though, coaches find the topic daunting and therefore put it in the “too hard” basket. Other coaches employ the services of a sport psychologist to assist their athletes and miss important benefits of a holistic coaching approach. In this article, we define what sport psychology is and what aspects are best incorporated into training and competition day by the sports coach.
Emotional Intelligence in Sports for Elite Athletes
Although emotional intelligence is still a relatively new term in sport, it is certainly not a new concept. For years we have marveled at how the great athletes are able to “switch themselves on” to create amazing performances with incredible consistency. We would describe them as being composed, mentally tough, having the right psychology, a great sports mind, emotionally controlled or simply determined or focused.
Mental Skills in Sport: Preparing your Athletes for Success
In conversations I have, coaches often say to me: “So I have this athlete, and they have great physiology, they’ve got a massive VO2, and a really good motor. But they can’t concentrate, are undisciplined, doesn’t listen to me…but they could be such a success”.
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Learn more about Athlete Assessments
DISC Profiling
Learn how to master the people side of sport using DISC Profiling...
What We Do
We specialize in helping our clients create and sustain winning results...
Our Clients
See who we work with and read what they say about us...
