Mental performance coaching is centered around the idea of helping an athlete reach their full potential.

How exactly is this done?

To help an athlete reach their full potential, a mental performance coach will first work on optimizing their mental performance. From there, a stronger mindset will allow them to reach higher levels of physical performance on the field or court.

How Mental Performance Coaching Increases Performance

Number one, before we go any further, is that to optimize an athlete’s mental performance requires work.

It’s not something that occurs overnight, or through one conversation.

Just like improving their physical skills, mental skill development takes time and effort.

Luckily, mental performance coaching works to facilitate that effort and guide the athlete along; showing them exactly what must be done to increase their mental toughness.

What I’m going to do is break down the basic structure of mental performance coaching, to show you how it works so effectively as increasing an athlete’s mental performance.

Step #1: Identifying Strengths & Challenges

Awareness is the first step towards growth.

A mental performance coach will work to gain a better understanding of where the athlete’s current strengths are and what challenges they present.

This is typically done through a combination of an assessment and coaching sessions.

At Success Starts Within, our mental performance coaching program always begins with an initial assessment. Once the assessment is taken, the coach will create additional questions to truly dive deeply into the mind of the athlete.

Once these strengths and challenges have been identified, it’s time to move on to step two.

Step #2: Creating a Custom Plan

The assessment and initial sessions provide key information as to what the athlete needs to work on the most. That insight is used to craft a custom mental game plan.

This plan will include the main mental game areas that will be worked on.

However, it will not only be reserved for the areas that are current challenges to the athlete. Strengths will also be worked on, to improve them and make them even more of an asset to their game.

Step #3: Coaching Sessions

With the use of the mental game plan, along with the information gathered through the assessment and initial calls, coaching sessions will begin.

These provide an opportunity for the athlete to discuss with their mental performance coach recent games. Going over what happened, and digging into situations where they both excelled and struggled.

In addition, these coaching sessions are where the key mental game areas outlined in the coaching plan will be taught.

Through this form of coaching, the athlete’s mental performance truly begins to be optimized.

Step #4: Action Steps

Only so much change can occur during weekly coaching sessions. Yes, a lot will happen, and a good coach will be able to work on altering an athlete’s mindset. However, for lasting change to occur within the mind, additional effort must be put forth.

This effort comes from the athlete.

To facilitate this effort, mental performance coaching provides athletes with action steps to be completed during the week.

These action steps come in a variety of ways.

Some will be workbook exercises and handouts. Requiring the athlete to think and work through their doubts and current beliefs.

Other types of exercises involve more actionable things such as visualization, or performing a daily self-talk routine.

But it is these action steps, combined with coaching sessions, that truly works to optimize an athlete’s mental performance.

Final Thoughts

High level mental skills will take an athlete’s game to the next level.

When you reach a certain point, everyone is talented. It’s the mind that truly separates the good from the great.

A mental performance coach works to optimize an athlete’s mental performance by first working to understand their mindset, then putting a plan in place to improve it moving forward.