Mental strengths of an athlete determine part of the athlete’s success. Depending on the sport there are various psychological skills an athlete has to possess for increased performance, like the ability to control one’s thoughts, arousal and attention, self esteem, confidence in ones abilities, communication, leadership skills, self awareness and stress management. Other skills that affect the outcome of a sports performance are the athletes motivation for the competition, how she is managing her lifestyle of balancing practices, rest, school, social aspects and healthy food intake or how he mentally is able to recover after a sports injury. Sports psychology provides athletes with various tools and techniques that support growth in these areas. Some of these tools can be learned by athletes and then used independently, whereas others will be applied through trained mental health counselors with an emphasis on sport performance or sport psychologists. If you wonder how sport psychology can support you in your athletic career then contact Kathrin Winkler Therapy, LLC in Costa Mesa. We can set up an appointment and discuss your concerns and goals.

Kathrin's Blog