The Psychology of Elite Athletes
What can we learn from them?
When we think of elite athletes, we immediately think of physical prowess and perfect execution of that prowess when it matters most. What is less obvious is that this level of physical excellence cannot be sustained with the psychological attributes that support that.
A recent study of 135 Australian Olympic, Paralympic, National, and state-level athletes across 25 Olympic sports revealed that they perceived psychological skills and attributes, as well as strong interpersonal relationships as vital to their success, and they rated ‘recovery practices’ as very important too. Many of these athletes said that they would have liked access to these services earlier in their careers, a wish that was reiterated by the sub-elite athletes. In fact, the International Society of Sport Psychology recognizes that mental health is a core component of a culture of excellence.
One very basic concept that is often ignored is mental fatigue. A recent review found that mental fatigue has a negative effect on various sports skills of high-level athletes. It has a negative impact on their technical and decision-making skills. And the impact is greater on offensive skills than that of defensive skills in terms of the role of athletes.
