PST training programme-Mrs Donald.

Introduction.

As part of this Learning objective we were asked to participate in a variety of

different Sporting psychological tests. These gave us indications as to which aspects
of sporting personality and performance we excelled, or struggled with. Within in this
L.O. I will be creating and providing my subject of study with a training programme.
This training programme follows the pattern of a PST (Psychological Skills Training)
an individually designed combination of methods selected to attain psychological skill
needs (Gill, 2000). There is no single perfect PST package, each program must be
individualised based on the psychological state of the individual and their sporting
event. To assemble a successful PST program it is important to include both PST
skills and PST methods. PST skills are the psychological qualities or attribute that
need to be developed (i.e. in the clients case anxiety/stress levels, and worry), the PST
method is the tool that will be used to help improve the PST skill examples of the
methods used for the client are in a below section, use of imagery, breathing
techniques and self talk. (Calmels, d'Arripe-Longueville, Fournier, & Soulard, 2003).

The subject I studied showed weaknesses in a few different sections which could
create a negative dent in her sporting performance. The client shows a lack of self
confidence and possesses high levels of anxiety, these could both have a negative
effect on performance and bring the athletes ability and skill level to below average.
The high levels of worry hint the client feels the need to impress and exceeding in
performance is incredibly important to them, also the high levels of worry about what
others think leads to a loss in confidence.

From the information above concluded in the needs analysis we can see that there are
a number of different techniques that could be used to make possible improvements to
the client. The are two main factors that stand out from analysing the clients results,
these being;

• High levels of worry.

• High levels of anxiety/stress.

Below I have created a training programme specific to needs of my client, taking the
resources and information from a number of previous different sporting tests
composed to outline the client s strengths and weaknesses with regards to sport.
The training programme has been set out over a course of 6 weeks, incorporating the
different techniques and methods to help develop the client in areas of weakness.

Start of training programme.

Because my client found weakness’s in the above bullet points, there are a number of
different actions that can be acquired in order to benefit the performance. Over the
course of the 6 weeks the client will follow a training pattern which focuses on her
high anxiety and worry levels. Some of the methods I have incorporated into her
programme are used to control her anxiety and are listed as either somatic or cognitive
techniques, this variation of the two allows the client to feel less restricted within the
programme, providing her with a wider range of choice.
Below a quotation taken from (advanced PE for OCR A2- Daniel Bonney et al 2004.)
shows the significance of addressing anxiety, and how our cognitive state works when
in this environment.
‘’An athletes cognitive response to anxiety reflects increasing worry about
performance, if this factor remains unchecked, the athlete will become increasingly
apprehensive and develop doubts and negative thoughts. Attentional changes occur
and this will adversely influence the information processing system. If the athlete
experiences worry, he or she will not attain a ‘peak flow’ state.’’

Cognitive methods would include the following;

-Imagery.

The client should withdraw from the stressful situation and imagine herself to be in a
peaceful and calm setting in which she has total control. This technique is excellent to
use when the client requires complete relaxation, when somatic and cognitive arousal
interact adversely .e.g. before the client goes to make the final shot in netball, or when
the client is just about to catch the last hit ball in a rounder’s game.
Imagery can also take the form of mental rehearsal. Mental rehearsal involves
thinking through as vividly as possible prior to performance. Finally, creative imagery
has a positive effect on self-confidence and is a form of vicarious experience
mentioned in self-efficacy theory.
To be effective, like any skill, imagery needs to be developed and practiced
regularly. There are four elements to mental imagery - Relaxation, Realism,
Regularity and Reinforcement, each of these four elements will need to be under
taken by my client within the first 3 weeks. Below are explanations of how, why and
when I would like my client to undertake the following.

• Relaxation

‘’Having a relaxed mind and body enables you to become involved in the imagery
exercises’’ (www.brianmac.co.uk) the client needs to feel their body moving and
experience any emotions generated. It may help to use a relaxation technique prior to
imagery training. An example of how my client can incorporate a relaxation technique
known as ‘’getting loose’’ into her programme is as follows;

‘’Getting Loose’’

Begin each session as follows

• Loosen clothing and remove shoes

• Lie down with a pillow under your head (on a bed or on the floor)
• Lie flat on your back, feet about 12 to 18 inches apart and your arms at your
sides
• Go as limp as you can from head to foot
• Let your shoulder blades go slightly flat
• Waggle your feet
• Settle in with your legs
• Shake your arms gently, rolling the backs of your hands against the floor
• Roll your head back and forth
Close your eyes. Let your attention wander slowly over each part of your body, from
legs to face, as you did in the exercise. If any area seems to have some residual
tension, tense it. Let yourself feel the tension draining out of you. Keeping your eyes
closed, stay in this relaxed state for the rest of the 10 minute session. Think of a very
pleasant, peaceful place. Think of floating in a small boat on a peaceful lake with a
soft breeze gently rocking you back and forth, back and forth. Alternatively think of
floating in space, lighter than air, weightless. Observe the pleasant, calm feelings. Tell
yourself 'I am relaxed now... My legs feel relaxed... My buttocks, thighs, and
abdomen feel relaxed... My back arms, shoulders, jaws, face and eyes feel relaxed...
The tension has been… ‘let go.’

Focusing the clients relaxed feelings

Now I would like the client to begin to focus this relaxation on their upcoming
sporting event. Tell yourself 'When I playing and I begin to feel tension gripping
some muscles, I will be able to tell those muscles "Let go", saying "Let go" will recall
the relaxed feelings from your relaxation technique.

• Realism

I Would here like eh client to create imagery so realistic they believe they are
actually executing the skill. In order to obtain the most realistic imagery possible, the
client needs to incorporate clarity, vividness, emotion, control and a positive outcome
into your imagery:

1. Clarity - Make the images as vivid as possible, include colour

2. Vividness - Incorporate as many of your senses as possible into the imagery
so the scene is as clear and realistic as real life itself
3. Emotion - Try to include emotional feelings in the images. Refresh memory
constantly by emphasising specific sensory awareness during training
4. Control - Break down the image into small components and visualise those
components. (Netball shooting- consider the action of the arms, legs, trunk,
head, feet, hands, breathing etc.)
5. Positive outcome - This is essential, "I can only achieve what I believe"

Regularity

Spending between 3 and 5 minutes on imagery is what my client requires. As well as

the incorporation of imagery into the clients training programme, I would also like her
to spend 10-15minutes a day practicing this method outside of her training to freshen
her memory with it, the client can achieve this by following the relaxation techniques
and picturing herself in a positive, calm environment.

• Reinforcement

The writing of imagery scripts will help the client to plan the content and timing of
when they wish to use the skill. I would like my client to draw up and write about her
mental image, become familiar with every detail to strengthen the realism and
easiness of access to her imagery.
 -Thought stopping.

This technique requires the athlete to refuse to think negatively. Any negative
inclination should be stopped and substituted with a positive thought.

This psychological technique will help my client to overcome negative attitudes

during competition. The aim in using this method is for my client to once having
recognised negative thoughts, replace them with positive ones. At the start of a netball
game for example, instead of the client focusing energy onto her chances of not
receiving the centre pass, they will focus on the different paths of play they can create
to make sure they are the receiver.

Below is an approach I would like my client to consider engaging in

First Step: The hardest part is to identify the undesirable thought. You might
naturally be flooded with negative thoughts after you miss an exercise session or get
intercepted in netball. If you took note of the number of negative thoughts you have
during a session you might be amazed at the number and the impact they can have.
These can distract you from getting back on track. The first step is to identify and
acknowledging these thoughts when they occur.

Second Step: The next step is not to dwell on these thoughts but STOP them there.
One tip is to say the word “STOP!” when you identify that unproductive thought.
Some athletes combine saying “STOP!” with a mental image.

Third Step: Replacing the unhelpful thought with a positive phrase is next. One
useful tip is to write out some of your most common negative thoughts. Then try and
come up with a positive word or phrase that replaces these.

For example my client could make use of this method when playing in her netball
games;

“Is the umpire blind. That was out!” (STOP!) Replaced with, “I can’t control the
umpire. I can control my passing. Focus on good line and length for this next pass”

“I don’t want to fail” (STOP thinking about the outcome) Replaced with, “Relax and
focus on what I can do NOW”

-Positive talk.

This involves the athlete endorsing his or her own ability or progress by literally
talking to themselves. Speaking aloud commits the athlete to the task ad does much to
raise confidence.

This is a common method of anxiety and motivation control. Self -talk sport is about
being mentally positive, realistic, calm and focused when things become too much.
This technique is essential in my clients training programme as it combats both her
high levels of worry as well as her high levels of anxiety/stress.

While you can’t change what other people say, with some hard work you can change
your internal dialogue.
The first step to this is repeating your desired action over and over again in your head.
so when training I need my client to tell themselves (in their head) something like, “I
will do 10 perfect passes.” Of course, these techniques won’t make you into the
perfect performer, the client will actually have to have the physical capabilities to
accomplish something. But I think you will find more often than not, it is the mind
which holds us back, not the body.
The second stop is to say the same thing out loud. This is a very powerful tool.
Hearing something out loud is similar to hearing someone else say something about
us. It helps you to internalise it and to believe it. My client should use phases such as;

-‘’Come on, I can do this’’

-‘’Keep going’’
-‘’I’m doing well’’

Positive self-talk takes a lot of repetition and so my client will need to re-enforce this by
repeatedly reassuring herself, even at the smallest of tasks, this will help her to become more
of a positive character and lessen her states of worry and nervousness with regards to sport.

-Rational thinking.

It has been said that anxiety grows from an imbalance of perception between ability
and situational demands. Rational thinking involves focusing inwardly into the
internal and narrow style of attention and evaluating the situation and its possible
consequences logically.

Some of the Somatic methods which could be used to reduce anxiety levels for my
client include the following;

-Progressive muscular relaxation.

This requires the athlete to increase the tension of the muscles throughout the body
and gradually relax each group in turn. This should be done before the client park
takes in a competitive environment, for example if the client starts to feel anxious and
tense about an upcoming netball tournament she should do the following

-The physical component involves the tensing and relaxing of muscle groups over the
legs, abdomen, chest, arms and face. With the eyes closed and in a sequential pattern,
a tension in a given muscle group is purposefully done for approximately 10 seconds
and then released for 20 seconds before continuing with the next muscle group.
The client should start by sitting or lying down in a comfortable position. The whole
PMR session takes approximately 30 minutes.

-The mental component focuses on the difference between the feelings of the tension
and relaxation. Because the eyes are closed, one is forced to concentrate on the
sensation of tension and relaxation. Because of the feelings of warmth and heaviness
are felt in the relaxed muscle after it is tensed, a mental relaxation is felt as a result.

Possible improvements to performance when considering the clients high levels of

both worry and anxiety could also be bought about by using techniques the following
technique;

-Breathing methods.

According to www.pe2000.com/breathe; ‘’having the breathing skills to alter

unwelcome moods puts you in charge of yourself.’’ This explains how important
breathing can be when in contrast with relaxation and change. When demands become
to great and your stress/anxiety levels rise in regards to sport, being able to take
control and remain in charge of your state of mind proves to be extremely crucial.
Rapid, deep breathing lowers your vitality, reduces your resistance to disease, and
leads to an agitated state of mind. Becoming skilled at changing your state through
altering your breathing boosts your confidence in your state-management ability .

Altering your breathing instantly alters your mental, physical and emotional state.
Sitting quietly and allowing your breathing to become calmer, slower and shallower
can produce a calmer state within a few minutes. Therefore being able to alter your
breathing and to temporarily move from 'automatic' to 'manual' control puts you more
in the driving seat of your own emotions and the general rule is

The client can achieve a state of relaxation through breathing by;

• Inhale
o Inhale slowly and deeply, filling the chest with air, counting four
seconds to yourself in a rhythm 'One and two and three and four'. The
count is to give you a nice and easy, even pace. Try to breathe as fully
as you can without discomfort. Imagine your chest slowly filling with
air, from your diaphragm to your collar.
• Hold breath
o When you have inhaled fully, hold your breath for another four
seconds, again counting to yourself 'One and two and three and four'.
This should be just a comfortable pause. Do not do it until you are blue
in the face.
• Exhale
o Exhale - but do not blow. Just let the air out through your mouth
slowly saying to yourself 'Easy...easy... easy... easy.' Let out as much
air as you can, down to the lower part of the lungs. Feel yourself
relaxing as you do. Feel your shoulders, chest and diaphragm letting
go. As you exhale, think of the tension flowing out of you.
The important thing is to establish the slow relaxed breathing rate. After the ten
cycles, the breathing rate will be automatically slower and so the client will be a better
mental state to carry out a sporting activity.

Now let yourself breathe normally and tell yourself relaxing phrases 'I feel very
relaxed... All the tension is going out of me as I exhale and good feelings are coming
into me as I inhale... When I am playing my sport, I will be able to take a few deep
breaths and by saying, "Easy " will be able to tell myself to relax whenever I feel
overly tense... When I am playing, I will recall the good feelings I am experiencing
now and they will automatically return to me. Imagine all this happening as you say it
to yourself.

Conclusion.

In Conclusion from this lesson objective, I aimed to produce a training programme

tailored to my clients’ areas of weakness. I hope from the design I have produced my
client feels more confident when addressing these problems and is able to continue
using a Varity of methods when in a sporting environment. As well as this I hope the
client can apply some of the techniques to everyday life situations e.g. positive talk
and relaxation techniques. Over all I want the client to have felt a sense of ease and
low pressure through out the course of the 6 week training programme, I think by
using the Varity of different techniques has widened my clients choice making them
feel more natural and at ease with the programme.
 Bibliography.

• www.pe2000.com/breathe;

• (www.brianmac.co.uk)

• (Advanced PE for OCR A2- Daniel Bonney et al 2004.)

• (Calmels, d'Arripe-Longueville, Fournier, & Soulard, 2003).

• (Gill, 2000).

Olivia McCarthy 12DPL.