SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY BPS106
COURSE STRUCTURE
This subject has 8 lessons as follows:
1.
Introduction
Performance Psychology, Exercise Psychology,
Environmental Influences, Aspects of Sports Psychology, Applying Sports
Psychology.
2. Psychological Traits of Successful Athletes
Personality
Inventory, Cognitive Techniques.
3. State of Mind.
Anxiety
& Arousal, Anxiety, Physiology of Anxiety, Psychology of Anxiety, Arousal,
How to Maximise Psychological State, Focusing (or Centering).
4.
Motivation
Motivation is the internal impulse that causes
increasingly energetic action in a particular direction.
Basic
Principles, Intrinsic Motivation, Extrinsic Motivation Factors Affecting
Motivation, Movitation for fun, Slimming for fun.
5.
Aggression
Mental Rehearsal, Error Parking, Using Self
Consciousness, Word Association, Anger, Conflict, Measuring Aggression,
Simulated Practice, e-Event Procedure, Reliving Success, Positive,
Conflict Handling Techniques.
6. Leadership & Coaching
A
Coach's Role, Getting Attention, Questioning, Punishment.
7.
Team Dynamics
Group cohesion, Forming, Storming, Norming,
Performing, Traits of an Effective Team,
Suitable membership,
Appropriate Leadership, Commitment to the Team, Concern for Achieving,
Effective Work Methods, Well Organised Team Procedures, Ability To Take
Criticism, Creative Strength, Positive Relationships, Positive Environment.
8.
Special Groups
Stress, Post Game/Season Evaluation, Gender
Differences, Elite Female Athletes, Special Considerations with Female
Athletes, Disabled Persons. Children, Readiness, Dropping out.
WHAT
YOU MAY DO IN THIS COURSE
Read articles (magazines,
newspapers), watch interviews on TV/Radio, etc. with elite
athletes/coaches/sports persons. Try to find out what techniques they use
to stay motivated, to reduce stress and tension, to remain focussed, to
prepare for a competition, etc.
How do successful athletes cope with
failure, error or poor performance in a major competition? Give an example
of an acute stressor because of one of the above in sport, and describe
the techniques you recommend for an effective coping strategy.
Discuss
the difference in coping with sports related stress for the athlete and
the
non elite sportsperson. Include examples of their ability to handle
fatigue,
pain, competitive situations, and performance failure.
What
can a coach do to reduce or eliminate learned helplessness?
Discuss the
potential harm caused by this?
Talk to one or more athletes to find out
what psyching techniques they use to help improve their performance. Have
they tried other techniques? If so, why did they stop using them?
Think
about two or three different activities (sporting, or otherwise) that you
undertook recently but weren't keen to do, or that you felt would be
beyond your capabilities. How were you motivated to complete the activity
- was the motivation intrinsic or extrinsic? Did you use different
motivating techniques to accomplish each activity? How did you feel once
you had accomplished each activity? Would you use the same motivating
technique(s) in the future? Also speak to someone else, and ask them the
same questions.
Watch a range of altercations (such as a fight or
collision between players) or aggressive behaviour in sporting events,
such as in team sports like football or basketball, or in direct
competition between two or more individual competitors such as in tennis,
fencing, car racing, or distance running. What events have led up to the
altercation/s or fight or aggressive behaviour? What form of behaviour did
the aggression take? Who was it directed at? How many people were
involved? How did it stop? What penalties, if any, where applied (e.g.
fines, frees, time outs, lost points, etc.)?
Speak to a coach to find
out what role they play in organising and training their athletes.
Speak
to a coach who trains children. Find out how their role differs to when
they are training adults. What techniques do they use for gaining
attention and motivating the children?
Discuss the development of a
team with someone who has been a member of a sporting team (school,
amateur or professional) for more than one season. Ask about their ups and
downs and the reasons they think contributed to high points and low points.
Investigate
those reasons to see whether any situations or patterns relate to things
you have studied in this lesson.
