- Mental training is a set of techniques for advancing the development of personal excellence and progress in sports. Working with athletes, our goal is to help them find their concentration, keep their motivation and control their emotions during a game or a match - Čerenšek explained.
- In tennis, for instance, you want your player to be the best they can be at the service line, with each point, and to use their resources to the maximum - Kotzmuth added.
Croatia’s great handball player Ivan Raič went on to explain how mental trainings helped him go through one of the most difficult periods in his career.
- I had an injury that had forced many to quit playing. Still, thanks to mental trainings and daily exercises, I was able to stay motivated, and truly become aware of why I should continue trying and keep working.
Palovšnik and Jercog said mental trainings and cooperation with sports psychologists should be included in all athletes’ routines, regardless of their age, whether they were young or old, just like they worked with coaches for their particular sports and fitness trainers. Only such a complete team can lead to success in the sports arena.
Finally, with the help of the young tennis players from the Zlatno Sunce Tennis Club, sports psychologist Maja Vidaković showed some of the practical mental training exercises.
