Week 2

Date: Monday 14th January 2013
Time: 12:15 - 12:35
Location: Training (During Hours)
Skill: Self Talk
Measuring Tool: Body Language

Self Talk is quick and easy strategy to use and it allows the athlete the chance to have a relaxed and calm / clear state of mind by boosting their confidence and motivation levels up. The benefit of using this technique is that when the athlete is in self doubt they can pick thermelf back up with self motivaion by using the positive talk that allows them to carry on and focus on the game or task in hand without beating and working thermelf up about it.

Action: When you are feeling down because you missed the ball and you know (think) that every one is dissapointed in you, do not let them get you down, pick yourself back up because if you give it your all you have already won no matter what every one elses opinion of you. In order to do this you should use positive phrases to yourself such as; come on you can do this, don't give up now, take your time you have got this, think of your goal you can achieve it just don't give up.

This is a good strategy to use for competitive situations because is boosts an athlete's confidence levels up, the theory for this is that an athlete is feeling down and when they talk and think positive thoughts they are reminded of just how strong they are and are therefore motivated to get their head back in the game.

This skill should be used for seven 3 minutes periods with a minutes rest between each set, the reason for this is because the athlete should get use to hearing positive phrases as this will build up in their head which will essentially make them think back on this experience when they are in a negative environment. This results in them being confident in themself which means that they can turn bad situations into positive ones which effectivly improves their confidence because they will not hold back on what they want to do.

Evaluation: This was a good technique for the athlete to have because they can use it whenever and wherever they want. Athlete X thought that it helped them a great deal because when they thought of giving up they were reminded that they really can do it because they have a strong and open mind. This tool helped with athlete X's self confidence and made them realise that they have to focus on the good things during the game and not the weaker things as this is what distracts them the most.

Progression: In order for the athlete to build on their confidence they need to use this skill as often as possible, it is reccommended that they use it the night before training and competition as well as 10 minutes before them. This will make them believe that they can do it if their head is in the game. I wouldn't change anything because the phrases that were used if repeated enough times will get into the athlete's head which will make them more confident so that when it come's to performing they will get on with things, which in time will increase their performance.

Measure: This skill is measured by the athlete's body language, by looking at the athlete's facial expressions and colour I was able to determine whether or not they were successful in using this skill and this is because if the athlete was confident then their facial expressions would be showing signs of happiness, enjoyment and fulfilment and athlete X showed excellent signs of this which means that this skill worked. If this skill hadn't worked then athlete X would be showing signs of sadness which means that their face would be red (peaky) and they would be either frustrated or annoyed which means that their body would be tight and tense.  


Date: Thursday 17th January 2013
Time: 15:00 - 15:20
Location: Training Grounds (During Hours)
Skill: Self Talk
Measuring Tool: Body Language

Instead of the typical scenario that was used for the first session of self talk the athlete should use it when faced with difficult problems in their sport. This is because self limiting statements can particularly damaging as they increase stress in a given situation and therfore stop you from searching for solutions as you would then not be in the right state of mind to carry on because you will have given up on yourself which results in your confidence being decreased. This all results in your performance being affected as it will look poor due to you not completing your role successfully.

Action: You are not happy because you are practising the block in training and things aren't going your way (you aint doing as well as your team mates). You are thinking and saying to yourself “This is impossible!” and have thought about giving up because you can't handle the pressure and spot light or attention that you are recieving. You should rephrase the expression that you have said and turn it into a question such as “How can I handle this?” or “How is this possible?” the reason for this is because it sounds more hopeful and it opens up your imagination to new possibilities. Having said this it will increase your confidence because you would have found the solution to your problem.

The benefits of using this skill is that it allows you to look into the future with a positive mental attitude and provides you with the opportunity to look ahead to success and joy. It is qucik and simple to use and can be completed in any situation you find yourself in which maes it a great tool to have.

The athlete needs to use this technique for 5 minutes before competition and training as it will allow them to believe in themself and make them more determined to achieve their goals.

Evaluation: Having used this technique to increase the athlete's motivation and confidence helped them a huge amount because from observing their performance it is clear to see that they are allowing themself to try out new things which is making their performance look much better.

Progression: The athlete should practise self-talk regularly so that they will develop the habit of positive thinking which needs to be used all the time because if they stop they will go back to square one which no one wants to see happen again. Remember that you need to persevere in order to achieve success with self-talk and positive thinking.

Measure: In athlete X's performance during training they showed positive signs of confidence which was proposed through their body language for example relaxed, calm, happy and being head on. This suggests that the self talking skill is effective for athlete X.