Sports Psychology

Sports Psychology
By: Adnan Asghar
Department of Physical Education & Sports Sciences

The Islamia University of Bahawalpur
What is PSYCHOLOGY?
Psychology comes from two

Greek word, “Psyche”, meaning
“Soul” and “Logos” meaning
“Study of”
16th century….. Psyche was used
to refer to the soul, spirit, or mind.
18th century….The study of mind
Definitions
Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental

processes (Feldman, 2011).
 The study of mind and behaviour in relation to a
particular field of knowledge or activity.
The branch of metaphysics that studies the soul, the
mind, and the relationship of life and mind to the
functions of the body.
So, we can define Psychology as the study of human
mind, emotions and behavior.
Sports Psychology
Sports psychology is the principles of psychology used in

a sport setting.
Sport psychology is the bridge that links the mental and

physical aspects of training.
Sports Psychology deals with increasing performance by

managing emotions and minimizing the psychological
effects of injuries and poor performance.
History of Sports Psychology
The first sports psychologist

has said to be Norman
Triplett a North American
man from Indiana, born in
1898. Triplett’s first finding
as a sport psychologist was
that cyclists cycle faster in
pairs or a group, rather than
riding solo.
Cont…
Carl Diem, a German who lived in Berlin, founded the

world’s first sports psychology laboratory in 1920.
In 1925, Colman Griffith opened the first sports

psychology lab in North America. He began his
research in factors that affect sport performance in
1918, and in 1923, offered the first ever sports
psychology course.
Cont…
Dr Colman Griffith was the first Sports Psychologist ever

hired by a professional sports team, The Chicago Cubs
Baseball Team.
Dr. Colman Griffith is considered the father of the science of

Sports Psychology in the United States due to his pioneering
efforts.
Key Concepts in Sports Psychology
Mental Preparation: Developing strategies to prepare an athlete’s

mind for performance.
Focus and Concentration: Techniques for staying focused under
pressure and during critical moments in competition.
Motivation: Understanding intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that
drive athletes.
Coping with Anxiety and Stress: Managing pre-competition
anxiety, dealing with performance-related stress, and recovering
from losses.
Cont. . .
Team Dynamics: How teamwork, communication, and leadership

affect group performance.
Goal Setting: Establishing short-term and long-term goals to

improve performance.
Visualization and Imagery: Using mental imagery to visualize

success and perfect movements before they are physically
executed.
Main Areas of Sports Psychology
Motivation / Arousal
Stress & Anxiety
Mental Imagery
Goal setting
The 4 C’s of Sport Psychology
1) Concentration
2) Confidence
3) Control
4) Commitment
Concentration, confidence, control and commitment
(the 4C's) are generally considered to be the main
mental qualities that are important for successful
performance in most sports.
1. Concentration
This is the mental quality to focus on the task in hand.

If the athlete lacks concentration then their athletic abilities
will not be effectively or efficiently applied to the task.
The demand for concentration varies with the sport:
Sustained concentration - distance running, cycling,
tennis, squash
Short bursts of concentration - cricket, golf, shooting,
athletic field events
Intense concentration - sprinting events, skiing.
Cont…
Common distractions are: anxiety, mistakes, fatigue,

weather, public announcements, coach, manager,
opponent, negative thoughts etc.
Strategies to improve concentration are very personal.
One way to maintain focus is to set process goals for
each session or competition.
The athlete will have an overall goal for which the
athlete will identify a number of process goals which
help focus on specific aspects of the task.
2. Confidence
Confidence results from the comparison an athlete makes

between the goal and their ability.
The athlete will have self-confidence if they believe they can
achieve their goal. "You only achieve what you believe.”
Benefits of self-confidence are increased concentration, effort
and emotions
Optimal confidence: just right
Lack of confidence: self-doubt creates anxiety.
To improve their self confidence, an athlete can use mental
imagery to: visualize previous good performance to remind
them of the look and feel
3. Control
Identifying when an athlete feels a particular emotion and

understanding the reason for the feelings is an important
stage of helping an athlete gain emotional control.
An athlete's ability to maintain control of their emotions in
the face of adversity and remain positive is essential to
successful performance.
Two emotions which are often associated with poor
performance are anxiety and anger.
Anxiety / Anger
Anxiety comes in two forms - Physical (butterflies,

sweating, nausea, needing the toilet) and Mental
(worry, negative thoughts, confusion, lack of
concentration).
Relaxation is a technique that can be used to reduce
anxiety.
The relationship between anger and sport performance
is understood to be that anger may increase or
decrease sport performance depending on the type
of sport.
4. Commitment
Commitment is defined as the state or quality of being

dedicated to your sport. It is important to note that it is
something you choose to do. Commitment is shown
three different ways:
Body Language – being strong, confident, and getting back
up when things go wrong
Effort – attempts are sustained and working hard all the
time
On and off the field – commitment is being worked on by
the decisions in both places
Cont…
Commitment opens doors, strengthens relationships,

encourage leadership, and builds trust.
Sports performance depends on the athlete being fully
committed to numerous goals over many years.
In competition, the athlete will have many aspects of
daily life to manage.
 The many competing interests and commitments
include: work, studies, family/partner, friends, social
life and other hobbies/sports.
Importance of Sports Psychology
in Modern Sports
1. Enhances Performance:
Mental training techniques like visualization, goal
setting, and concentration exercises can improve an athlete’s
focus and performance under pressure.
2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety:

Athletes, especially at elite levels, face massive pressure.
Sports psychology helps them develop coping strategies to
manage this stress effectively.
Cont. . .
3. Injury Recovery:
Sports injuries are not only physically painful but can also
take a mental toll on athletes. Sports psychologists assist
athletes in maintaining a positive outlook during recovery and
help them return stronger.
4. Promotes Overall Well-being:
Beyond sports, maintaining psychological health is vital.
By addressing issues like motivation, self-confidence, and
personal challenges, sports psychologists contribute to the
overall well-being of athletes.
Psychological Obstacles
There are five mental obstacles for athletes to be aware

of when they practice and play their sport.
1) Fear of failure
2) Caring to much about what others think
3) Bringing our personal problems onto the field
4) Getting caught up in past experience
5) Lack of confidence

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Sports Psychology

By: Adnan Asghar

Department of Physical Education & Sports Sciences

Psychology comes from two

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental

Sports psychology is the principles of psychology used in

Sport psychology is the bridge that links the mental and

Sports Psychology deals with increasing performance by

The first sports psychologist

Carl Diem, a German who lived in Berlin, founded the

In 1925, Colman Griffith opened the first sports

Dr Colman Griffith was the first Sports Psychologist ever

Dr. Colman Griffith is considered the father of the science of

Mental Preparation: Developing strategies to prepare an athlete’s

Team Dynamics: How teamwork, communication, and leadership

Goal Setting: Establishing short-term and long-term goals to

Visualization and Imagery: Using mental imagery to visualize

Stress & Anxiety

This is the mental quality to focus on the task in hand.

Common distractions are: anxiety, mistakes, fatigue,

Confidence results from the comparison an athlete makes

Identifying when an athlete feels a particular emotion and

Anxiety comes in two forms - Physical (butterflies,

Commitment is defined as the state or quality of being

Commitment opens doors, strengthens relationships,

2. Reduces Stress and Anxiety:

There are five mental obstacles for athletes to be aware

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