Sports Psychology Certification

When Should Athletes Start Mental Training?

Age for mental training

What Age do Athletes Start Mental Training? This is a very common question we receive from parents when they call in to inquire about mental coaching. However, there is not one simple answer because your answer depends on: Typically, we tell parents that most athletes can engage in a one-on-one mental training program if they are 12 and older. However, …

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Why Mental Game Assessments Help

Mental Skills Assessments

AMAP Assessment Works I was surprised to learn one fact from the results of the survey on using assessments in mental coaching… 28 percent of mental coaches reported they still do assessments the old fashioned way: they use interviews only. I have nothing against using interviews for doing mental game assessments with athletes, but I do think there is a …

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Mental Coaching: The First Session

Mental Skills Coaching

Mental Skills Coaching Session Apart from building rapport with your athletes in the first session, where do you start with your athletes? For certified Mental Game Coaching Professionals, the first step is to explain our programs with a potential athlete or parent. We explain the mental coaching process and what’s included in the programs. In some cases with young athletes, …

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A Proven Mental Coaching System

MGCP Certification

What Works for Athletes in the Real World? 30 years ago, I finished my Ph.D. in Sports Psychology at The University of Virginia. But it wasn’t a smooth transition from school to a career in mental coaching… My education prepared me to teach college students sports psychology and motor learning at the university level. I taught college students for two …

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How To Introduce Mental Training to Athletes

Certified Mental Coach

Starting Mental Training How do you work with athletes that have no idea that mental training can help improve their performance or consistency? I received a question recently from a mental coach who works with shooters. Here’s the question: “In the shooting sports, you need full concentration and a clear mind. How do I start with students who have no …

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Working with Athletes’ Emotional Parents

Mental Skills Coaching

How to Work with Sports Parents A mental game coach recently asked the following question in a survey: “How do you work with athletes who have emotionally involved parents?” With very young athletes, the parents are the ones that typically hire me to work with their child… You want to involve the parents in the mental training process–over involved parents …

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