Mental Skills

You’ve dedicated countless hours to physical training – running, lifting, shooting and swinging. Now, it’s time to strengthen your mental game. When competition is tough, your mindset can be the key to victory. 

At Banner Sports Medicine High Performance Center, our mental skills program, grounded in sport psychology, offers specific strategies to help you perform at your best – regardless of experience or competitive level.

Why mental skills matter?

Just like you hit the gym to build your muscles, your brain is another muscle that needs flexing and mental reps. Mental skills training is as important as your physical training. It equips you with the psychological tools needed to excel, handle pressure and setbacks, sustain peak performance and ultimately contribute to your athletic success and overall well-being.

Here’s how mental skills coaching can give you the edge: 

• Goal setting
• Confidence building
• Focus and concentration
• Mental toughness: Coping, resiliency and perseverance 
• Motivation and goal setting
• Emotional regulation
• Stress management
• Recovery and coping skills
• Self-awareness
• Visualization and mental rehearsal
• Team dynamics

Our comprehensive approach

At the High Performance Center, we have in-depth experience working with youth and adult performers, competitors and teams. Led by a sports psychologist and mental skills coach, our mental skills training program is tailored to your sport or activity and your individual needs.

Mental skills coaching includes a variety of tools but is not limited to:

SMART goal setting

We begin by creating specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound goals for success in the short- and long-term. We review and adjust them based on progress.

Productive or growth mindset

We help you think in a way that sees problems as chances to learn, not as roadblocks. This mindset enables you to bounce back from setbacks with resilience and perseverance. 

Visualization

This is a powerful mental rehearsal technique used by elite performers. Our coaches will teach you how to vividly imagine yourself in various performance situations. Through regular practice, visualization can improve confidence, focus and performance consistency.

Mindfulness and concentration

Our mindfulness and concentration training, such as sports meditation, equips you with techniques to stay grounded in the present moment, regardless of distractions or pressure. This can help you maintain focus during critical moments and reduce overthinking. 

Productive self-talk

The way we talk to ourselves shapes our beliefs, emotions and actions. Productive self-talk is an athlete’s secret weapon. By replacing self-limiting thoughts with empowering affirmations, you will build confidence and belief in yourself.

Stress management and relaxation techniques

Stress is sometimes just part of the game...and life! We teach evidence-based stress management and relaxation techniques to help you stay calm and composed under pressure. From diaphragmatic breathing to progressive muscle relaxation, our coaches will tailor strategies to meet your needs, promoting optimal performance and recovery. 

Take your game to the next level

Ready to enhance your mental game and achieve your full potential? Whether you’re a youth athlete or a seasoned professional, our programs are designed to help you maximize your performance potential and complement your physical training.

Join us at Banner Sports Medicine High Performance Center and start your journey toward mental excellence today. Contact us at (480) 733-7450 or schedule your initial consultation online and take the first step toward becoming the best athlete you can be.