Athletes' Mental Preparation for Tournaments
You are capable of more than you think
I'm Dr. Agnes Darida Coach. I hold the International Coaching Federation's PCC (Professional Certified Coach) credential.
I have supported athletes since 2013 to reach their goals, bring out their best and manage stress well.
I have worked with American, German and Hungarian national team members who reached great results at national and international level. I work online in English, German and Hungarian languages.
You can learn more about me here.
More and more coaches, athletes and parents realize that success in sport requires mental preparation as well, not just physical. None of them is complete without the other. Those who deal with the mental preparation part get an advantage at tournaments, because the one with more mental toughness, better pressure and stress management has better chances of winning.
Today’s young athletes face immense pressure and challenges. They are expected to excel in school and in sports, often in other areas, as well.
They have tight schedules and very little free time. Most of them experience how hard it is to perform well in competitive situations, especially in individual sports, when everything depends on them.
I often hear the following statements
- "I have low self-confidence."
- "I'm too stressed out at tournaments."
- “I’m much better in practice than at tournaments.”
- “I know what I should do but I keep repeating the same mistakes over and over again.”
- “I feel paralyzed at tournaments.”
- “I really fear competing against opponents with high ranking.”
- "I usually mess it up when I compete with younger or less experienced opponents."
- "I cannot concentrate."
- "I'm afraid of losing."
- "I can't handle losing."
- "I'm often lost in my thoughts."
- "I think too much about my mistakes."
Winning against the inner opponent
Unfortunately, most mental skills that help overcome the challenges in sports are not taught anywhere, although all athletes would need that. Some athletes have self-confidence issues, others would like to work on improving their focus or dealing with defeat and anger better. The good news is that these skills and the required positive attitude can be learned and developed.
At tournaments, athletes usually focus on their external opponent only, although the real opponent is within.
In my coaching sessions, we focus a lot on the inner opponent: the mind and our thoughts.
Topics that we cover during the sessions
- bringing out the best of themselves at competitions
- setting and achieving reasonable goals
- gaining more self-awareness and self-confidence
- focusing fully with a calm mind
- staying confident and focused even in unexpected situations
- managing stress, negative thoughts and fears
- developing and maintaining a positive mindset and a confident body-language
- learning to handle both success and defeat
- performing as well or even better in tournaments as during practice
- defining and building on personal strengths and resources
- defining personal challenges and dealing with them
- managing stress in a way that serves us instead of being paralyzed by it
- lightness instead of pressure: being inspired, not hindered by stress, and having fun while competing
- winning against the inner opponent
Personalized coaching process
I work with each of my clients in a tailor-made process based on their own goals, needs, strengths and challenges. My program combines 1-on-1 online coaching with self-preparation and helps develop a positive attitude.
My coaching sessions have an impact not only on the athletes’ sports performance but also on their personal growth. I teach them tools and techniques that can be used in their day-to-day lives to perform at their best, and manage stress and pressure. They can use these skills in all other areas of life: handling everyday stress, tests in school, relationship issues, etc.
If you invest in coaching, you invest in yourself.
Get in touch with me
I truly appreciate that you are interested in getting in touch with me.
Please complete this form to schedule a 30-min free video session or if you need further information.
I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Best,
Agnes