Author Archives: Yani Dickens

Several times a year, students aspiring to become sport psychologists ask me how to pursue a career in sport psychology. I happily mentor students interested in pursuing the profession, and here is what they typically ask and what I say: … Continue reading →

Despite your best practice, preparation, and intentions, do you ever worry you’ll still mess up? You’re not alone! Performance anxiety takes multiple forms including somatic anxiety, your body’s reaction to a challenging situation, and cognitive anxiety, your worry thoughts and … Continue reading →

One of the greatest challenges of using mental skills during performance involves knowing which mental skills to use, how, and when to use them. Just like with physical skills, performers should practice mental skills until mastering them. The off-season or … Continue reading →

The 2018 World Cup highlighted the relationship between immigration, diversity, and team performance against the backdrop of intense international backlash toward both immigration and diversity. Many observers and commentators pointed to France, England, and Belgium, attributing part of their successes to … Continue reading →

Finishing short-term and long-term goals and performing one’s best requires effort, persistence, and optimal focus. Focusing is directing attention toward things relevant to meeting one’s goals (e.g., task relevant information). Athletes, students, employees, and other performers face challenges but also … Continue reading →

Sport psychology consultants that use evidence-based mental skills training typically teach interventions like goal setting, positive thinking strategies, relaxation and intensity management techniques, and imagery to help performers overcome problems that interfere with performance. How well do these interventions work? … Continue reading →

Athletes, coaches, and even sport psychology consultants sometimes focus so narrowly on developing physical or mental skills only to realize they’ve overlooked a major problem interfering with sport performance – the lack of adequate nutrition. This sometimes seems surprising if … Continue reading →

Most of us know that exercise is good for the body, decreasing the risk of health problems. Fewer people know about the mental health benefits of exercise, including decreased depression and anxiety, increased self-esteem, improved sleep, and improved cognitive functioning. … Continue reading →

Having observed the similarities between soccer, basketball, hockey, and other sports that include a clear target for scoring and interacting team offensive and defensive positions, I’ve often wondered what mental skills help these athletes achieve high-level performance, and what are … Continue reading →

Mental skills training has been shown to improve sport performance1,2,3. Performers can also benefit from sport psychology consultation to cope with injuries after they occur. Few performers or coaches though realize that mental skills training can also reduce the probability … Continue reading →