The Psychology Of Team Sports

The attitude a team brings to competition may be the single-most important factor in determining long-term success. For professional and high-level college sports teams, most have similar talents to their competitors. Those who can harness their talents and bring factors like mental toughness, confidence and perseverance to their sport have the best chance of succeeding on a consistent basis, according to sports psychologist Bill Cole, who has worked with athletes in baseball, basketball, football and hockey.

Mental Toughness

This is a characteristic that players, coaches and fans talk about on a regular basis. A team that is mentally tough can come back from adversity and does not let a poor situation keep them from performing at their best. One of the best examples of this was the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers. In the second round of their playoff series with the Boston Bruins, the Flyers trailed three games to zero in their best-of-seven playoff series. Few outside the Philadelphia locker room gave the Flyers a chance to come back in the series. However, head coach Peter Laviolette convinced his players he still believed in them and that they would come back despite their deficit. The Flyers won game four in overtime and then reeled off back-to-back wins in games five and six to square the series. In the seventh game in Boston, the Bruins raced off to a 3 to 0 lead and appeared to have the Flyers on the verge of being blown out. However, Laviolette called timeout late in the first period and told his players that all they needed to start the comeback was one goal. They got it before the end of the first period and eventually came back to win the game and steal the series. Without mental toughness, this would not have been possible, according to Dr. David Yukelson, the coordinator of sports psychological services at Penn State.

Confidence

Professional teams must have confidence when they take the field to perform. This means teams and individual players must relish their opportunities to play and not fear them. In baseball, a confident team looks forward to playing the first place team in the league or the toughest pitcher. It's not about thinking about the opposing player's strengths, it's about thinking of your own. Teams that have confidence relish tough games, they don't fear them, according to Dr. Sylvia Rimm, a psychologist and the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland.

Team Concept

Players on a team are with each other for months when they play a team sport. They practice or play every day at the professional level and in similar amounts at the high school and college level. As a result, players get to know each other well and become close. A sports team can be like a second family to many players. That helps foster a desire to do well and perform well for teammates and coaches. It's not just about individual achievements. It's about doing your best so you and your teammates can enjoy the feeling of winning together. The concept of a team victory can provide very strong motivation, according to Mental Training Consultant Karlene Sugarman.

Visualization

Visualization is a concept that athletes in team sports can use to help them perform successfully. A basketball player may step to the free-throw line and close his eyes for a second and then visualize a successful shot. A kicker in football will visualize just where his toe must hit the football in order to have his field goal attempt go directly through the uprights before actually kicking the ball. This concept can help any athlete perform at his best when his team needs him the most, according to Sugarman.