Mental Session – Posture

Being strong mentally can take many years before it is a reality and will take many experiences along the way to fine tune what is required for each individual, so the sooner players get the opportunity to experiment with ideas the better it will be for them as they grow in to the game.

For the coach it provides a lot of fun, new learnings in many cases, and a chance to try out the aspects on yourselves.

Day 5
POSTURE

Statement:
We communicate subconsciously through our posture.
Our inner feelings are reflected through our posture.  

Activity:

We are going to do a simple exercise and experience how effective correct posture can be:

• Pick up your shoulders and raise them up and back.
• Straighten your back.
• Lift your chest up and forward.
• If your legs are crossed uncross them and place them flat on the floor. Facing slightly out from each other.
• Smile.
• Take a couple of slow deep breaths.

Use this exercise next time you are a little anxious, excited or uptight.

Posture directly reflects your confidence level.
Practice carrying yourself in a positive fashion.

You should use it when you arrive at your game. Use it during the game. Use it when meeting new people ….  Use it in association with the other positive mental practices.

YOUTUBE
“How to improve confidence through body language Part 1” virtualbrandsvideo 3.22min.
Part 2 3.00min

 Day 6 REVISION

1. Who has been practicing their mental skills? What have you done?
2. Who can remember how to set a physical anchor? How and why is it used?
3. Let’s go through that process again. Know what your imagery is going to be. Know what your positive affirmation is going to be.
4. What would a week of mental skills preparation look like?

[During the week – performance breathing and imagery / a list of affirmations / practicing the anchoring.
Game day: posture on arrival / setting the scene at the venue – imagery / during the game – posture; anchors]

Prepare:
Write out a week’s mental preparation that you are doing.
Practice it during the week and on game day or some school work or job specifics at work.
Report back to the group when you get together [online or physically]

Discussion:
How did it go? What worked? What didn’t. What do you need to do from now to improve your mental strength?

Footnote
I first became interested in the mental side of sport when as the Taranaki Rugby Director of Coaching I was lucky enough to attend the NZR Under 19 Coaching Clinics and a World Cup Development Clinic in Wellington in the mid and late 1980’s.
Oh how I wished I had some of this knowledge when I was playing first class cricket and rugby.
The first person I listened to was a young Gilbert Enoka and I still have the notes I took that day. Ken Hodge was a regular presenter as well.
In 2001 I purchased the “SportsLink Focus Trainer” and it is from this manual that I have developed some basic ideas.

I am certainly no expert but having played first class sport and now been coaching since I started as a player-coach in 1977 I realise the best thing I could do was throw ideas at players and help them develop these as they go along.
Although the same programme is prepared for all the players they will develop in different ways with different needs but if you provide them with a basic understanding they can take their learning further. Ideally the coach needs to deal with individuals but group learning with plenty of discussion and plenty of follow-up following games will still be most helpful.

There is so much more to cover in mental development such as Goal Setting, Self Analysis, Routines, Sacrifices and other topics, but if you carry out the suggested programme it will get the players excited and provide them with a clear mind which can confidently cope with the pressures leading in to and playing games.

Mental strength is a day by day, game by game development.
You also need to provide a clear game plan so that the player knows where he is heading.