Mental Imagery in Sports

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Mental Imagery Part 1: Concept Education “Mental imagery creates an opportunity to create a better reality” according to Dr. Terry Orlick in his book, In Pursuit of Excellence (99). Great athletes develop the habit of seeing things in a positive way and imagining themselves performing and executing technical skills in the way that they would like to perform. Some of the best athletes in the world have used mental imagery to write the script for their actual physical performance. Positive mental imagery is useful for guiding an individual’s belief, focus, and performance, thus creating affirmation in their ability to perform the tasks necessary to succeed in their sport. Through positive imagery the individual can “pre-experience and re-experience” (Orilick) feelings, sensations, skills or actions that are important for the successful execution of their task. At the Ohio Center for Sports Psychology, Dr. Jack J. Lesyk led research on mental imagery for athletes. Lesyk determined that competitors benefit from imagery that is “detailed, specific and realistic.” Not only is positive mental imagery before performance beneficial, but also its use during the actual event can help an athlete “prepare for action {during the game} and recover from errors and poor performances “(Lesyk). Quality mental images of stellar performances lay the groundwork for achieving desired performance, helping an athlete reach their highest potential. These multi-sensory images can assist in exceeding their prior performance expectations. Positive visions include the image of successful activities combined with specific steps to obtain the desired outcome. Practicing this form of imagery on a regular basis is critical to the success of this strategy because the more your brain rehearses a thought, image or action; the more it becomes an integrated reality in your mind’s eye.

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