Show Notes
Ensuring that your focus is placed on helpful things, that you stay motivated during difficult times and that your confidence levels remain steady and intact even when you lose form are seen as vitally important components being a top class athlete. In today's episode, part 3 of David's investigation into ChatGPT's and its response to the question "What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist" he goes on to share with you some helpful tools that you can help athletes in this context. Key Learning Points: Enhancing focus is a skill that can be developed by understanding aspects that are out of your control and to be able to shift your attention purposefully on helpful things/processes that are within your control. A great question to aid your motivation is to go back to the question from time to time – Why do I play my sport? To maintain steady levels of confidence, recognising where you gain confidence from is key. Connect with David Charlton Sign Up to The Mental Edge Join David @ The Sports Psychology Hub Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN To Listen to Related Podcasts To Help You Improve Your Understanding of Sports Psychology Ep261: David Charlton - Why Are The Sporting Goals That You Set Yourself Not Helping You Ep260 - David Charlton - What Can I Expect When Working With A Sport Psychologist Ep160: Brian Hemmings – Golf Psychology: What You Can Expect and Why It Can Help You Ep146: John Nassoori – What Is The Role Of A Sports Psychologist In Football? Ep111: Michael Caulfield – How to be an Effective Sports Psychologist in Elite Professional Football Relevant Blogs And Resources To Help You Enhance Focus, Motivation and Confidence Motivation for Sport Quiz Download THE FOCUSED ATHLETE CHECKLIST Performance Profile for Long Term Goals Performance Profiling: When You're Looking For A Quick Boost Handout: Marginal Gains Refining Your Approach
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To end a recent series on the coach-athlete relationship, in this bonus episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David Charlton is joined by Dr John Perry, Head of Department of PE and Sports Sciences at the University of Limerick, researcher, former coach and performance analyst, to explore how coaches can better support athletes through the lens of mental toughness.
In this episode David concludes the eight-part series exploring the coach–athlete relationship by focusing on a powerful concept within the Challenge pillar of the 4Cs model of Mental Toughness, learning orientation. Learning orientation reflects how willing athletes and coaches are to reflect on mistakes, setbacks and difficult experiences in order to improve. Without this mindset, progress in sport can stall and with it, challenges become powerful opportunities for development.
Description Today, David Charlton explores another dynamic within the coach–athlete relationship: differences in risk orientation (a sub-measure of Mental Toughness). He discusses a common scenario in sport, a coach who prefers structure, routine and predictability working alongside an athlete who thrives on experimentation, creativity and challenge. While structured environments can provide stability and clarity, athletes high in risk orientation often crave variety, stimulation and opportunities to explore different solutions.
In this episode of the Demystifying Mental Toughness Podcast, David Charlton explores an often overlooked aspect of confidence in sport, interpersonal confidence. He discussed a common dynamic seen in sporting environments: a coach with very high interpersonal confidence working alongside an athlete who struggles to speak up. Highly confident coaches often communicate clearly and persuasively. They lead conversations, provide direction and bring strong conviction to their coaching. Yet when this confidence dominates the interaction, quieter athletes can become increasingly passive, hesitant and disengaged.
Today, David Charlton explores a powerful but often misunderstood dynamic in sport: the highly confident coach working with an athlete who lacks confidence in their ability.