Understand how mental fitness affects your team

An athlete’s performance is dependent on more than their physical skills; it also extends into their mental strength.

On this two-week course, you’ll discover how you can help your team enhance their A-game by knowing how to coach the mental game.

Distractions outside of a game, known as B-factors, can affect how an athlete performs, which is where coaching athletes mentally pays off. You’ll identify key elements of the mental game and learn how to apply frameworks, principles and strategies to improve an athlete’s mental fitness to get them into the ‘zone’.

Learn how to promote a positive team culture

Culture is a primary mental conditioner that can affect an athlete’s performance and development.

As a coach, you’re responsible for establishing a positive team culture to encourage growth. You’ll explore how you can create ideal mindsets in your athletes by creating an empowering culture, and adapting a servant leadership and athlete-centred approach.

Apply your skills to business or sports coaching

By the end of this course, you’ll understand how to reflect on your coaching practice, either in business or sports, and apply what you have learned to enhance your team’s performance.

You’ll learn how to develop a supportive environment that helps your athlete’s maximise their potential, as you understand how to coach the mental game.

What topics will you cover?

The thinking and the instinctive brain and their separate functions in key moments of performance
The performance equation
Ways of enhancing players’ A-game
Dealing with the B-factors (situations and conditions)
The impact of past-present-future on players’ performance
The ‘zone.’

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

Identify elements of the mental game
Explain key features of the thinking and the instinctive brain and their separate functions in key moments of performance
Apply frameworks, principles and strategies for coaching athletes' mental game
Reflect on your coaching practice incorporating insights gained through the course

Who is the course for?

This course will suit you if you have an interest in sports or business coaching, or you’re already working in the area and want to expand your skills.

Who developed the course?

Deakin University

Deakin University is one of Australia’s largest universities with more than 61,000 students and over 15,000 online.

Established
1974
Location
Melbourne, Australia
World ranking
Top 280Source: QS World University Rankings 2021

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

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Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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