Flashcards on Mental Performance for Athletes
Mental Performance for Athletes: Control Fear & Excel Under Pressure
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Mental performance for athletes
12 cards
Card 1
Question: Why is the mind described as 'the last untrained muscle' for athletes?
Answer: Because athletes often train their body extensively but leave the mind unprepared for performing under pressure, which then determines outcomes in com
Card 2
Question: What is the key shift in how athletes should relate to pressure?
Answer: Shift from trying to eliminate pressure to performing inside it—treating pressure as the normal environment of competition rather than an emergency.
Card 3
Question: How does asking "What do I need to do right now?" affect performance compared to asking "What if I fail?"
Answer: "What do I need to do right now?" activates execution and a specific response already learned; "What if I fail?" activates the threat system and under
Card 4
Question: What common characteristic do athletes who perform best under pressure share?
Answer: They have developed a consistent mental routine for pre-performance, in-performance corrections, and attention — routines that were trained deliberate
Card 5
Question: Does training mental performance require long meditation sessions?
Answer: No. It involves building small, deliberate mental habits into existing training, using pressure moments in practice, and rehearsing responses.
Card 6
Question: What practical elements make a pre-competition routine effective?
Answer: Consistency: knowing exactly what to do in the two minutes before performing, a start word, and where to direct attention when things go wrong.
Card 7
Question: What does 'practising ideomotor runs' mean in this context?
Answer: Rehearsing the performance mentally until the brain has logged it as many times as the body, so the competition feels familiar.
Card 8
Question: Why should the competition floor feel familiar before stepping onto it?
Answer: Familiarity from rehearsal reduces novelty and helps the athlete perform inside pressure rather than react to it.
Card 9
Question: Is mental performance considered an innate talent or a skill?
Answer: Mental performance is a skill that can be built through deliberate, repeated practice.
Card 10
Question: What simple practice can athletes add to their training to improve performing under pressure?
Answer: Use pressure moments in practice to rehearse responses and develop a trusted pre-competition routine.