Sports Psychology

Do any of the following resonate with you?

Are you curious to find out just how good you could be?
You know you can perform better but just don’t seem to know how to get to the next level?
Do you want to get more out of your performance?
Do you seem to have hit a plateau or a form slump?
Do you keep re-living in your mind key losses or mistakes?
You hear that it’s ‘mind over matter’ but just don’t know how to put that into practice?
Yet to find your ‘peak’ for peak performance?
Difficulties communicating with your coach or fellow athletes?
Are injuries setting back your progress?
Do you seem to crack under pressure?
Do you freeze with stage fright?
Do you want to perform ‘in the zone’ more consistently?
Hard to stick with your exercise and healthy eating program?
Seeking a way to balance all areas of your life?

“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.
I have lost almost 300 games.
On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot…and I missed.
I have failed over and over and over again in my life.
And that’s precisely why I succeed.”

Michael Jordan (Basketball star; born 1963)

If you want to be more like Michael Jordan and less like Homer Simpson, then learning the tools to fine-tune your psychological skills to become your best asset rather than your worst liability will have you on the road to performance success. Learning how to fine-tune your mind from a qualified Sport Psychologist will assist you to achieve your goals.

Five Crucial Psychological Factors for Success

At the elite end of sport, pressure can be extreme – not only on the day of the competition, but from within the teams / organisations for which you perform to get selected to compete, financial strains, and the impact on your personal life requiring great sacrifice.

Recent research identified five key psychological factors in elite athletes that act as a protective buffer from the possible negative effects of stressors. These factors shape the way successful athletes explain and respond to the stressors they face, such that it promotes healthy and positive responses in their behaviours increasing the likelihood of their best possible performance in their chosen sport on the day. These five factors, which Michael Jordan has in abundance, are:

Positive personality
Motivation
Focus
Perceived social support
Confidence

Fortunately, each of the five key factors is able to be learned – it is not a case of ‘lucky if you were born with it’ or ‘tough luck if you were not’. So if you are not a naturally focussed or motivated person, you can learn how to cultivate these and other core psychological factors, just as you would hone your skills in the sporting arena with multiple drills for each part of your sporting performance.

In fact, these five factors are essential elements for success in any area of life, be it sport, performing arts, the business world, social life, relationships, hobbies or community contribution. Other important psychological skills include: self-awareness, self-esteem, optimal physical and mental energy, communication, and lifestyle management.

Tools for Learning Psychological Skills

The above five key psychological factors for elite performance success and other important psychological skills can be learned by a number of approaches including:

Goal setting
Imagery / visualisation
Relaxation / Mindfulness / Stress management
Thought control

Learning these psychological skills from a qualified Sport and Exercise Psychologist will assist you to perform at your best, cope with pressure, and bounce back from setbacks (choosing instead to see setbacks as an opportunity to fine-tune your game), whether you are a professional, amateur, or weekend warrior.

Patrea is a registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist and has experience in competitive sports and performing arts. Patrea was the School Athletics Captain and was in school teams for swimming, netball, tennis and athletics. Upon completion of school, Patrea commenced full-time dance training. She played tennis at school, club and university levels. Patrea has competed in triathlons (individual and team events – cycle leg).

When living in London, Patrea competed in the Great Britain Masters Swimming Championships and qualified for the European Masters Swimming Championships. Patrea continues to live an active and healthy lifestyle incorporating yoga, Pilates, swimming, cycle classes and gym workouts. She also continues to workout her mind embracing positive psychology strategies, mindfulness, and the key psychological skills for success.

Call Patrea personally on 0410 264 224 to confidentially discuss your situation or use the handy online contact form.