 |
 |
|  | |
Mental Toughness
Commitment Possessing the desire to achieve is a trait that characterises elite players, who understand what they are trying to develop and do so without constant supervision or persuasion. There are 3 phases in establishing absolute commitment:
If you are ambitious as a player or coach, you probably dream about what you want to achieve in rugby Aims and Ambitions Discussing aims and ambitions with friends and coaches, and writing them down is in itself a form of commitment. Consider all elements linked to your rugby playing or coaching performance and highlight strengths and areas in need of improvement. Identify Conflict To have realistic aims and ambitions you need to consider other issues in your life such as work, school, family and other sports and hobbies. Competing for time and energy is not ideal so manage your interests carefully and decide what is important in the short-term. Goals Transferring aims and ambitions into goals is a systematic method proven to facilitate commitment Effective goal setting relies on the Smarter Principle:
Confidence Self-confidence helps players and coaches feel good, be innovative, and overcome set-backs Coaches in particular need to create an environment that provides players with the opportunity to feel competent. In every squad there are players who are less proficient with their skills and need to be given the chance to do things that they are good at. Confidence
is highly related to realistic and achievable goals. This may be illustrated by
using what is termed the 'performance highway': The graph illustrates that there is an optimum level of challenge to provoke successful performance. Coaches must recognise that each player has a different 'highway' and that the more success a player experiences in games, the greater the level of self-confidence in future encounters. As well as goal setting, confidence may be enhanced by:
Focus on the positive aspects of your weekly training programme - write them down There are basically 3 aspects to the mental skill of concentration:
Examples of appropriate cues in rugby are the ball and the opposition, while an inappropriate cue is the crowd or worrying about losing. Concentration can be improved by including drills in your overall training plan. Get in the zone - maximise attention and minimise distractions Application Example Concentration Drill Objective To improve concentration when kicking for goal - consistent goal kicking Instruction During a kicking situation there are two particular cues to pay attention to in the act of kicking. Firstly, the manner in which you plant your non-kicking foot beside the ball, and secondly, striking the ball smoothly and with control. Any other cues at this moment are detrimental to concentration. Key Points When the foot is planted correctly, the head is down and the knee is over the ball, while focus is aimed at a firm strike. Use key words such as 'plant' and 'smooth.' Start your kicking concentration session close to the posts, and instead of aiming between them, actually aim for one of the posts, so that it acts as a more definite target. Focus on what you are thinking about while kicking - adjust your thinking so that the critical cues are your only concern. From a skills and fitness coaching perspective, concentration is maintained if players are experiencing stimulation and variety in drills, meetings are short and focus on key points.
Control Controlling the potentially disruptive emotions of stress and anxiety will have a positive effect on your playing or coaching performance Due to the contact nature of rugby, levels of arousal are generally high although this varies between individuals depending on playing position, responsibility within the team and perceived demands i.e. opposition. Your challenge is to maximise the positive effects of stress and anxiety and prevent the disruptive effects. The first step in addressing the stress element of your performance is to identify and recognise an experience that was particularly stressful:
The 'thinking' outcome often controls the 'feeling' and 'reaction' outcomes. You have control over what you think so you are potentially capable of managing your feelings and actions. The continuum along which the positive and negative outcomes run is determined by arousal. Arousal is a level of intensity and includes responses such as muscle tension, a racing heartbeat and butterflies Application Example Ideal Performance State pre-game for rugby players Objective To improve awareness of physical and mental arousal levels Instruction Monitor the following aspects of behaviour the night before a game, the morning before, during the warm-up and post match:
Monitor these characteristics over a period of weeks and include training sessions. Compare and contrast arousal symptoms between successful performances and poor performances. Then use TOP TIPS to manipulate your arousal levels. Outcomes of over-arousal may lead to:
Coaches are also guilty of suffering from stress and exhibiting negative signs of anxiety This may lead to the following behaviour:
Profiling Performance profiling offers a way of rating qualities necessary to
achieve top Players and coaches can use this method with great effect, and assess their own performance in relation to the qualities selected. These qualities may include fitness, tactical, technical and psychological skills. The profile provides the player and coach A third rating column may be added for players to list their ideal rating for comparison against current ratings. The ratings in the table above, clearly illustrates any discrepancies that exist between the players perception of his qualities and the coaches perception. If the discrepancy is 2 or more, the player and coach must discuss why they disagree For example, the player rates his body-fat control as 4 while the coach rates it as 6 out 10. The coach may justify his rating by referring to body-fat measurements that have been recorded over a period of time. Conversely, if the player has rated confidence as 5 while the coach rates it as 7, the player can admit that he is not as confident as he appears. The benefits of profiling include:
You may use a Mental
Skills Performance Profile to prioritise which areas listed in the left-hand
Goal Setting Goal setting will help foster absolute commitment! Goal setting is a vital tool for players and coaches - it gives them direction and a pathway to success. A well designed goal setting programme helps players and coaches to:
The way goals are set is based on the Smart Principle. Goals can be separated into short-term, intermediate and long-term goals and labelled outcome, performance or process goals. Outcome goals focus on results and are not always conducive to performance enhancement - simply focusing on winning is an ineffective goal Although a focus on a long-term goal such as a league position is worthwhile, players and coaches should focus on the performance and process goals that are readily controlling. Examples of process goals for a performance goal such as keeping possession in rugby may include:
From a rugby fitness perspective, process goals may be added to facilitate the process goals of low body position or working for the hard yard. Core stability will directly influence your ability to stay low and while power drills will develop dynamic leg strength for working for that 'hard yard.' Hence, to fulfil match day process goals you may also need to set goals for your total rugby fitness programme.
Video analysis provides measurable feedback of possession keeping processes, and highlights processes that need improvement during practices.
Self-Talk Talking to one's self can be a form of persuasion that promotes confidence and triggers successful processes How often do you find that you are talking to yourself? The mental skill of self talk aims to reduce negative talk with positive statements such as replacing, "I can't do it!" with "I can do it!" This prevents you 'doubting' your abilities and can help prevent anxiety. Coach's should be very careful when talking to teams before a game - it's easy to include negative statements which then become negative self-talk amongst players As well as promoting confidence, trigger words are also great for promoting correct technique, thus triggering actions. Don't think of jelly or custard during core stability exercises! Just as positive words promote technique, opposite words can be destructive. For example, during a particular core stability, the aim is maintain neutral alignment with a rigid mid-section. The trigger word 'steel girder' associates with solidity, while a word such as 'jelly' creates the opposite association. Your body language is another way of persuading yourself to be energetic or lethargic - never slouch or lean on a piece of equipment in the gym. Don't bend over too often
with hands on knees during a game - don't show the opposition
Imagery Creating an image in your 'mind's eye' has both physical and mental benefits to performance By simply creating or recreating an experience in your mind, you are able to practice and reinforce correct processes. External imagery is when you visualise yourself performing i.e. from the outside, while internal imagery involves viewing from the inside. An example of external imagery is a goal kicker recollecting a successful kick, as if watching him or herself on a video, while internal imagery is, for example, when a hooker imagines the feel of the ball and the movement of throwing into a lineout and seeing it reach the target. Imagery should be used to reinforce positive experiences
Players should be encouraged to use all their senses when visualising, including the sounds and feelings associated with the task. Key words will also trigger reactions and reinforce techniques. Focusing on trigger words such as 'steel girder' when performing core stability drills will help you 'feel' strong and stable
Mental Warm-Up Allocate time for a 'mental warm-up' pre-match to help optimise your arousal level, initiate positive self-talk and visualise your process goals The routine followed prior to a match, including the evening before, needs to include individual preferences - some players enjoy a visit to the cinema, while others prefer to stay indoors and relax totally. Either way, coaches must allow players to follow their own routine outside of scheduled group sessions. The routine a player follows is a personal preference and helps them manage their arousal levels. Some players appear totally relaxed and smiling before big games while others are very serious and focused - each to their own. Players generally prefer to stick to a consistent routine during the 24 hours prior to a game. For example: Night before:
Morning of event:
At the ground:
Goal Setting
Goal setting will help foster absolute commitment! Goal setting is a vital tool for players and coaches - it gives them direction and a pathway to success. A well designed goal setting programme helps players and coaches to:
Outcome goals focus on results and are not always conducive to performance enhancement - simply focusing on winning is an ineffective goal Although a focus on a long-term goal such as a league position is worthwhile, players and coaches should focus on the performance and process goals that are readily controlling. Examples of process goals for a performance goal such as keeping possession in rugby may include:
From a rugby fitness perspective, process goals may be added to facilitate the process goals of low body position or working for the hard yard. Core stability will directly influence your ability to stay low and while power drills will develop dynamic leg strength for working for that 'hard yard.' Hence, to fulfil match day process goals you may also need to set goals for your total rugby fitness programme.
Video analysis provides measurable feedback of possession keeping processes, and highlights processes that need improvement during practices. From a total rugby fitness perspective, players should have goals for each element based on their Rugby Fitness Performance Profile | | |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
