MENTAL TRAINING PROGRAM

Do you want to increase your confidence, avoid slumps, be more competitive and consistent, and take your game to a higher level? If so, Dr. Walker's mental training program is for you. A total of eight sessions, two sessions per week over a four-week period, will give you the mental edge to improve your performance and perform at a higher level consistently. All sessions are approximately forty-five minutes to one hour in length.

WEEK ONE - SELF EVALUATION AND GOAL SETTING

The process begins by completing  the mental skills inventory, which assesses common mental skills necessary for competitive success. Individual strengths and weaknesses will be identified – moving towards building a competitive mindset. Inventory results provide a foundation for goal setting, which will be tracked throughout the remaining sessions.

WEEK TWO - RELAXATION AND FOCUS TRAINING

To reduce competitive stress and aid in performance preparation, athletes will be taught both breathing and relaxation exercises. A relaxation script along with breathing exercises will be provided. In addition to learning about concentration, athletes will learn a straightforward approach to regain focus during competition.

WEEK THREE - VISUALIZATION AND CONFIDENCE BUILDING / SELF-TALK

The basics of visualization, including how, when, where and why to use it will be addressed, along with strategies for increasing confidence and changing negative thinking. A visualization script will be developed to increase confidence and prepare for competition. To increase confidence, athletes will learn to effectively use self-talk and a performance evaluation program will be developed to help maintain focus on the factors that lead to confidence and positive thinking.

WEEK FOUR - PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER: CREATING THE MENTAL TOOLBOX AND PERFORMANCE ROUTINES

The final sessions put all tools together to form a series of mental coping skills used during competition - which help to turn poor performances into peak performances. Learning is accomplished through competitive simulations and results will ultimately lead to established performance routines.