Elite portuguese soccer players’ use of psychological techniques: where, when and why

Abstract

Freitas, S.P., Dias, C.S. & Fonseca, A.M. (2013). Elite Portuguese Soccer Players' Use of Psychological Techniques: Where, when and why. J. Hum. Sport Exerc., 8(3), pp.847-860. The purpose of the current study was to examine the use whether, were, when and why soccer players used self-talk, imagery, goal setting and relaxation. Semi-structure, in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 elite soccer players from Portuguese premier league soccer teams that played regularly in UEFA champions and Europe leagues. Results demonstrated that participants employed self-talk, goal-setting, and imagery with several purposes in their soccer routines. On the other hand, participants highlighted a lack of use of relaxation. In addition, results showed that the use of psychological techniques was lower in training than competition setting. Implications of the results are discussed and future research and practical recommendations are suggested.

Psychological Skills Used by Sport Psychology Consultants to Improve Their Consulting

“…However, to ensure that the findings would be clear, consistent, and practical, the sub-themes in this section were only organized around techniques that could be practiced. With respect to what psychological skills they used, SPCs in the current study practiced the same types of skills as other SPCs (e.g., Elsborg et al, 2015; and performers Freitas et al, 2013a).…”

“…The interview guide (see Appendix C) was based on Smith and Sparkes' (2016) guidelines, previous studies that used elements of the four Ws approach to examine the psychological skills employed by different performers (e.g., Freitas et al, 2013a;, and Bennett-Levy's (2006) three-systems model of therapist skills development. It comprised three sections.…”

“…Moreover, they prioritize tasks and take time for themselves , set goals Freitas, Dias, & Fonseca, 2013a), and regularly evaluate their performance for future improvement . Similar to elite athletes, elite-level coaches use self-talk, imagery, relaxation, and goal-setting strategies in different locations (training and competition), during different time frames (before, during, and after training or competition), and for various purposes .…”

The Effectiveness of Psychological Skills Training Program on Netball Shooting Performance

“…For some reason the literature indicates that many coaches exclude psychological skills training (PST) from the training and preparation of their athletes (Freitas, Dias, & Fonseca, 2013a;Grobbelaar, 2007) and a lack of knowledge about PST (Freitas, Dias, & Fonseca, 2013b;Grobbelaar, 2007). However, there have been possible explanations from athletes" point of view for the need of development and implementation of PST including the awareness to improve poor psychological preparation for competitions (van Den Heever, Grobbelaar, & Potgieter, 2007).…”

How do psychological characteristics influence the sports performance of men and women? A study in school sports

“…Thus, psychological variables such as motivation, stress, self-confidence, the level of general activation, attention or team cohesion, have a close relationship with the performance, health and well-being of athletes. In fact, the main objective of psychological intervention in this context is to control these variables in the most appropriate direction (Freitas, Dias & Fonseca, 2013;Weinberg & Gould, 2011).…”