PST Training

PST serves more than athletes.

Performance enhancement. Chances are the first thoughts coming to mind are about drugs, doping or steroids. When it comes to performance enhancement, there is one enhancer that doesn't seem to attract attention: the brain. For years, psychologists, trainers and athletes have all focused on "getting psyched" for a challenge. Psychological Skill Training (PST) is the science of getting psyched when success is necessary--job interviews, sports, personal training, making a public presentation and more.

Instructions

Education and Basics

1. 

   Understanding what is to be accomplished is part of the basics.

   Select a sports psychologist to serve as PST trainer. Experts recommend three to five 15-minute sessions per week with the trainer. Talk to amateur or professional coaches or successful athletes for recommendations. In place of referrals, check with the local or state chapter of the American Psychological Association for members specializing in PST.

2. 

   Getting it "together" helps the trainer create a personalized program.

   Start preparation for the basic and educational phase of training preparing for the first meeting with the trainer. Choose and maintain a positive attitude and maintain a high level of self-motivation.

3. 

   Goals need to be high and realistic.

   Set high and realistic goals for the PST. Understanding how the training is to be used helps map an effective program achieving goals.

4. 

   Family and friends encourage personal success.

   Evaluate interpersonal skills. Family, friends, and sports-mates are all an important part of PST to maintain effective and balanced relationships. Working through conflict trains the mind for situations involving difficult opponents or absorbing supporter's energy to meet a goal.

Acquisition and Preparation

1. 

   Incorporate personal mental capabilities into the program.

   Prepare a PST program with the trainer. The program has to incorporate learning mental states needed to effectively use the training in goal achievement.

2. 

   Visualize success consistently.

   Discuss personal state of mind with the trainer. Similar to therapy, this allows the psychologist to define preparatory steps.

3. 

   Positive energy helps concentration in all PST-used settings.

   Use a positive approach even when goals appear to be out of reach. Dedicate time for to implementing even when the pieces do not appear to fit together. Have a relationship strong enough to ask about the steps in the program when the concept is not clear or does not appear to be effective.

Practice and Performance

1. 

   Controlling anxiety is crucial to achieving success.

   Define causes of anxiety with the trainer and establish a management program to avoid or minimize the negative energy. Picturing successful goal achievement is one technique to put into play.

2. 

   Managing emotions suppresses negative energy.

   Create a system for managing emotions. Uncontrolled emotions affect concentration of successfully achieving goals. The PST must include effective methods of shifting concentration from an emotional reaction back to a proactive focus.

3. 

   Focus on the moment.

   Focus on the situation at hand blocking the past and current distractions. Learn to bring full concentration to activities requiring success now. Woolgathering during or before an activity reduces the physical or mental strength needed for success.

References

• Psychology Campus: Enhancing Performance
• Ohio Center for Sports Psychology: The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes