Sports Psychology Counselling In Pretoria
Sports provide a tangible way for us as humans to measure personal growth and achieving personal goals.
Overcoming obstacles, learning from the defeat, overcoming negative thinking, improving self-confidence, growing in self-understanding, becoming resilient, learning to be disciplined and focused, setting realistic goals, dreaming of bigger things – these are all aspects that can be applied to so many areas of life.
So often are we told that it is “all in the mind” or “mental toughness” will make the difference between winning and losing. To be able to have the desired outcome, especially during the critical moments of competition AND to find true meaning and enjoyment in what we do as athletes, it is of paramount importance to have a holistic approach to the sports we compete in. Examination of personal, family and other social factors, as well as the balance between realistic goals and dreams/ ideals, need to be analysed before we can get to the very specific, “in the moment” skills to optimize our sports performance and enjoy the critical moments, winning or losing.
As a former professional tennis coach and player who moved to the USA at the age of 18 after receiving a scholarship to play tennis at Delta State University, the mental side of sports, especially the critical moments of performance, have probably contributed the most to my curiosity for the field of psychology. I have also completed courses under the American Association for Sports Psychology (AASP) and aim to integrate my knowledge as a sports psychology counsellor and an athlete to help people reach their goals in whatever sport they compete in.
