Discuss psychological skills training (PST).

developing psychological skills involves three phases: general education phase, acquisition phase, and practice phase✔

education phase: the athlete learns about the importance of psychological skills and how they can affect performance✔

acquisition phase: the athlete learns about the strategies and techniques to improve the specific psychological skills that they require✔

practice phase: the athlete develops their appropriate psychological skills through repeated practice, simulations and actual competition✔

is not a quick fix✔

not only used by elite / problem athletes✔

Examples of PST interventions:

goal setting involves setting outcome / performance/process goals✔

setting effective goals involves using the SMARTER process (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based, Exciting, Review)✔

mental imagery involves using all the senses to create an experience in the mind and has been shown to enhance motor task performance✔

thought stopping / concentration / distraction techniques✔

relaxation techniques help athletes to cope with anxiety and pressure situation and include progressive muscle relaxation/ breathing techniques/ self-talk techniques✔

Award [1 max] for example of PST interventions.

Many candidates did not answer this well and gave quite vague responses. It did discriminate those students who really knew the concepts and those that did not.