“Mental toughness is spartanism with qualities of sacrifice, self-denial, dedication. It is fearlessness, and it is love.” —-Vince Lombardi

For some players, the gifts of confidence and composure are entirely natural. But for the majority, football mental skills are qualities to be acquired and polished in the same way a player might build muscle in the gym, or perfect passing skills.

That’s why most NFL team now work with sports psychologists, who teach players a range of football mental tools and techniques like from positive self-talk, mental imagery, relaxation and rapid refocusing skills.

Sport Psychology for football addresses the interactions between football psychology and sport performance, including the psychological aspects of optimal athletic performance, the psychological care and well-being of athletes and coaches, and the connection between physical and psychological functioning.

Sports psychologists can help athletes in various ways, mostly focused on working to understand what motivates athletes and how athletes can improve their performance.

These activities can range from counseling athletes who might have anxiety issues that hamper their performance to instructing athletes on methods of mental conditioning (e.g., visualization, concentration and relaxation) to helping athletes deal with injuries.

To put all of this in another way, a sport psychologist for football is working from the perspective that success in football relies on both the physical body and the football mind.

Professional athletes have to be mentally tough in order to keep doing what they do, day after day. Football mental toughness improves performance and mentally tough athletes perform well on and off the field.

In summary, what do sports psychologists do?
• They help athletes improve their performance.
• They help athletes cope with the pressures of competition
• They help athletes recover from injuries.
• They help athletes stay motivated.
• For young athletes, they help them enjoy the sport.

Reaching out to a sport psychologist is the first steps in showing you are tough!

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