Sports Psychology

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What is sports psychology?

Have you ever heard an athlete or coach say that a sport is 50-90%  mental? Just as you prepare for competition by practicing physical  skills, you must also prepare yourself mentally.

It is this mental side of sports that sports psychology  professionals work with. Coaches often deal exclusively with the  physical and strategic components of sports, whereas, sports psychology  professionals seek to enhance the minds of athletes to help them improve  their performance. Sports Psychology aims to help athletes achieve their maximum potential and enhance their overall experience.

Why do people contact a sports psychology professional?

• To improve performance
• To overcome the pressures of competition
• To enhance the experience of youth sports
   

Sports Psychology Consultation Serves:

• Individual Athletes
• Coaches
• Teams
• Sports Organizations

Performance Enhancement Services

From high school to the elite athlete, performance is largely  contingent upon mental preparation before and psychological strength  during a performance.

Performance Preparation Services:

• Maximize Practice/Training Sessions
• Increasing Focus
• Goal Setting
• Use of Imagery
• Stress/Anxiety Management
• Confronting Fear of Failure/Success 

Performance Maintenance Services:  

• Enhance Mental Toughness/Discipline
• Coping with Adversity
• Regulating Emotions
• Negative Thought Stopping
• Adaptive/Successful Thinking
• Recovery from Poor Performance
• Recovery from Mental Errors

What Sports Does Dr. Will Work With

Dr. Will has been successful working with individual athletes,  coaches and teams from the youth to the professional level in a variety  of sports.  Below is a sample list of some of the sports he has had  success helping with:

• Football
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Softball
• Ice Hockey
• Field Hockey
• Tennis
• Soccer
• Volleyball
• Running
• Track & Field
• Swimming & Diving
• Lacrosse
• Fencing
• Equestrian
• Rowing
• Bowling

Golf Psychology Services

While Dr. Will works with all sports, the one sport he is most  called on to help with is golf.  There is likely no sport that requires  more mental toughness than golf. Successful golf requires an individual  to remain mentally focused while keeping the body soundly relaxed.  Through the use of a unique, empirically based skills training program,  Dr. Will can assist golfers in improving their performance in a matter  of weeks. The program emphasizes training in both mental focus as well  as physical muscle relaxation. Through the use of a specified technique  known as induced affect, Dr. Will can train golfers to utilize effective  skills that will translate directly to the golf course. Induced affect  is a technique that aims to induce pressure, through imagery, before an  individual walks onto a course. Dr. Will then assists the individual in  utilizing learned skills to cope with the pressure. Training can be  conducted in group or individual formats. Follow-up sessions allow for  the skills to be tailored to each individual golfer.