Why is sport psychology and mental skills training important?
The mind has the power to either enhance or hurt athletic performance. No matter how hard or how well an individual trains, the mind is always along for the ride. Most people neglect or forget about the mental component until negative thoughts, self doubt or anxiety becomes a problem in competitive settings. Understanding how ones own mind impacts his or her performance and learning to control and flex these mental muscles will help the athlete reduce such problems. Furthermore, working on skills such as concentration, goal setting, and energy management will not only help enhance personal performance at race time, but will also help the athlete get more out of routine training as well.
