Why Sports Psychology Works And How Athletes Benefit

Sports Psychology has been around since the 1890’s, but it wasn’t until 1968 that it entered the bigger stages, when Team U.S.A. officially included Sports Psychologists to their Olympic Team in Mexico. In todays professional sports world, you won’t find many athletes and teams who are not working with Sports Psychologists, and there are the reasons:

Research suggests that sports psychology coaching can have a positive effect on athletic performance. A systematic review of 62 meta-analyses on sport psychology interventions found that strategies such as goal setting, imagery, relaxation, self-talk, and cognitive strategies were moderately effective in enhancing athletic performance[1][2]. Another study found that a combination of psychological skills training methods, such as relaxation and mental imagery, resulted in improved athletic performance for college athletes[3]. Furthermore, research suggests that sports psychology interventions can improve athletes' confidence, motivation, and overall well-being[2].

A review of literature on the impact of sport psychology interventions on Olympic athletes' performance found that psychological factors, such as anxiety, motivation, and self-efficacy, played a crucial role in athletes' performance[4]. Therefore, addressing such factors through sports psychology coaching can enhance athletes' performance and lead to more successful outcomes in competition.

In conclusion, studies show that sports psychology coaching can effectively enhance athletic performance through various interventions targeting mental skills, confidence, motivation, and overall well-being[1][2][3][4].

Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8849618/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9966451/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9859147/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33183096/