Mental Tips

What Sport Psychology is Not?

The myths behind sports psychology

In this article, we will clarify what sports psychology can offer and what it can’t. By de-spelling these myths we aim to help you develop the tools to enhance your performance in all aspects of your gaming career and life.  

But I’m not mentally weak, I don’t have a psychological illness. Why would I seek help from a sports psychology consultant?

Seeking the help of a sport psychology consultant doesn’t mean that you are mentally weak or that you have a psychological disorder. It’s quite the opposite actually. The stigma associated with the word ‘psychology’ or ‘mental’ has quite an impact on people. They become worried about how they will be viewed if they seek mental coaching. You are only helping yourself by letting us help you.

Players at the top of their games use the help of sport psychology consultants to facilitate in improving their mental game. Like sports coaches help athletes improve their technical skills, we help improve the mental skills of athletes. Combining both the technical and mental side of your sport will help you to achieve the top level of your game. Even if you have the technical capacity to succeed, you are not going to win on the big stage in front of thousands of adoring fans if you can’t focus on your goal, block out those distractors and cope with that stress that’s causing you to tilt.

Okay, but how long will this take, I need results now?

An important thing to understand is that there is no ‘quick fix’ when it comes to your mental skills. As it takes time to learn how to play your game to a certain standard, it also takes time to develop your mental skills to that standard. Developing optimal mental strategies and skills requires practice, consistency and dedication.

But does it apply to esports?

Esports has just a need for mental coaching as any other professional sport. Esports requires the skills of mental toughness, focus, goal setting, relaxation, emotion regulation, self-talk, positive thinking, imagery, coping skills and more. Mental coaching can help you as you perform in the high pressure and fast paced environment of esports. It also applies to coaches and parents and can help facilitate an optimal coaching environment and support system.

I’d like to try this mental coaching thing, but I’m not a professional gamer? 

Mental coaching isn’t just for expert gamers or professional athletes. The sooner you start the better. Learning, training and developing your mental skills could be the key to enhancing your performance. It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing in a lower level league or in front of millions of fans. The mental skills required for excelling mentally in these games are the same.

Wait, I don’t have time to do mental skills training on top of all my other training?

Mental coaching is not going to help you with deficiencies you have in the tactical and strategic techniques. The aim of sport psychology is to enhance your performance by applying mental skills to your game. This is what we aim to do alongside your technical training. Mental coaching can be incorporated into your technical training very easily and strategically. 

You’ve convinced me, so what next then?

We want you to know that sport psychology isn’t just for use in your gaming career. It also supplies you with many mental skills that you can also use in your everyday life. Contact our team and we can get you started on your mental coaching journey. And remember, it isn’t the will to win that will help you become the best you can be. Everyone can do that. It’s the will to prepare that will ultimately set you apart from the rest.   

 

Credit: Riot Games • Flickr.com