Psychological Variables in Sport Performance
This course addresses the four most influential psychological variables in athletic performance, across four integrated units — one per variable. It holds that high performance is not explained by physical and technical capacity alone, but by a system of psychological variables that can be understood, measured and trained. Each unit treats a variable conceptually first, then translates it into practical tools and techniques, grounded in the field’s foundational models (Nideffer, Deci & Ryan, Martens, Lazarus, Bandura, Vealey) with real examples and measurement tools.
- Category: Sports Psychology
- Level: intermediate
- Duration: 1 month
- Price: 100 USD
A leading platform offering integrated educational solutions in sports management and academic innovation, aligned with the latest international standards. Specialized programs supervised by international experts, aimed at developing competencies in the fields of education and management in the sports sector.
What you will learn
- Understand attention & focus and apply techniques to train them
- Build intrinsic motivation via self-determination theory and the coach’s role
- Assess anxiety & stress and apply coping and relaxation tools
- Strengthen self-confidence & resilience using Bandura’s and Vealey’s models
- Use measurement tools for each psychological variable
Course content
- Unit 1: Attention & Focus
- Introduction and the Importance of Attention in Sport
- Nervous System Development and the Stages of Movement
- Emotion, Movement and Attention in Athlete Training
- Stages of Motor Learning and Attention in Athletes
- Information Processing, Memory Systems and Selective Attention
- Focus and Attention in Competitive Situations
- The Mind in Motion
- The Art of Attention
- Controlling the Mind Under Pressure
- Mastering the Inner Game
- Focus Styles: Associative vs. Dissociative
- Strategies and Techniques to Improve Focus in Training and Competition
- A Proposed Guide for Attention Training and Mental Imagery
- Applying Attention and Focus Concepts in Athletic Performance
- Unit 2: Motivation
- The Engine of Behavior
- Why and How We Act
- From Stimulus to Action
- Competence That Generates Motivation
- The Inner Drive Is Stronger
- The Pyramid of Motivation
- Autonomy, Competence and Relatedness
- Self-Determination in Practice
- The Coach’s Role in Building Motivation
- Leadership Models and the Effect of the Training Climate
- The Sport Psychologist and the Motivation Partnership
- Methods of Mental Motivation and Will
- Conscious Will and Self-Control
- The Motivational Climate and Athlete Perseverance
- Analyzing Motivation in Sport: From Theory to Practice
- Unit 3: Anxiety, Stress & Managing It
- Concepts and Definitions of Anxiety and Stress
- The Inverted-U Theory in Athletic Performance
- Arousal, Task Complexity and Pre-Competition Anxiety
- Anxiety, Perfectionism and Stress in Performance
- Interpreting Competitive Situations and Measuring Stress
- Assessing Anxiety and Tension and Intervention Strategies
- Understanding Stress: From Question to Theory
- From Technique to Habit: How We Build Coping
- We Measure to Understand
- What Makes Coping Effective?
- Evidence From the Field
- Stressful Situations and Targeted Solutions
- Mental and Physical Relaxation
- Meditation, Imagery and Control
- Managing Anxiety and Stress in Competition: From Understanding to Coping
- Unit 4: Self-Confidence & Psychological Resilience
- Introduction to Sport Psychology and the Variables Affecting Performance
- Self-Confidence
- Strategies to Build and Strengthen Self-Confidence
- Theoretical Models of Self-Confidence and How to Assess It
- Psychological Variables Linked to Confidence and Individual Differences
- Psychological Resilience and Its Relation to Performance
- The Importance of Building Self-Confidence
- Factors That Strengthen an Athlete’s Self-Confidence
- Specific Strategies to Boost Self-Confidence
- Practical Tools to Build Self-Confidence
- Synthesis and Practical Application
- Building Self-Confidence: A Practical Activity