Counseling Techniques for Sports Losses

Sports psychologists counsel both amateur and professional athletes in mental and emotional issues related to sports performance. While counselors who specialize in sports-related issues use similar techniques to those employed by counselors generally, they focus more on aspects which directly affect athletic performance, including winning and losing, and sports injuries. Focusing on loss issues helps athletes overcome the discouragement losing can cause.

  1. Relaxation

    • Relaxation techniques help athletes who may be affected by injury as well as loss. Injuries can cause increased muscle tension, which in turn will affect an athlete's overall performance. As the athlete focuses on relaxing the impacted muscles, he'll see improved flexibility and stress reduction. According to the Democritus University of Thrace, Greece, this leads to a lowered heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate, which can also improve performance. Relaxation techniques, which include deep breathing, meditation and listening to calming music, also can help the body heal.

    Visualization

    • Sports counselors and psychologists also use imagery and visualization to help athletes overcome sports losses. Imagery helps the athlete see or imagine a winning outcome. This may include watching inspirational sports movies about winning, such as "Rudy," "Chariots of Fire," or "Hoosiers," or may include reading stories or novels about winning. The athlete needs to see herself successfully performing her sport. This inspires confidence and an overall positive attitude. Visualization also results in greater blood flow and warmth to any injured areas which can further promote healing, according to Democritus University.

    Attitude

    • The main goal of counseling for sports losses is to retrain any emotional negativity the athlete may have. As Olympic speed skater Dan Jantzen showed during his fourth Winter Olympics in 1994, athletes must press past their losses to victory. Jantzen overcome all obstacles, including the death of his sister and his past defeats, and won the gold medal in what would be his last Olympic speed skating race. He focused on his goal of winning and did not let his difficult circumstances overwhelm him.

      Part of this technique involves encouraging the athlete to repeat confidence-building statements out loud. Good examples of positive self-talk include, "I am a winner," "My losses do not define me," or "I am confident in my athletic abilities." Positive self-talk helps the athlete direct his mind toward the future and his potential in the sport.

    Performance Planning

    • Another counseling technique for sports losses uses performance planning. Performance planning means that the athlete intentionally plans how to improve her performance. Using this technique, along with goal setting, helps athletes address fatigue and inspires increased effort. When athletes set intentional goals, they decrease anxiety, build confidence, improve performance and increase their own satisfaction related to the sport. The counselor directs the athlete toward goal setting, motivation and cognitive or behavioral changes in performance planning.