SportsPsychologist.com Blog by Dr Victor Thompson

If we believe that what we are doing (or taking) is having a positive impact on performance or recovery (and then performance), then to stop would mean harming performance and who wants to do worse or make things more difficult? There is pressure to perform well: From sponsors, team management, team mates, and the public/fans. Can you perform up to those expectations, live with the consequences of not meeting those expectations, or will you give in to the temptation of taking something illegal to give you more confidence in your performance? The fear of failure is a strong one. There are personal and professional needs to be satisfied. Athletes are competitive. Some have a strong need to be successful, gain glory, be seen on TV, be accepted, praised, beat a key rival, show that our training has been worth it, that we are as good as or better than before... It’s tempting then to take something that would help us deliver and satisfy these needs. We believe that others are doing it...

It is a shame that on big occasions, when things aren't going your way, some will not manage the emotions of frustration or anger and lash-out. When they don't get a corrective response straight away - like being pulled off the pitch and then sanctioned - fans, including children, learn that this is probably okay. The behaviour today of role models such as Luis Suarez will be reflected on football pitches, school playgrounds and streets tomorrow. Anger management can help, but does Suarez want to change? If not, there will be no change in behaviour. Why does anger happen for top players such as Luis Suarez? Because the setting is important to them, their performance is key to the outcome and they perceive that they are heading towards and undesirable outcome. That within an individual with poor self control creates a dynamite situation. For me, this echos the Zinedine Zidane situation in the previous World Cup final.

With the not-to-surprising news that Paula Radcliffe has withdrawn from the Olympic Marathon due to a foot injury , I thought again about why this happens. For Paula’s fans, it is disappointing – though it will be much more gutting for Paula. Some of our most vivid memories of Paula are of Athens in 2004, where she stopped at the 36Km mark of the Olympic Marathon in floods of tears. Doesn’t it seem obvious to us all that athletes should just avoid becoming injured, when injuries can rule them out of competing at their best, or even competing at all? If this is obvious for us fans, why then don’t athletes ‘get it’? I believe the answer to this is that injuries aren’t always clear to an athlete and important factors get in the way of an athlete managing potential or actual injuries. Plus, this situation is compounded during an Olympic year. First of all, what is an injury? An easy example is something that stops an athlete, such as a runner, from running. Okay, but what...

Just as a training plan gives you confidence that you are taking steps towards good fitness and a good competitive performance, so does a rehab program where your physio/sports massage sessions and rehab exercises can give you confidence that you are doing what is required to recover, to get back to usual training, and to be better than before. Plan your rehab recovery. Look out for progress. Celebrate your efforts and achievements. And don’t ditch your rehab exercises too early. Dr Victor Thompson www.sportspsychologist.com

I worked with a swimmer a while ago who surprised me. When I asked him what he thought of during swim sets, including the drill sets, where he was supposed to focus on aspects of technique (e.g. hand entry, body rotation etc), he said that he sang songs in his head. Sounds fine, right? Well, no!  If your attention is not where it is supposed to be (i.e. on the aspects of the drills in this swimmer’s case) you’ll get less from your training, less improvement, less good competitive performance, less satisfaction, and achieve less in sporting. So, attend to what needs your attention , and leave your daydreaming for when it really doesn’t matter. Dr Victor Thompson www.sportspsychologist.com

If you're stressed before you start your workout or training session, especially if you're cramming training into a busy day, you're unlikely to get the most out of it.  If you approach your session, or worse, sessions, with the thought 'I must...' or 'I have to...' you are likely to be stressed and contribute to being more stressed, as your thoughts are absolutes. There is no leeway, no negotiation, or flexibility. Be on the look-out for what you say to yourself regarding your training sessions. Instead, of the musts and shoulds, try saying to yourself: “I’m training tonight” “I’m going to training tonight” “I’m looking forward to training later” That way, you won't create and experience the same tension because you're putting less pressure on yourself. The result will be that you likely to have less psychological and physical tension, a better session, and end-up in a better mood. Dr Victor Thompson www.sportspsycho...