Assignment 4: Essay: Peak Performance in Athletes

Part I:

Imagine that you are the coach of an elite-level athlete in training for the upcoming Olympic Games. Create a hypothetical athlete in a sport of your choice. Discuss how you would use a specific model or models as a knowledge base of psychological preparation for peak performance to mentally prepare this athlete to achieve a peak performance in his/her event at the Olympics. In your answer, explain the relationship between psychological factors and performance. Also, be sure to provide specific examples and details to illustrate your understanding of the model(s) you have chose to use.

The following resources will give you a good starting point for your research:

· Developing a mental game plan: http://thesportjournal.org/?s=Developing+a+mental+game+plan

· Performance Imagery: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/201211/sport-imagery-athletes-most-powerful-mental-tool

· Youth Football Players and Psychological Preparation: http://usafootball.com/blogs/health-and-safety/post/9067/5-mental-preparation-strategies-for-athletes

Part II:

Compare and contrast the list of psychological skills with the list of psychological characteristics associated with peak performance in athletes. Discuss the extent to which the use of psychological skills (such as imagery, thought control, and so on) can have an impact on various psychological characteristics (such as confidence and concentration). Illustrate your answer with examples from sport or your own personal experiences. You can use some of the resources below as a starting point for your research. Follow APA guidelines for writing and citing sources.

The following resources will give you a good starting point for your research:

· The role "character" plays in athletic excellence: A look at elite athletes and their coaches:http://www.usapowerlifting.com/newsletter/20/coaching/coaching.html

· Psychological aspects of peak performance: www.drrelax.com/slideshw2.pps

· Psychological characteristics of elite atheletes:http://www.elitetrack.com/article_files/sportpsych.pdf

Write a 2–3-page essay and present it in Microsoft Word document format