Could You Use a Mental Performance Coach?
In sport there are coaches for just about everything. There are head coaches, strength and conditioning coaches, offense and defense coaches and position coaches. The goal of these coaches is to enhance an athlete’s ability to perform. Each coach is specifically trained for their role through experience, certifications, workshops, and education. However, these coaches aren’t trained to manage the mental side of sport. Mental Performance Coaches (MPC) are there to teach athletes the skills not only address an athlete’s mindset but improve it.
How can a Mental Performance Coach Help Me?
A Mental Performance Coach can work with all types of athletes, from youth to Olympic athletes. An MPC is often sought after when an athlete is experiencing a slump, a drop-in performance, or coming back from an injury. These circumstances can interfere with an athlete’s focus, confidence, and leadership ability to name of few areas.
When an athlete starts to experience doubt in their ability it can quickly spiral out of their control. An MPC can work with an athlete to get to the source of the issue and teach skills for the athlete to work back to their top performance. But you don’t have to be feeling down about your performance to work with an MPC.
As mentioned, MPCs can also assist an athlete in moving from average to great. All athletes can improve their mindset. Therefore, the best athletes in the world work with MPCs. Athletes who train their mind don’t get hung up on mistakes, they can tackle adversity head on, they can come back against all odds, and have an unshakable sense of belief in themselves.
Athletes do not develop these mindsets by accident. Each athlete must intentionally create a positive and effective mindset. An MPC assists athletes in using their present mental strengths and helps them enhance areas of growth for a solid mindset for top performances. Working with an MPC can elevate the way you perform.
Here is a list of a few major areas an MPC can work with you on (this list is not exhaustive):
Confidence
Focus
Self-talk
Pre-performance anxiety
Preparation and routines
Bouncing back from an injury
Mental toughness
Team cohesion
Leadership
Performance Issues vs. Clinical Issues
When discussing the mind and mental skills, it’s important to recognize the difference between a performance issue and a clinical issue. Understanding these key differences allows for you to select the best sport professional with whom to work.
Performance
A performance issue is when the athlete is struggling with or wants to improve an aspect of their sport. As mentioned above, there are many areas an MPC can address. The primary difference is that the sport and performance is at the core of the issue.
An example of a performance issue would be pre-performance anxiety before any game. The athlete has great performances in practices. However, before games the athlete’s thoughts and feelings get away from them. The athlete is unable to perform in the game with the same intensity and confidence as in practice.
Clinical
A clinical issue, however, is when an athlete experiences several symptoms that are prevalent throughout life and cause significant distress. These symptoms would be found in the DSM-V and are not solely related to sport or performance. This type of issue needs to be addressed with a clinical professional for proper treatment.
An example of a clinical issue would be an athlete who is experiencing generalized anxiety rather than pre-performance anxiety. This athlete would be experiencing states of chronic worry and distress consistently through games, practices, as well as in school, work, socializing, and other areas of life.
Choosing a Mental performance coach
Selecting an MPC is a personal preference. You must be able to connect with and trust the MPC you are working with. It’s okay to meet with someone and decide it wasn’t a good fit for you. However, there are some guiding principles to keep in mind when searching for the best choice.
Look at Credentials
Within the world of mental performance, sport psychology, and mental performance coaching it is easy to get confused by the acronyms behind coaches name's. The Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) introduced a credential for sport psychology professionals to be recognized for experience, education, and training.
As listed on the AASP website:
“Certification as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC®) demonstrates to clients, employers, colleagues, and the public at large that an individual has met the highest standards of professional practice, including completing a combination of educational and work requirements, successfully passing a certification exam, agreeing to adhere to ethical principles and standards, and committing to ongoing professional development.
These individuals have obtained objective validation of their expertise in helping clients develop and use mental, life, and self-regulatory skills to optimize performance, enjoyment, and/or personal development in sport or other domains (e.g., performing arts, military).”
A mental performance coach with CMPC behind their name means that this individual has the knowledge and experience to assist you with your performance issues. You can find a global directory of CMPCs at the AASP website. However, CMPC is the only credential, that provider may not be appropriate to address clinical/mental health issues.
An MPC may also hold a clinical licensure as well as a CMPC. A clinical licensure ensures that the professional can address any performance issues as well as any potential clinical issues that may be uncovered while working together. Unfortunately, clinical licensures differ from state to state, therefore aren't a specific credentials to look for. A general rule is to look for credentials that include counseling, social work, or doctorate such as: Ph.D., Psy.D, LCPC, and LCSW. The clinical licensure signifies that the individual can treat the athlete’s symptoms that may not be directly related to the sport.
You have the power to choose
You have the choice to select and work with any professional that fits your needs. In choosing an MPC it is important to consider the purpose of working with the individual and then seek out the appropriate options. Personally, I have my CMCP and have my LLPC in Michigan. If you want to get started today with a free consultation!
Blaise Fayolle, LLPC, is a Therapist and Sport Psychology Coach at Reset Brain and Body. Blaise specializes in working with athletes or folks with athletic backgrounds. This special interest stems from his own experience as an athlete and an athletic coach. He supports his clients by providing perspective, education and skill building to support his clients in making meaningful changes towards their goals. Follow Blaise on Instagram: @coach.blaise