What Does a Sports Psychologist Do? - Test 4

B2 First · Multiple Matching · Cambridge B2 First 4, Cambridge University Press

You are going to read a magazine article about working as a sports psychologist. For questions 1–10, choose from the sections (A-E). The sections may be chosen more than once.

I set up my company Sporting Edge a decade ago to share the practical tools which promote success in sport. I specialise in the mental side of high performance. The role of the sports psychologist is more widely accepted than it was when I set up my company. Nowadays, when people reach the very top of their professions, we often hear that it was their mental game that led to their success. With so many world champions in sport speaking positively about their mental training now, it has created a new drive for sportspeople to find out what they could achieve with it. There used to be more mistrust of the concept of sports psychology. I think this is because our society celebrates people who are presented as being perfect, so it's a contradiction for these people to express any doubts or have any flaws. Thankfully, it's now seen as a positive thing, not a failing, to deal with imperfections in the mental game as readily as we do in the physical one.

Part of my role involves working with players and coaches to focus on the things that create the conditions for success. I teach them not to be overly influenced by the emotions that can impact badly on performance. When they can do this, they are able to create a clearer and more logical plan for success. We all want instant success, but if you take the time to develop quality long-term plans and not just concentrate on thorough preparation in the short term, you have a chance of reaching your potential. As a former international sportsman myself, I know very well the importance of this.

The latest scientific discoveries can help athletes' state of mind. For example, developments in functional MRI scanning and neuroscience show us that talking to ourselves isn't meaningless, as is commonly thought – it actually creates structures in the brain which, if reinforced repeatedly, can influence our actions and thus our success or failure. We therefore have a responsibility to ensure that our thinking habits are as healthy as possible. Learning routines to develop concentration is crucial. Athletes need to forget about everything else and keep their minds on their game. Mental strength is definitely something that can be trained and developed like physical strength.

The vast majority of training within teams will be physical rather than mental, but there are mental skills running through every physical session – decision-making, understanding team behaviour, confidence, focus, and so on. When coaches place an emphasis on these, it can really make a difference. The problem is that they seem harder to coach and that's where a sports psychologist can help. We can help coaches find new ways of reinforcing psychological skills. We can help them develop the way they deliver instructions, get feedback after skills sessions or facilitate team discussions in meetings. Forward-thinking coaches know that this is the way to engage and motivate players.

Elite performers are often driven by a fear of failure and feel a strong sense of relief after they succeed. This is because so much of people's identity is made up of what we do for a job rather than who we really are. This means we are desperate to be considered a success and not to let anyone down. If we tried to enjoy the struggle more, rather than just the end result, we would see that this is actually where the fun is. Professional sport is defined by results, though, so we have to accept that our careers will be remembered for those moments when we win something.

What does a sports psychologist do?

Jeremy Snape explains

the need to appreciate the process of competing?

the need for patience to achieve success?

an increased level of curiosity about how psychology can help in sport?

the apparent difficulty of giving instruction in the use of mental strategies?

understanding from experience what sports professionals require?

how recent research findings can aid sportspeople?

sportspeople's feelings having a negative effect on them?

greater awareness of what sports psychologists do these days?

the importance for sportspeople of maintaining focus?

a tendency to see successful people as having no weaknesses?

In which section are the following mentioned?

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