Visualization – Sport Psychology | Athletic Performance

Tag Archives: Visualization

Asking for help in a tough sports environment

Robert Price of Elite Minds in DC visits with the Athlete’s Audio today to talk about the stigma that plagues athletes (and people in general) when it comes to asking for help. Especially in the world of football, which may not be the most, shall I say, ‘sensitive’ environment…and one where the best skill players may not touch the ball but 4-7 times a game. You’ve got to be ready, focused, calm, and confident to play your best, and Robert...

31 Oct 2011

‘Train to Trust’ and the Tour de You | KC Wilder

A Sport Psychology book for kids, (called Tour de You) using cycling as the theme hit the stands in the last year, and KC Wilder, PhD, knows both ends of that spectrum….the cycling, and the Sport Psychology. She’s a PhD in Sport Psychology from Virginia, and a National champion cyclist. Today, on the Athlete’s Audio Academy, it’s KC’s second visit, (first one’s here) and we discuss the idea of ‘Training to Trust’. That is, planning, preparing, and practicing in your training...

18 Sep 2011

A 5-point system to make you a Star | Dr. Jack Bowman | Mind Plus Muscle

Wouldn’t it be AWESOME if there was a quick visual reference for optimal mental performance?? Something that would keep you from having to read, remember, and think about a bunch of things…when you’re trying to NOT THINK!? We’re lucky to be joined today by one of the most recognized Sports Psychologists in the profession, and a pioneer in distance learning programs for mental training. He’s created (and describes here) the ‘Perform Like a Star’ program for athletes of all ages,...

25 Jul 2011

Sports Choking, explained by a psychology pro

Picture this situation as an athlete…and see if it’s ever happened to you: ‘Like two minutes ago, I was playing GREAT! Now I can barely hit the ball!! WHAT HAPPENED!!’ Framed through the Masters collapse, and US Open triumph of Rory McIlroy, PhD Sport Psychologist from the Minneapolis area Dr. Justin Anderson joins us today to talk some mental toughness, resiliency, and how the brain works (and changes) when faced with the ‘zone’ or faced with everything falling apart. (As...

6 Jul 2011

Use your mind to practice your sport! Imagery with Dr. Jim Taylor

Bay area Sport Psychologist, and prolific blogger on mental performance, Dr. Jim Taylor visits the Athlete’s Audio Academy to discuss one of the most popular, and effective mental training skills for athletes, imagery. Of course, Imagery is something that we’re really interested in here at Athlete’s Audio! He’s got some great tips for performers of all kinds, and some ways that you can use imagery to boost your confidence, practice new skills, replay successful scenes from past performances, and engage all...

16 May 2011

Visualization, Mental Imagery, and Meditation in elite sports

They call Phil Jackson the ‘Zen Master’ for a reason…. Here’s a fascinating story about how the Lakers use meditation to calm their minds, focus on the moment, and relax with all the pressure facing them. It’s related to Game 7 of the NBA finals (which I know was a few weeks ago). Arguably, the Celtics, and Lakers (and all professional teams for that matter) are physically pretty much the same. When asked….they’ll all tell you that the game is...

22 Jul 2010

What’s in your Thought Bubble??

Extra special thanks to Dana Blackmer Ph.D., CC-AASP, founder of The Extra Gear for kicking off our Athlete’s Audio Academy learning resource for athletes. Dana works with athletes on psychological skills, and had some great insights into how mental skills training can benefit all athletes, as well as military personnel, performing artists, and others. A few highlights: “What’s in your thought bubble?” When working with an athlete who’s struggling, Dana asks the athlete to reflect on the moment of...

4 Apr 2010

Reasons ‘WHY” Sports Psychology

Call me short sighted, but it never occurred to me that Sports Psychology could be useful in equestrian events, but Seana Adamson, Ph.D., and Gold Medalist in the US Dressage Federation has created a list for her riders, and it’s a good list for any athlete or performer. All credit to her. You can check out the rest of her info here. Here’s her list. 1. Performance Anxiety: Do you ever feel so nervous that it interferes with your ability...

19 Mar 2010

More Lindsey Vonn

….US skier Lindsey Vonn, who explained in a conference call before the Olympics that she usually spends an hour’s preparation in visualizing her races, and then uses breathing exercises at the start gate to calm down… What are you visualizing about your performance, race, job, life, or passion?

22 Feb 2010

Lindsey Vonn Visualizing her Gold Medal run

MAN, NBC and the Olympic committee make it tough (as you would expect for all the money that changes hands over the broadcast/internet rights) to get video! I’ve been looking for video of Lindsey Vonn’s pre-run mental rehearsal. Did you see it?? For me, who’s been using, and talking to athletes about visualization (and having many of them say it’s all voodoo…hocus-pocus) it was a huge validation!! I can’t seem to find even one link to that video. (If you...

20 Feb 2010