CC BY
58
Section 6. Sports Psychology
Msc. Golemi Valbona, Sport University Tirana Albania Faculty Helth, Turizem and recreation, E-mail: valbonagolemi@hotmail.com Msc. Fagu Arben, Sport University Tirana Albania Faculty Helth, Turizem and recreation, E-mail: faguarben@yahoo.com Doc. Ikonomi Edison, Ph D., Sport University, Tirana Albania Faculty Science of Movement, E-mail: edisikon@yahoo.com
PSYCHOLOGICAL ABILITIES ON SPORTIVE PERFORMANCE
Abstract: This article is focused on the psychological abilities, as an important component of the whole process of the sport training. A solid integrity psychological would help the athletes to demonstrate optimal possibilities and resources that possesses. Like any other ability of the athlete, the psychological ability as instrument of his/her effectiveness needs professional appropriate competence during the training process.
Keywords: professional, psychological ability, training, athletes, sport.
Introduction etc. However, in many observed cases, no lack of
The significance and the role played by psycho- or weakness in sports skills is noticed, especially in logical components in increasing the workforce's elite levels of representation, but more in terms of productivity have long taken on an ever greater scope skills and psychological deficiencies. In such cases, in the professional lectures and discussions of many the attention of trainers should focus on identifying lecturers. This is due to the fact that the cultivation of psychological needs and finding appropriate models a psychological integrity as solid as the athlete would that provide an accurate technical and professional greatly contribute to improving and increasing the combination and aim at training and improving the opportunities of using unsupported reserves during observed shortcomings [1, 58-59]. the sports competition. Many coaches, shortcom- The individual (sportsman) and the team, even
ings observed in training sessions and especially in for the same emotional situations, exhibit different sports competitions, think and try to correct them needs for psychological treatments and interven-by manipulating the training parameters of such tions. So for example, while a sportsman needs to components as: physical, technical, tactical skills, have a psychological relaxation, another needs an
improvement of concentration, confidence, motivation, or mental preparation in general. Therefore, a good identification of these needs would be helpful in finding and designing the proper techniques for achieving the desired outcomes. Such skills are developed by increasing the fitness of psychological processes [2, 42].
Why is psychological training important? Any athlete or practitioner of physical activity in his sports stereotype has been faced with fluctuations in his psychological integrity, such as decreasing his desire to exercise, non-uniform behavior to physical load, distraction not managing anxiety, etc. Also none of the practitioners are immune from "Errors" arising from such situations or factors. Often mental or psychological components dominate pure physical, technical and tactical performance components, especially during competitive situations [3, 199].
Whatever sport, success or non-success of a practitioner depends on the level of coordination of physical skills (strength, speed, coordination, balance) and mental (concentration, self-confidence, administration, anxiety). Today many scholars and coaches think that sport at certain levels of representation is primarily a true psychological confrontation. While in sports such as golf, tennis and art skating, they are typical in the appearance of psychological qualities. However, and though the contributions of psychological qualities are accepted in the improvement of the sporting manifestation, it is easy to see that the quantitative physical training parameters are many times greater than the time devoted to the training of the psychological component processes [4, 808-809].
Then one question is right: Why is the psychological component training avoided or underestimated? Following are some of the reasons, which are: [5, 57-62].
Lack of knowledge: There are many trainers who ignore ways of learning or mentoring mental skills. For example, some trainer learns focus by using a high tone of voice in their calls, etc. "Focus,"
"Care what you need to do". Such findings and the like, create the idea that the player knows the focus, but does not apply it in practice or at least does not implement it properly. Or such verbal interventions of coach like "Slow", "Quiet," "Do not be nervous," "Confident," etc., clearly indicate the need to increase the competitor's ability to properly administer tonus to certain psychological elements. If we want to use such psychological elements as instruments to increase efficiency in performance and competition, then we should not only devote time but also to properly train them.
Psychological skills as dynamics: It is often thought that a person comes to life with psychological abilities, which is more than just a champion. It is also considered high-level athletes to have a personality characterized by psychological power and competitive motivation. That's not true. Of course, all human beings arise with some physical and psychological predispositions, but can benefit and develop abilities depending on the experiences they experience in life. No result or glorious record of athletes has come without endless hours of stadiums or gyms to perfect his physical and technical abilities. All sportsmen have a certain psychological perception of situations before, during and after the representation, especially on the results achieved.
Lack of time: Lack of time represents another reason displayed by coaches and athletes, not to be trained in a psychological plan. However, they are the same subjects that, for the losses or the low level of presentation, support their arguments in factors such as "we did not have the right focus," "under pressure," "lost trust" etc. It is natural to think that a trainer who believes that the reasons for the poor result in the race were in the lack of concentration, will take measures to increase the exercise to improve this aspect. If it is believed that psychological abilities are important, then the time needed for their training must be found. In a few cases it is thought that sports psychologists intervene only with failed athletes. Clinical sports psychologists can use clinical psychology
to handle mental turbulence that is related to sports activities such as drugs, nutrition, and depression. However, the greatest needs of sports consultants are for sports educator psychologists, whose priority is to assist athletes in the development of psychological abilities [5, 57-58].
Programming mental ability exercises
Programming and forms of mental ability training organization contain various goals in accordance with the needs identified to be addressed. However, the programs represent a structure that consists of three phases:
1. Education or awareness stage: At this stage, keeping in mind that the participants are not familiar with the practices and strengths of the psychological ability training, the overriding character of each programming will be the educational character. During this phase, participants notice and become aware of the importance of adopting psychological skills training techniques that contribute to the improvement and increase of sports efficiency. This is a phase that is accomplished by a simple relationship between coach/sportsman, through which we note that athletes consider properly the impact of psychological aspects on the quality of their performance. During this conversation, it is intended that athletes should be argued that improving psychological abilities is gained by training them alongside physical abilities.
Generally, the educational phase is dealt with within an hour or several hours of time divided into several days. Thus, when we learn how to fix the moments or moments of encouragement, we should explain the reasons that provoke the state of anxiety and the interdependence that has the impetus to the act. The key here is for athletes to understand or discover the optimum level of encouragement so that they can transform tension and anxiety into energy positive while avoiding the effects of these elements compromising the quality of the result. A good psycho-pedagogical instrument, in such cases would be examples from the experience of model athletes [5, 59-60].
2. Stage of derive skills: This stage is based on strategies and techniques of learning of various psychological abilities. At this stage we have to build specific intervention strategies according to not only identified needs but also the athlete's potential. Thus, in cases when an athlete faces and experiences anxiety, failure to achieve success, it is necessary to adapt a cognitive strategy in order to seek proper recognition and adaptation of athlete's thinking. It may be that in an athlete, muscle strains adversely affect the achievement of the desired result, then the psychologist's intentions should make the athlete aware of the absorption of physical relaxation techniques as a developmental relaxation [5, 60-61].
3. Repeat phase: In the aims of this phase we can recall the aims of:
• Educate psychological skills in conditions similar to those of the race;
• Automation of psychological skills;
• Continuous integration of psychological abilities in racing situations.
During the repetition phase, the participant (athlete), for example, in the process of learning how to regulate the promotion, may pass from the imagination directed to the self-administered imagination in order to use this technique in the training process as it would be dealt with in one real competition. Thus, the athlete will adopt the techniques of controlling and regulating the promotion in his racing preparations. At this stage it is necessary to keep a record or a diary in order to systematically track the results and create feedback for further improvements. One of the daily records would inform the tensions experienced after each stewardess, the ways of replenishment, and their efficiency [5, 62].
When should a psychological training program be developed?
From the present treatments it has been shown that in increasing the efficiency of the exercise of psychological abilities, time factor is considered undoubtedly important. While finding the right time for interventions and training these skills is
another opportunity that contributes to increasing the efficiency or success of psychological training programs. To start implementing a program as time consuming are considered preparatory periods and prerace because there is more time to learn new techniques and athletes do not have the pressure of the results. Psychological training is a continuous process that, in the concept of time, should be integrated with the preparation of other sports components [6, 169].
The time required for the repetition and acquisition of psychological elements and processes varies according to the technique and the degree of learn-
ing, if it is a new technique, the time factor will have a greater extent, depending also on the threshold of learning athlete [7, 566].
An indicator of improving and absorbing psychological techniques is the competences that align athletes in combining mental training with the training of other sports components. A session constructed well psycho-sports should be used during a real or fierce competition whether it is. Mental exercises can also be treated in the form of tasks, but when the degree of psychological autonomy of the athlete is delicate, the psychologist's ongoing control and presence in the training sessions is needed [8, 304-305].
References:
1. Pensgaard S. Elite athletes' experiences of the motivational climate: the coach matters, Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sport, 12.- 2002.- P. 58-59.
2. Smith J. Effects of a motivational climate intervention for coaches on young athletes' sport performance anxiety, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 29.- 2007.- 42 p.
3. Mallet G. Elite athletes: why does the 'fire' burn so brightly? Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 5.- 2004.199 p.
4. Biddle S. J. H. Research methods in sport and exercise psychology: quantitative and qualitative issues, Journal of Sports Sciences, 19.- 2001.- P. 808-809.
5. Zhurda Y. Sportive study: Cultivating the sense of trust, the strength of the great team. CRCHS journal -Volume.- No. 2.- 2003.- P. 57-62.
6. Elliot A.J. Approach and avoidance motivation and achievement goals, Educational Psychologist, 34.1999.- 169 p.
7. Allen J. B. Social motivation in sport, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 25.- 2003.- 566 p.
8. Hardy C.J. and Rejeski W.J. Not what, but how one feels: The measurement of affect during exercise, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11.- 1989.- P. 304-305.
