B. MENTAL TRAINING FOR ATHLETES

 

THE NEED FOR MIND TRAINING

 

Mental conditioning has now begun to be recognized as significantly contributing to the success of an athlete at a competitive level of the sport. It is also an area to be explored by people from all disciplines to meet their need for remaining mentally and physically in top form.

 

NATURE OF SPORTS TRAINING

 

Radhika uses mind techniques that are transpersonal in nature, yet the intent is to re-train the brain to meet its growing needs so that an athlete feels equipped with cutting edge tools that will help them confidently engage within a fiercely competitive platform.  The work is applied to benefit varying aspects of the personality and specifically the skill. The tools are endless and the gamut of work is an expansive canvas. 

 

SUCCESSFUL JOURNEY AS A SPORTS MENTAL TRAINER

 

Radhika has had the experience of guiding many top sportsmen to communicate better with themselves and their skill set for varying sports Over the past twenty years. A selection of top Indian athletes went through sessions with mind coaching with her with dedication and passion to be able to receive their quota places for securing their competitive spaces at the International level. She has trained almost all the Olympians who have earned a medal for our country to date.

 

CENTRAL IDEA BEHIND COACHING

 

Mind Coaching attempts to establish harmony between mind and body for an athlete. The psychological factors affecting the performance of players in sport and exercise are thoroughly examined. Radhika's approach presents a consolidated and effective way to integrate technical instructions with awareness techniques.

 

PURPOSE FOR A COMPETITIVE COMMITMENT 

 

There are numerous professional athletes who excel in their sports but when it comes to personal shortcomings have landed themselves face down. Athletes are struggling not only with their sport but also with other areas of their lives as well as all humans do. These then affect their skill and their performance in diverse ways creating limitations consciously and sub-consciously. Since results warranty perfection, this struggle needs to be eliminated.

 

To take an athlete back to a place of complete trust in his sport, Mind Coaching helps him make a commitment to excellence. That is a critical ingredient, one that is enormously crucial for success at a competitive global platform. For the level of commitment to excellence only, it will enable mental energy, to pursue testing skills amongst the best and encourage the player in the face of tough competition. It is only after thorough and dedicated Mental Coaching, he is able to experience an internal shift. When this occurs he realizes that “I am prepared”! Knowing that the goal is now guaranteed and it’s just a matter of ‘awaiting delivery”.

 

SCIENCE BEHIND THE WORK

 

Experientially:

 

Using tools and techniques it is possible to educate an athlete about understanding himself and his sport more. For different levels of programming - condition varying patterns in athletes. Some of these patterns are so hard-wired that try as he may - he finds himself subservient to a pattern that may no longer be serving him well. This is achieved with the help of the therapist's knowledge and ability to design suggestions through metaphors and hypnotic language patterns which can lead to the client's ability to quickly abandon an undesirable behavior when the well-formulated suggestion is accepted. Along with using hypnosis - that in simple terms is an alternative state of mind, the programs are developed utilizing techniques and instructions to help the athlete make changes consciously and unconsciously.

 

The techniques include but are not limited to observation, sports hypnosis, the experience of the transpersonal & regression work related to psychotherapy and the many tools of Neuro-Linguistic programming. Specific sport-related skill sets are developed after research and more meaningfully to meet the needs of the client.

 

Neurologically; 

 

The brain has about 10 billion cells- neurons -and each cell has about 200-200,000 connections to other neurons via synapses (electrical connectors) with a transmission time of about 1000 of a second. The brain works fast in transmitting signals – in reacting. We have to tailor the brain to respond – with surety.

 

During trance, amongst other changes, the frequency of the Beta brain waves (12-30 Hz) slows to Theta brain waves (4-8 Hz). The slowing of brain wave activity is due in part to a shift in dominance between NOREPINEPHINE (ne) and ACETLCHOLINE (ACh) in the brain. When the ACh increases and the NE diminishes, internal visualization representation becomes more active and external focusing diminishes. What is described above contributes to the ability to very quickly recall early "labyrinths" in their original form and thereby the ability to "see" other pathways to solutions in the present?

 

Hypnosis as the basic tool employed in training is completely harmless and one of the most remarkable tools in the treatment of emotional, as well and all physical issues that an athlete faces in his highly competitive trails. Hypnosis is also used to complement other forms of treatment like NLP, in combination with old school psychological methods of observation, conditioning, and visualization. No condition can be worsened with hypnosis. As it stands, hypnosis has been interpreted in many ways over the years, but the best description is "hypnosis is an alternative state of mind"

 

Theoretically;

 

Success coaching is meant to remove the layers of discomfort and distress related to sport and other relevant areas. As it penetrates deeper the subject's skill gets enhanced and his determination to succeed gets strengthened.

 

In order to connect with the deeper more significant layers of the mind, an athlete is first given an introduction of the tools and acquainted with the entire program. This takes a few hours and only after he acknowledges the program and views it as a promising investment, sessions are set up for him.

 

The work is meant to ingrain the relevant aspects to improve the focus of the chosen sport. It aims to provide the skill set so a player may accept his/her limitations knowing that any limitation physical, mental, or emotional is only there to teach him how to overcome limitations. As he works through the realms of his own vision, escalates his determination, understands how to employ his will power and utilizes the techniques that have been already established over the years - he empowers himself towards more surety towards success. 

 

 

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