Farres, Laura G.

Once the area of mental skills is identified by athletes as an aspect they wish to improve, coaches are then left with the task of deciding how to assess athletes' current usage and level of ability in this area in order to design an effective program. When we think of assessing nutrition or physiology in athletes, a number of tests or exercises spring to mind that athletes can engage in, in order to help them determine their subsequent course of action. However, when it comes to assessing mental skills in athletes, the choices are less clear. As this initial stage is a vital component of the overall mental skills training program, coaches need to be exposed to assessment procedures that are appropriate for them to use and that can benefit the athletes involved. The key to the assessment process is to view it, not as a separate step, but rather as a comprehensive part of the program. Coaches can begin to help athletes develop their understanding and direction in the area of mental training at this preliminary stage. This goal can be achieved by selecting assessment tools that promote active learning and engage the athletes in the assessment process. The goal of this paper is to explore two such assessment tools, the Mental Training Exercises (MTE) 1 and 2 as developed by Terry Orlick and John Partington (Orlick & Partington, 2000; Partington & Orlick, 2000) and to examine how coaches can use these tools to help their athletes understand and develop their mental skills.

Implementing an effective mental skills training program can be a daunting task. Often coaches do not have the luxury of hiring a sport psychologist or mental trainer to develop and implement their program. Coaches considering developing their own program are often plagued by questions like: How do I convince athletes that mental training is worthwhile? What elements do I include in the program? How do I encourage and support athletes as they develop their mental skills? This paper attempts to address these questions and to offer coaches some practical strategies and ideas for implementing an effective mental skills training program.

Learning how to perform optimally for major competitions or events can be a challenge. There are often numerous distractions and unique circumstances surrounding most major competitions and these elements can pose challenges to focus, confidence and mental readiness. There are several strategies athletes and coaches can use to prepare mentally for major events in order to maximize performance.

The best performers in the world draw lessons from their competitive experiences and then use these lessons to modify future preparations and approaches to performance. Numerous lessons can be drawn from the Canada Winter Games 2003 experience in Bathhurst-Cambleton, New Brunswick that both parallel and expand our understanding of how to best prepare for a multi-sport games. The goal of this article is to highlight some of the major lessons learned from two Team BC coaches in attendance at the Games.

Many coaches develop their skills and expertise through their experiences and by watching other coaches. However, simply acquiring experiences does not guarantee coaching competence. It is the integration of experience and knowledge in a meaningful way that promotes learning and in turn develops expertise. Coaches need to know how to best learn through their experiences. Reflective practice is a major learning tool in this regard.