Every 4 years, athletes from across the globe look to make their dreams of becoming an Olympic champion reality. This often rests on one chance to show the world what they have been working on their whole lives. Imagine the pressure of knowing this could define your life’s dedication. For some, this pressure is debilitating, […]
The purpose of this article is to outline the concept of mental toughness amongst runners in a marathon with the use of mental skills. Mental toughness associates to the ability of coping under pressure with self-belief and focus. One can assume that mental toughness in marathon runners would be important given its duration. Performers can […]
Mental toughness has been discussed in the sports literature for many years. Indeed, mental toughness has been related to both business and sporting worlds owing to the alignment and common framework it carries. This blog outlines 10 key characteristics of mental toughness amongst sports performers. Ability to bounce back from defeat – Sports performers will […]
It doesn’t seem that long since the London 2012 Olympic Games were gracing our TV screens in the Summer that saw Great Britain achieve 29 Olympic Gold medals across 26 sports. Fast forward to the present and we are edging ever so closer to another sport filled Summer, with the 2016 Olympic Games being held […]
In recent years there has been increasing acknowledgement of the problem of mental health in elite sport. Research shows that while sports people are susceptible to mental health problems to broadly the same extent as the wider community, there are a number of key risk periods – such as times of injury, retirement and competitive […]
There are very few sports other than road cycling, where fans and spectators can experience the sport so close to the elite athletes. This has pros and cons for athletes. The atmosphere can carry athletes through tough stages, and creates a fantastic experience for fans. It also allows cyclists to hear and experience support close […]
“Get comfortable being uncomfortable” – Jillian Michaels Seek out challenging situations that push you to your limits more often. Spending more time attempting to overcome difficult conditions or opponents in your sport will help you to find a way to come out on top when the odds are against you and when it really matters. […]
The topic of frequent physical activity and, more importantly, a sedentary lifestyle dominate the media on a near-daily basis. Although many people feel they undertake enough physical activity to reap the subsequent health benefits, The British Heart Foundation (2012) discovered that less than 10% of men and women could correctly report the government’s guideline recommendations […]
Mental toughness is hard to quantify and define, and it is increasingly evident that the concept can mean different things to different people. UK researchers Jones et al. (2002) carried out an in-depth study with top international athletes and concluded mental toughness to be: ‘having the natural or developed psychological edge that enables you to […]
With the Cricket World Cup fast approaching it seems a good time to look into the psychological aspects the game. With such a focus recently on mental health, people have been referring back to Jonathon Trott’s unfortunate exit of the Ashes 13/14, with the man himself referring to ‘Burnout’ as a major factor. Cricket is […]