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Sport Psychology(psy407)

Lesson 23

AROUSAL ENERGIZING STRATEGIES

In the previous lecture we discussed strategies that athletes use to relax and to reduce anxiety and arousal

associated with the stress response. In this lecture we are discussing arousal energizing strategies needed to

obtain peak performance.

People have been looking to the sport psychologist to learn how to maintain optimal levels of arousal in

athletes. The typical approach has been to "psych up" the athletes through various kinds of pep talks and

activation techniques. There is, of course, a proper time to get athletes excited and aroused, but often these

techniques are applied at the wrong time.

Generally, some athletes have only an intermediate level of skill, and the extra arousal serves only to induce

unforced errors. Increasing arousal affects each athlete differently. In most cases, intervention procedures

are best applied on an individual basis; each athlete should be treated differently. Some will need a pep talk,

but others may need an entirely different form of intervention.

The indiscriminate use of relaxation or arousal energizing strategies has prompted sport psychologists to

promote a closer match between precompetitive affect and psychological adjustment. This practice has

come to be referred to as the matching hypothesis. In the matching hypothesis, care is taken to make sure

that the intervention selected to relax or energize the athlete is matched to the specific symptoms.

Two major strategies to relax or energize are:

Team energizing strategies

Individual energizing strategies

Team energizing strategies are those strategies that deal with the team as a whole and are generally

orchestrated by the coach. They include such things as:

Team goal setting

Pep talks

Bulletin boards

Publicity

News coverage

Fan support

Coach athlete, and parents interaction

Pre competition workout

Post competition conference

Individual self-energizing strategies are those strategies that the individual uses to induce immediate

activation and alertness. From the perspective of the individual, these latter techniques are also referred to

as individual psyching-up strategies.

Team Energizing Strategies

As a coach prepares for the season, she recognizes the need to set into motion a number of initiatives

designed to keep the team focused and energized. There are a total of nine team energizing strategies; five

will be discussed in this lecture and the remaining in the next lecture.

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Sport Psychology(psy407)

Team Goal Setting

We emphasized the notion that goal setting was theory of motivation and a way to energize teams. Here we

reiterate the critical importance of the setting of process, performance, and outcome goals for the team. The

coach should provide the leadership in this process, but the athletes must be equal partners in deciding what

it is that they want to accomplish as a team and as individuals during the current competitive season. The

coach then lays out for the team a plan whereby the goals set by the team can be accomplished. While

outcome goals must be addressed, the main focus should be upon process and performance goals that give

the team a chance to succeed. Goals are then monitored on a regular basis so that progress can be

determined.

Pep Talks

A pep talk by a psychologist or a respected member of the team is the most common method now used to

increase the activation level of athletes. But like any verbal communication, it can be either effective or

ineffective. Perhaps the most important element of the pep talk is an emphasis on the ingredient that is

lacking in the team. If the team is lacking in motivation, pep talk should be targeted at that.

Bulletin Boards

In many ways messages on a bulletin board are identical to those in a pep talk, but they are visually rather

than verbally conveyed. Poster-board displays should be placed where team members cannot miss them.

Such places as locker room dressing areas and confined training areas are ideal. The bulletin boards should

always convey positive, motivating thoughts and ideas. Catchy phrases such as "when the going gets tough,

the tough get going" can be effective. Athletes remember these simple phrases and will repeat them later,

when they need reinforcement. Other messages on the display board might include personal challenges to

members of the team.

Fan Support

Fans tell the athletes that what they are doing is important to people other than themselves. A full session

of daily basketball, football, or tennis can burn out many players. Those responsible for promoting the

team must do all they can to get people to support the team by coming to watch them.

Coach, Athlete, and Parent Interaction

The interaction between an athlete's parents, the athlete, and the coach are an often-overlooked source of

motivation for an athlete. Coaches are often wary about the over-involved and demanding parents.

However, often just the opposite situation occurs, and parents are excluded from active involvement in

motivating an athlete. Parents provide tremendous support for an athlete's involvement that sometimes

goes completely unnoticed.

References

Cox, H. Richard. (2002). Sport Psychology: Concepts and Applications. (Fifth Edition). New York: McGraw-

Hill Companies

Lavallec. D., Kremer, J., Moran, A., & Williams. M. (2004) Sports Psychology: Contemporary Themes. New

York: Palgrave Macmillan Publishers