How to Coach Yourself and Others Techniques For Coaching | Seite 428

of understanding builds consistently, right up to and during
competition.
Mel Rosen, 1992 Olympic track and field coach and former track and
field coach at Auburn University in Alabama, used to approach one of
his student athletes, a three-time Olympic sprint champion, with a keen
and sensitive eye to building last-minute confidence and self-image. "I
would see Harvey Glance with his head down before the Olympic Trials
and know that he wasn't emotionally prepared to race. I would remind
him of his other big races, remind him of his need for positive self-talk
and positive images when he set up in the blocks. Most of all, I would
tell Harvey to keep his head up and remind him that he was the best in
the business and that he could get the job done."
Glance, now head coach at the University of Alabama, uses a similar but
more elaborate formula to build confidence levels. He writes notes to
his athletes congratulating them on their workouts and reminding them
to stay positive and refreshed when they train. He reminds them to
keep a healthy and positive attitude in their daily workouts so that they
can bring these images and affirmations to each race.
Personal Pep Talks
What does self-talk mean, and how does it affect athletic performance?
The frequency and content of thoughts vary from individual to
individual and situation to situation. Anytime you think about
something, you are "talking to yourself," which is a type of self-talk.
Affirmations, on the other hand, are a very specific and individualized
type of self-talk. For instance, if! say to myself before shooting whitewater rapids, "Steven, stay focused," that's self-talk. Affirmations,
however, would be more specific to me. I might say to myself, "I know
I'm really good at doing this. I know my emotional state. I'm very
positive."
Self-talk and self-affirmation become great emotional strengths when
they enhance self-esteem and self-worth. It works to great advantage
when this self-improvement leads to a terrific performance.
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