PSYCHOLOGY OF THE PLAYER - DAN ABRAHAMS

If you've read anything on Dusty Martin than you'll be well aware that he has done a tonne of work on his psychology and truly thinks of this work as going a long way to jumping up from very good player to one of the best ever.

Psychology is hard to measure in a lot of cases and you won't see immediate affects either, rather it is an accumulation of work performed over a long period of time which presents it self in tiny moments of games such as Dusty having an uncanny ability to hit the scoreboard exactly when the Tigers need it best.

It goes without saying that at local footy there is exactly ZERO emphasise put on the psychology which is complete madness because you can have all the ability in the world but if you're not confident anough to display it, you're going to chronically underperform.

Confidence is built through you yourself providing evidence in your own preparation that you can, and have already performed a specific task so then when time comes to do it in a game, the pressure to perform, and the consequences of not performing up to scratch, diminishes greatly, allowing great freedom to execute what you need to regardless of real, or perceived pressure.

Here's a bunch of Dan Abrahams tweets focusing on the player and again I encourage you to explore a few of these tweets and see what psychological changes you can make between now and the end of this season.

ATHLETE to COACH QUESTIONS – when I’m playing well what do you see?...can you tell me 1 way I can contribute better to the team?...is there a player I should watch/learn from?...what’s 1 area should I focus on improving?

PLAYER SELF EVALUATION – ask yourself what tiny actions did I execute today that were successful as confidence cannot be controlled, but it can be caressed and built on by remembering the small movements/actions that worked

PLAYER ENGAGEMENT – tell me about your best...tell me about how you best deal with a setback...tell me what your biggest supporter says about you...tell me about the negative thoughts you experience

PLAYER QUESTIONS to SELF – what does my best game look like?...what do my teammates experience when I’m helping them?...what should I deliberately practice in training this week?...what can I ask my coaches today?...what can I read to help me?

PLAYER VALUES – help players work out their values (3 – 5) and discuss the behaviours associated with these values on and off the field...work with them to help them behave in accordance with these values and help make these values a lived experience

PLAYER MENTAL SKILLS – attention v distraction (I pay attention to helpful cues every second)...optimal intensity v over arousal/under activation (I play with ideal intensity every second)...positive intent v inhibited  (I play with positive intent every second)

PLAYER CONSCIENTIOUSNESS/GRIT – help them diarise/priortise...teach them to self-talk so they can experience self control...make self control important in your activities...give them tasks to accomplish for the group/team...be patient with them

PLAYER STORIES – the story players tell themselves matter...they have a story after training, about their teammates, about the upcoming game, about the game just played  so they would be well served taking charge of their own story

PLAYER PSYCHOLOGY – memory x tell me about you at your best...imagination x talk to me about your dream game...perception x how can you see this tough situation in a more helpful way?

MEDIATE PLAYER BEHAVIOUR – coaches can explore the coaching environment, set goals, create values, shift rigid/extreme attitudes using simple techniques from REBT, shift maladaptive behaviours using MI, and develop skills of empathy/listening/questioning

PLAYER PSYCHOLOGY – some players will be able to self-regulate easily but others will need techniques to help them self manage...some players will thrive in an ego-orineted environment but others will lessen their anxiety in a task oriented environment

PLAYER AFFIRMATIONS – make them personal/specific/positive...when I play I compete hard getting on the front foot, being positive/dominant...I want to maintain focus to execute my responsibilities...I’m 1^st to the ball and 1^st to space...I’m vocal and commanding...I’m relentlessly competitive

PLAYER THINKING – tends to be shaped and experienced in 3 ways...no thinking x no conscious thought...fast thought x rapid conscious decision...slow thought x deliberate conscious decision where a number of options are considered

PLAYER INTRINSIC MOTIVATION – engagning for plesure x I want tolearn...engaging for pleasure of accomplishments x I want to improve...engaging to experience sensory/aesthetic pleasure x I want to move