Why Do Athletes Seek a Mental Skills Coach?
It must be said that, as in almost every field, help is usually sought when problems arise.
And that’s good — it’s good that help is sought and that there are ways to get it.
Preventive work definitely bears more quality fruit in the long term, because it means the athlete is already swimming above the water, and additional work will help them swim faster.
In the case of problems, the athlete is already underwater, and the immediate goal is to get back above it.
Most people have either experienced themselves or noticed in others moments where breaking points appear — and often they’re even visible from the outside. The question is — is anyone working on it?
Also in Latvia, mental training is finally gaining momentum, because our sports system — like many others in the country — is progressing more slowly than in nations that have had the opportunity to develop faster and more efficiently. There is progress, and that is encouraging.
I would say it’s good to look for a mental skills coach when there are problems.
But at the same time, I’d also say it’s just as good to seek one when everything is going well — and to explore how to work on oneself preventively.
Not only that, but how to work with all parts of oneself: the physical body, technical skills, tactics and strategy, and the mind — in a way that all these aspects are trained in a unified and effective manner.