Sport psychology for coaches course
Information
Details: 12-week practice based sport psychology course for club/squad/pathway coaches
Tutor: Dr Richard L Cox C.Psychol, C.Sci, AFBPsS
Times: Wednesdays 6.45pm – 9.00pm, 28 March – 13 June (incl.) 2012
Venue: sportscotland, Doges, Templeton on the Green, 62 Templeton Street, G40 1DA
Content
1. Introduction and overview – What is psychology? Its origins and the subsequent
emergence of sport psychology – mainstream psychology and its theoretical support of
practice in psychology.
2. Improving performances – Factors, principles and difficulties involved in changing
behaviour – comfort zones – the importance of 'consequences' in shaping behaviour.
3. Effective coaching – practice effects – sources of feedback and motivation – types of
feedback – 3-stage development of coaches.
4. Means and purposes of psychological assessment of individuals – Paper and pencil
techniques, their uses and limitations – observation of performances – structured, semistructured
and open-ended interviewing.
5. Performance profiling and performance criteria – How to identify, refine and use them to
good effect.
6. Goal-setting – Principles of goal-setting – outcome and performance goals – importance
and monitoring of – problem of adherence.
7. Pre-competition strategies – Purposes and principles of – the build-up to competition –
routines and rituals – anxiety management – relaxation – controlled breathing.
8. Thinking during competition – Task-oriented, self-oriented and irrelevant thinking in the
past, present and future – imaged and verbal thinking – positive self-talk – 'mood words' –
self-instruction/triggers.
9. Competition strategies – Arousal control – focusing and refocusing attention – mental
rehearsal – centring.
10. Post-competition assessment – Coaches' debrief – when, where, how, what and why.
11. Nature of teams – Team-building – leadership qualities, decision-making and
responsibilities.
12. Mental toughness – Problem of reification – behavioural indices – how to increase mental
toughness in athletes – question and answer session.

If this interests you please contact tirconaillharps@aol.com and we will pass on a booking form.