“Career transitions’ are a major topic of study in sport psychology and none arguably has a bigger impact on sports people than retirement. There have been many examples over the years, borne out by the research, of professional athletes that have struggled to deal with retirement. Alcoholism, drug abuse and depression have all been recorded [...]
Case Study: Race Preparation, Control and Confidence
July 6, 2012 by 2 Comments
I was recently approached by a male senior swimmer ‘G’ who wanted help preparing for competition, because he was experiencing issues with anxiety and confidence, and losing time from starting the race feeling tense. The senior Nationals were around 6 weeks away and he wanted some help preparing for the event and races beyond. Presenting [...]
Performance Mindset Infographic
July 1, 2012 by 1 Comment
My first attempt at an infographic. It’s not a thing of beauty (just as well I’m a psychologist and not a graphic designer!) but hopefully gets the idea across. Performance mindset is a choice The performance mindset is a choice. Specifically, it is about choosing to focus on your own performance, valuing effort and determination, [...]
Planning and Preparation for Swim Meets
April 22, 2012 by Leave a Comment
When it comes to preparing for swimming competition, most swimmers put more into the physical than the mental aspects of preparation. Indeed, there is an awful lot more to preparation than packing your bag and getting physically ready. Taking Responsibility and Feeling Confident It’s important for swimmers to take responsibility for those aspects of their [...]
Performance Review: An Essential Skill for Competitive Swimmers
March 14, 2012 by 4 Comments
Reviewing your performance is one of the key skills that a young swimmer can learn. After all, how else do you know what to work on to improve? That’s what matters – continual improvement – whether you’re an agre grouper or an Olympian. I used to envy the guys that could throw away a bad [...]
What’s the Ideal Level of Arousal for Swimming Performance?
January 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment
It’s long been believed that there’s an ideal level of physiological arousal for performance (the ‘Inverted U’ Hypothesis), and more recently that each individual has their own level (e.g. IZOF). However, even the view that each person has their own ideal level of arousal is simplistic. Whatever your level of physiological arousal, this can be [...]
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