How to Help Athletes Stay Aggressive At The End of a Game

In this week's sports psychology podcast, mental game of sports expert Dr. Patrick Cohn talks with Dr. Megan Melchiorre. Dr. Megan is the newest member of the Peak Performance Sports team. She is the lead mental coach specializing in working with youth and high school athletes in various sports. Do you have teams that tend to get tight at the end of a set when maybe they didn't expect to win against the opponent and they tighten up and end up losing the set? In this podcast, they will answer the question of the week... "How do you help athletes stay aggressive at the end of a set or match when the game gets tight?" COHN: We know that then end of a game can be more pressure for some athletes... Maybe they tend to think too far ahead about the outcome... COHN: What are the challenges for athletes that they tend to get tight at the end of a match? What are they doing? MEGAN: They try to protect their lead. They start to play safe and to not make mistakes. MEGAN: When they play not to make mistakes, they tend to overthink and over control instead of trusting their ability and shining on a set and attacking a ball, they try to place it on an open spot on the court. MEGAN: When they put easy balls over, they give the opposing team an opportunity to attack. COHN: Good point... and I think if you give the opposing team the opportunity to attack, what is happening is that the opponent will start to make a comeback and sense that the player in the lead is all of the sudden playing safe and protective instead of aggressive and attack. COHN: It gives your opponent the ability to take control over the match. COHN: How do you help players with this issue at the end of the game when the pressure is on the line and you want them to finish the set? Listen to this week's podcast to learn what mental game tips Dr. Cohn and Dr. Megan give to athletes about staying aggressive and trusting their skills. Resources for Athletes, Coach, and Sports Parents Learn about Mental Game Coaching For Athletes Download our a FREE Mental Toughness Report Read our Sports Psychology Articles Check out our Sports Psychology Audio Programs *Subscribe to The Sports Psychology Podcast at iTunes