Sport Psychology Workshops
Written by Craig Harkins   
Friday, 12 June 2009
Dr. John Heil, working in conjunction with Fencing.Net, will be putting on a series of Sport Psychology Seminars/Workshops during the first few days of the 2009 Summer Nationals.

We discuss one of the aspects: Losing and Regaining focus in todays blog post.
In addition, there will be sessions on the following topics:

Sunday, July 5th: 1pm - 2:30pm: Parent Seminar - Achieving Excellence as a Sport Parent

In this seminar Dr. Heil will cover:

  • 10 skills of effective sport parenting
  • Balancing sport, work and family responsibilities
  • The developmental cycle of the athlete
  • Guiding your child in sport as a life skill
  • What the parent should know about fencing
  • The unique skills and demands of fencing
  • The parent role at fencing competitions
  • What the parent needs to know about psychology, nutrition and training

Monday, July 6th - 10 am Mental Training: Focusing and Refocusing from Distractions

Learn the skills necessary for achieving mental focus before and during a bout as well as specific techniques to regain focus once distracted. This seminar combines theory with actual practice of a mental training method.

A mental training script to guide ongoing practice will be provided.

Tuesday, July 7th - 2 pm - Goal Setting: Road Map to Success (The Science of Goal Setting)

If sport is a journey, then goal setting charts the path to success. To train and compete successfully, the athlete must avoid the pitfalls and embrace the methods of goal setting.

This seminar presents the seven key elements of effective goals setting:

  1. Linking performance goals to outcome goals
  2. Setting challenging but realistic goals
  3. Using positive and specific language
  4. Collaborating and personalizing
  5. Integrating short and long term goals
  6. Assessing and adjusting goals
  7. Practicing self-acceptance

Wednesday, July 8th - 10 am: Mental Training: Composure Control

Learn the basics of relaxation and activation training for intensity control, as well as methods for maintaining mental composure, even when things start to go horribly wrong in the bout or tournament.

This seminar combines instruction in "zone" theory with actual practice of a mental training method.

A mental training script to guide ongoing practice will be provided.

Workshops are $50 per person for each session.  You can sign up for the Sport Psychology Workshops at: Fencing.Net.