PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS TRAINING: IMAGERY

written by Dr. Christine Lottes

PREVIOUS "PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS TRAINING" ARTICLES

1. TRAINING YOUR ATHLETES TO BE MENTALLY TOUGH
2. INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS TRAINING: MENTAL TRAINING TOOLS
3. PSYCHOLOGICAL SKILLS TRAINING: GOAL SETTING AND SELF-CONFIDENCE
   

Imagery is a skill that athletes can use to enhance the quality of their practices and performances. As we continue our Psychological Skills Training series in pelinks4u, today's article provides a script for the coach, and a reproducible handout for athletes that looks at how to involve all the senses in order to successfully use imagery.

Coach's Script for Psychological Skills Training: Imagery

Bring to practice: coach's script, a copy of the athlete's practice plan for each athlete (follows the coach's script), pencils or pens, chalk or dry erase markers.

Review: Three Types of Goals

• Process Goals: focus on improving form, technique, and strategy.
• Performance Goals: address overall personal performance such as running without tiring, and so not needing to come out of a game, getting by an opponent more consistently, or shooting or clearing the ball more accurately.
• Outcome Goals: emphasize outperforming other competitors, as well as the objective outcome- that is winning.

We have control over process and performance goals. As you accomplish goals, what will build? Self-Confidence. Tell me if this is an example of a process, performance, or outcome goal (coach- replace with your sport):

• 5 minutes per day working on ball control process.
• Being able to sprint back from the 50 when the opposing team is taking a penalty corner on your defense performance.
• Beating an opponent to the ball outcome.

Today: We are going to work on Imagery (Education, Acquisition, Implementation Phases). Imagery isn't new to you. As a young child probably all of you "pretended." Ex. Pirate, flying in the air, having a tea party, fighting a dragon (ask athletes for examples). You could see it in your mind, hear what was going on, smell and taste and feel what you were imaging.

In sport, imagery is used to learn new skills, practice known skills, correct skills, play through strategies, with relaxation and energization, in self-talk, in stress management and in goal setting. Imagery involves all five senses. When you image something, you can produce almost the same effect as if you'd actually experienced it.

Education Phase: Introduce imagery, and evaluate athletes' strengths and weaknesses in creating vivid and controlled images that incorporate all the senses.

• What does imagery involve?
  • Using your senses (sight, feel- how muscles feel as they move, touch, sound, smell and taste) to create or re-create an experience in your mind.
  • Imaging a sport skill is similar to performing the skill, except you experience the action only in your mind.
  • Though you don't actually see a (coach- replace with your sport) ball, feel the stick in your hand or the sensation of your muscles moving or hear the sound of the stick hitting the ball, you do experience all these sensory cues in your mind.
  • Imagery is a product of what is already stored in your brain.
  • Through imagery, you bring to mind a previous experience. What did it feel like to score a goal...stop a goal from scoring...dodge past an opponent...
  • You can also create an image of what you'd like to have happen.
  • You can imagine (coach- replace with your sport) taking the ball down the field past opponents based on what you already know about dodging and passing and cutting.
• Who uses imagery?
  • Successful and highly skilled athletes.
  • More than 9 out of 10 Olympic athletes use imagery an average of 4 days a week for 10-15 minutes a day.
• How does it work?
  • The mind creates a blueprint for performing a skill.
  • The mind cannot tell the difference between an image and the real thing. So, when you image something, you can produce almost the same effect as if you actually experienced it.
  • For example (coach- replace with your sport), if you image cutting, receiving a pass or cutting off a pass or a shot on goal, the mind now has the sequence of events ready for you to do. The more you image what might occur during a game and how you would respond, the more you can react during a game without hesitation, without thinking, because you have already seen it happen in your mind.
  • So, when you get on the field to do the physical skill, the mental blueprint is already there to help make the skill automatic. You don't have to think about it.
• How effective is it? It can improve performance, but some athletes benefit more than others based on:
  • Imagery ability: can you see a vivid (vs. blurry) image that you can control? Otherwise you may just repeat mistakes as you try to image.
  • Imagery Perspective: internal vs. external. Internal is when you experience the event seeing it through your own eyes and feeling the movements as if actually performing the skill. This is best for (coach- replace with your sport) field hockey players when you are in the flow of play and events are changing. External imagery is good for when you are seeing the big picture- where teammates are on the field and where the opponent is.
• How can I use imagery effectively? How can it improve my performance?
  • Practice the skills and strategies faithfully.
  • Work to create a clear, detailed, lifelike image that can control be controlled.
  • Relax and allow the image to flow.
  • If you lose focus, gently redirect attention back to the image.
• Using Imagery to Improve Mental Skills
  • Develop self-awareness: recall a time when you played very well, when concentration was automatic, and events flowed easily, when self-doubt was nonexistent. Think about these feelings and use the images you had then to create the feeling you want as you enter competition. For example, were you calm, cool, even when you made a mistake? Also recall a time when you got anxious or angry. Was it an official's call or being pushed by an opponent? You can imagine that occurring, and then imagine remaining focused and performing well by using self-talk to focus on the task at hand.
  • Improve self-confidence and motivation: imagine playing in front of cheering fans, or replay outstanding performances, or reaching a goal.
  • Manage Stress: image things that could go wrong and what you will then do.
  • Manage Energy: to manage getting too psyched up to the proper level, see self in a place you associate with calmness and tranquility. To manage being flat or fatigued, get an image that is energizing like starting up your energy shoes or seeing yourself running effortlessly on the field.
  • Improve focus and concentration:
    • Plan game strategies
    • Provide relaxation
    • Control emotions
    • Analyze performances
    • Practice other psychological skills
  • What are the key concepts of imagery?
    • Sensory awareness, Vividness, Control
  • What personal imagery skills do I already have?

  Evaluating Imagery Ability

  D. Burton & T. Raedeke, 2008, Sport Psychology for Coaches (Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).

  Read the descriptions of four general sport situations to your athletes. After you read each general description, have them think of a specific example of it - the skill, the people involved, the place, and the time. First have the athletes close their eyes and take a few deep breaths to become as relaxed as they can. Put aside all other thoughts. Have them keep their eyes closed for about one minute as they try to imagine the situation. If they have distracting thoughts, instruct them to gently redirect their attention to the scene their are imagining.

  There are no right or wrong images. Their accurate evaluation of their images will help them to determine what skills you need to focus on in the development of their imagery-training program. After imaging the situation, have the athletes rate the following imagery dimensions by circling the appropriate number.

  1. Visual
  2. Auditory
  3. Kinesthetic
  4. Mood and emotion
  5. Control

  Situation 1: Select a specific skill or activity in your sport. Imagine yourself performing the activity in the place where you would normally practice, without anyone else present. Now close your eyes for about one minute and try to see yourself at this place, hear the sounds, feel the body movements and be aware of your mood.

  

  Situation 2: You are performing the same activity, but are now practicing the skill with the coach and your teammates present. This time, however, you make a mistake that everyone notices, but you remain calm, recover quickly, correct your mistake, and perform well. Now close your eyes for about one minute and imagine making the error, correcting it, and performing well as clearly as possible.

  

  Situation 3: Think of a teammate performing a specific activity successfully in a contest - for example, making a goal or stopping a goal. Now close your eyes for about one minute to image watching your teammate performing this activity successfully in a critical part of the contest as vividly and realistically as possible.

  

  Situation 4: Imagine yourself performing the same or a similar activity in a contest, but imagine yourself performing very skillfully, Spectators and teammates show their appreciation. Now close your eyes for about one minute to imagine the situation as vividly as possible.

  

  Now add up your responses to each question and write your scores in the spaces that follow:
  Dimension Score
  Visual (all "a" items) _______
  Auditory (all "b" items) _______
  Kinesthetic (all "c"items) _______
  Mood (all "d" items) _______
  Control (all "e"items) _______
  TOTAL _______

  Compare your scores for each dimension to the following skill categories:
  Score Rating
  18-20 Good skills. Periodically do an exercise to keep yourself sharp.
  13-17 Average development of skills. Spend time each week improving these skills
  0-12 These dimensions need daily attention to bring your imagery skills to a useful level.

  Direct the athletes to write in their packets where a calm place is for them (bedroom, walking in nature, lying on the couch, etc.).

  Imagery scenario involving rehearsal of physical skills or strategy. (Coach: Prior to this session, rewrite these for your sport!). Have the athletes pick one of the scenarios you have written for your sport. Have them close their eyes and imagine it. Try to involve as many senses as possible. Then, discuss with the athletes what they could and couldn't "do." Encourage them to work on imagery on their own in their "calm place." Let them know that imagery is a skill and takes time to develop just like the physical skills of their sport.

  Forward: Drive ball to goal, keeper deflects it, you are following your shot, pick up the deflection on your stick and put ball in cage.

  Mid-Fielder: Cut into a space and collect a pass from a teammate. You lift the ball over your defender’s stick and pass the ball through into a space where your teammate is cutting into.

  Defender: Running back on defense. Get ball side and stick side of player you’re marking. Pass comes but you cut onto it (intercept it) and take it wide where you pass it into a space where the mid-fielder is cutting into.

  Goalie: Forward is dribbling toward you on a breakaway. Forward shoots. You stop the ball and clear it into a space where your teammate is cutting into. You check and adjust your position according to where the cage is and where the ball is.

  Summary:

  • Imagery involves all of the senses.
  • Imagery improves performance.
  • The mind can’t tell the difference between a vivid image and a real experience. Imagery can be used to improve any skill that can be practiced physically as well as to help develop mental skills.
  • Imagery must be systematic to achieve desired benefits- need to do every day or every other day (at home and at practice/games). Need to work on vivid and controlled images.
  • Successful and highly skilled athletes use imagery regularly
    • Do imagery with athletes lying down…. But tell how many athletes stand up and do partial movements as they image. Can use a sport implement- stick, ball.

  Imagery Training During the Season - Tips for Coaches

  • Before practice or a game review process goals and have athletes image themselves accomplishing their goals for the practice or game.
  • After listening to your instructions or observing a demonstration, have athletes imagine themselves performing the skill before physically practicing it.
  • Immediately after athletes execute a skill effectively, have them create a vivid image of their performance while it is fresh in their memories.
  • When sitting on the bench (not competing), have athletes image competing and responding to various situations successfully.
  • After a practice session, have athletes use imagery to review key points.
  • Have athletes use imagery to correct a skill or a play.
  • If bringing a lot of life stress into practice, have athletes imagine their calm place (beach, mountain….) in order to relax and get mentally prepared for practice.
    

  ¹Material in this practice plan is taken from: Sport Psychology for Coaches (2008) by Drs. Damon Burton and Thomas Raedeke, Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL

  Summary:

  • Imagery involves all of the senses.
  • Imagery improves performance.
  • The mind can’t tell the difference between a vivid image and a real experience. Imagery can be used to improve any skill that can be practiced physically as well as to help develop mental skills.
  • Imagery must be systematic to achieve desired benefits- need to do every day or every other day (at home and at practice/games). Need to work on vivid and controlled images.
  • Successful and highly skilled athletes use imagery regularly.

  Upcoming November article on Mental Training...
  In the next edition of pelinks4u we will be discussing relaxation and energization skills. These skills are used by athletes to either decrease unwanted muscular tension and calm the mind, or to control arousal, enhance concentration, and deal with low energy levels. A script for the coach and a reproducible handout for athletes, will be provided.

  Download this article

  Click here for Coaches Script

  Click here for IMAGERY (Handout for Athletes)

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