Mental Preparation for the Paralympic Games

Jeffrey MartinProfessor

Division of Kinesiology, Health and Sport Studies

Personal Introduction• Ph.D. (1992) in sport and exercise psychology.• Wayne State University (MI) for 20 years.• Over 100 publications.• Over half on disability sport and exercise

psychology.• Ranging from friendship benefits of disability

sport for children to Paralympic excellence.

Presentation Roadmap• Who are Paralympians.• Why Mental Preparation.• Why Mental Preparation for the Paralympic

Games specifically.• What is Mental Preparation.• What do we know about Mental Preparation.• How can Paralympians mentally prepare.

Who are Paralympians

Why Mental Preparation

Athlete Perspective

I haven’t just been out here training for the last month on the gold coast, I’ve been training hard for 4 years: It’s the mentally toughest athlete that will win gold, and I know I’m the mentally toughest (Simon Jackson, Paralympic Gold Medalist)

Sport Psychologist Perspective

1. Mental training can’t replace physical training and talent.

2. Physical training and physical ability isn’t enough to succeed consistently.

3. A strong mind may not win you an PARAlympic medal, but a weak mind will lose you one (McCann, USOC Sport Psychologist)

Mental Preparation

For optimal training prior to the Paralympics.

For superior Paralympic Game performances

Why Mental Preparation for the

Paralympics

The Paralympic environment is an intense, exciting, unremitting emotional roller coaster. It is also unforgiving and abrasive and ….. (Katz, 2004).

What is Mental Preparation/Mental

Skills

An attitude

A set of cognitive, affective, & behavioral skillsthat can be learned via practice

These skills can be developed and used in training and competition as well as after competition

What is Mental Preparation/Mental

Skills

- Imagery- Self-talk- Concentration- Goal setting- Energy management

What do we know about mental preparation at the elite and Paralympic level.

What are the unique challenges Paralympians might anticipate and manage with mental skills.

The Research - Training- Getting to the Games- Psychological- Physiological - Lifestyle

Training

• Training for the Paralympic Games• Athletes are often on their own without teammates

• Limited, infrequent and/or no coaching

• Under-employed and under-paid

• Inability to work out in exercise clubs and/or the neighborhood parks/trails/paths

• Few teams or programs

Getting to the Paralympics

You’ve just sat in a seat on an airplane and it may be an hour before the plane takes off. You’ve been herded on board and thrown about all over the place and then you’ve got this long flight, and you know when you get to the other end you’re going to be last off, and then you’ve got to go and sort our baggage out (British Paralympian)

- Psychological: Optimal Emotions

Olympic Skiers - Positive emotions were associated with

competition and when engaged in good quality technical training

- Negative emotions were not always harmful and were least harmful when athletes engaged in “hard” work training

- Canadian cross country skiers were 3.6% faster when using cue words (e.g., Go, drive, rip) to generate emotion

- Psychological: Positive Thoughts

Canadian X-C Olympic Skiers - Positive self-statement group were 3.2% faster

when using positive phrases.

- Psychological: Personality

- and Mood

Personality and Mood of Paralympic Women’s Basketball Gold Medalists

• Team Members Nonqualifiers Club

» International Effect Sizes • Variable M SD M SD M SD Cohen’s Effect• D Size r• Personality• TM* 5.7 1.7 4.3 1.0 1.12 0.49

• AX* 5.6 1.9 7.8 0.7 –1.69 –0.65

• EX 5.3 1.9 6.0 1.0 –0.82 –0.38

• SC 5.2 2.1 6.5 0.9 –0.57 –0.28

• Mood• TN 8.6 4.1 10.9 4.2 9.6 5.7 –0.61 –0.29

• DP* 3.9 3.2 6.7 2.5 8.7 4.4 –0.98 –0.44

• AG 5.8 4.0 7.4 4.3 9.9 6.2 –0.46 –0.22

• VG* 19.5 4.3 14.8 2.6 15.6 18.5 1.34 0.56

• FT 5.4 3.5 8.1 3.2 8.2 5.4 –0.67 –0.32

• CF* 5.5 2.2 7.5 2.3 7.4 4.0 –0.91 –0.41• Note. Personality: TM = Tough Mindedness, AX = Anxiety, IN = Independence, EX = Extraversion, SC =• Self-control. Mood: TN = Tension, DP = Depression, AG = Anger, VG = Vigor, FT = Fatigue, CF = Confusion.

- Psychological: Confidence • and Optimism

Wheelchair Basketball Players• 1 2 3 4 5

• 1. PSE• 2. TSE .22*• 3. TCSE .23* .29**• 4. RSE .20 .37** .78**• 5. PA .12 .05 .29** .29*• 6. NA -.20 .03 -.40** -.37* -.38*-----------------------------------------------------------------------• PSE = Performance self-efficacy,• TSE = Training self-efficacy, • TCSE = Thought control self-efficacy,• RSE = Resiliency self-efficacy, • PA = Positive affect, NA = Negative affect.

- Physiological: Competition effort or

conditioning/strategy

Paralympic Rugby Team Distance by Velocity

V1 V2 V3 V4 V50

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1st Half

2nd Half

Velocity Ranges (mph)

Dis

tanc

e Tr

avel

ed (m

iles)

0.50

V1: 0 - 0.1 mphV2: 0.1 - 1.5 mph V3: 1.5 - 3.1 mphV4: 3.1 - 4.7 mphV5: > 4.7 mph

*

* Sig. difference (p < .05)

*

*

*

*

0.75

0.62

0.37

0.25

0.12

- Physiological: Sleep

Brazilian Paralympians - Most had poor sleep quality in the Paralympic

village- 72% of athletes with poor quality sleep had

medium anxiety- 28% of athletes with good quality sleep had

medium anxiety- British Paralympians have reported that poor

sleep was a source of stress

- Lifestyle: Adapting to the

Paralympic village

Roommate Issues

I am concerned as to whether I will be able to “live” with someone I have little

in common with, other than an impaired embodiment, for the next

three and half weeks. How will these living arrangements impact upon my

performances on the track (David Howe, Paralympian)

Classification

• Classification at the Paralympic Games• Classification: Can create anxiety and

stress because of the uncertainty of it.

• If re-classified, can undermine confidence and cause anxiety.

Paralympics:Helping Athletes Achieve

Excellence

Athletes

1.Learn all you can about the Paralympic experience.

2.Question past Paralympians about their experiences.

Athletes

1.Be aware of, anticipate, plan for all the known challenges.

2.Be prepared for the unknown and completely unpredictable challenges.

Athletes

1. Strong mental skills will not insure a PARAlympic medal but a lack of skills could lose you one.

2. Start developing mental skills NOW.

3. Learn about and practice effective goal setting.

Athletes

1. How you think influences your feelings and behavior.

2. Become aware of your self-talk and make it less negative and more positive.

3. Develop an imagery script for a Paralympic performance.

Coaches

1. Coaches frequently don’t know what their athletes are thinking.

2. Coaches must be involved in the mental training process. (McCann, USOC Sport Psychologist).

Coaches

1. Sometimes it is ok to force athletes to take the time to do mental training.

2. Coaches need to think about their own mental skills (McCann, USOC Sport Psychologist)

2008 Paralympics

Thanks to all

References and Contact Information

• Dr. Jeffrey Martin: aa3975@wayne.edu