What's Performance Psychology

Achieving peak performance involves more than reaching high physical fitness, technical excellence, and tactical awareness. Also, potential and natural abilities are only part of the equation and do not guarantee success in the professional game. Therefore, mental capabilities are recognised as one of the most vital components in fulfilling potential and reaching peak performance levels consistently. As a result, the field of performance psychology is recognised as a resource to power the inner edge of a player, enhancing their performance and wellbeing. Players at all levels, who are serious about pushing performance limits and releasing the greatest potential, are required to work on the mental aspects of their sport. For instance, players are encouraged to develop psychological skills that will allow them to maintain focus, overcome injury, deal with failure, and handle success.

Contemporary performance psychology is a diverse field and there are several different interventions to assist players from a wide array of settings, levels of competition, and ages. Indeed, performance psychology is not one theory, but a combination of many overlapping ideas and concepts aimed at addressing players’ personal needs. Performance psychologists conduct detailed needs analysis (e.g., talking to athletes, observing the athletes perform, gathering a variety of observation data) to understand the particular situation and plan how best to help. The work and interventions used by performance psychologists, therefore, are highly individualised and tailored to specific performance objectives. Some of the examples of performance psychology interventions include:

Help players cope with performance fears.

Youth and senior players might often find themselves under a considerable amount of pressure, either external (e.g., coaches, agents, parents, peers) or internal (e.g., players putting high-performance demands on themselves). Performance psychology, therefore, can help players who might worry too much about what other people think about their performances and help them overcome their fears (e.g., fear of failure, fear of embarrassment, and general performance anxiety).

Help players mentally prepare for training and competitions.

The most common role of performance psychologists is to teach mental skills for enhanced performance. Such interventions aim to help players apply mental skills to specific training and match situations to overcome encountered challenges, play to their full potential and enhance current performance levels. Mastery of psychological skills, therefore, often results in a greater ability to focus on the task at hand and stay focused on the present moment.

Enhance players' mental toughness.

Performance psychology can help players develop unshakeable beliefs in one’s self, the ability to bounce back from setbacks, and a desire to succeed. Also, players working with a performance psychologist can benefit from an enhanced ability to react positively to situations, remain calm under pressure, and maintain emotional control. Therefore, players can become better equipped at perceiving challenges as learning opportunities and develop strategies for future success.

Help players develop pregame routines.

As part of mental preparation, performance psychology can help players develop mental skills used during preparation for an upcoming match. Players can benefit from focusing on the key aspects of their performance and be more proactive in enhancing their confidence before the competition.

I would encourage players of all ages and ability levels to seek support in integrating mental skills training into their football-based sessions. While qualified and accredited performance psychologists are best placed to hold such conversations, players can also seek support from their coaches, parents, agents, and peers. Questions regarding the mental aspects of the game should not be understood from a position of weakness, instead, players should perceive them as a key aspect of their character demonstrating their desire for personal growth and development. Also, such conversations should be phrased around performance aspects (e.g., defending 1v1, finishing with a first touch) rather than specific psychological aspects.