The areas of application of Single Session Therapy are truly many. With today’s article we focus on the possibilities that it offers in particular in the sports sector.
Since it is a methodology that allows you to get the most out of every single match , it fits well with the goal of getting the most out of a sporting performance , especially in a competitive setting.
Psychology in sport
Psychology’s interest in sport is constantly increasing (Lucidi, 2011). The need to follow athletes not only from a physical-sporting point of view, but also from a psychological one, seems to be increasingly strong and SST could well respond to the need for specific psychological preparation for high-level athletes and teams (Pitt et al ., 2015).
What does psychological preparation require for athletes?
Competitive sports activity requires considerable effort not only in terms of fatigue and training, but also in terms of consistency and commitment in achieving the result. Body and mind work together to achieve the goal .
Precisely for this reason it is necessary that physical training is also accompanied by psychological preparation, often fundamental in the days or moments preceding an important competition. The psychological state, as is well understood, can strongly influence sports performance.
What stresses are agonists subjected to?
The pressure that athletes are subjected to reaches very high levels. It comes from the sense of responsibility due to the efforts made over time, the expectations that the athlete himself and others may have regarding the results of the race or competition and from very high levels of anxiety (Pitt et al ., 2015).
Anxiety , which in itself can be positive if experienced as a drive to make the most of one’s potential, when it reaches excessive levels blocks and weakens . It is the enemy of any athlete who is about to step up to the plate. Many studies show, in fact, how it can be an obstacle to sports performance and how it can influence its progress: despite the habit of competing and showing off one’s sports skills, when anxiety arises in the athlete just before the competition, it can also determine his failure.
How can SST be applied in sport?
Single Session Therapy allows you to intervene by responding to the need to re-establish psychological well-being in a short time, without having to undertake a necessarily long path.
It therefore allows us to respond to the needs of those seeking immediate support (Cannistrà, Piccirilli, 2018).
It is possible to provide the athlete or team with tools that allow them to improve their perceived emotional state, consequently improving their current and future performance.
What are the objectives of SST in the sports field?
Single Session Therapy in competitive sports can:
- Help focus on the goal and channel energy into achieving it;
- Teach useful strategies for managing pre-race anxiety;
- Create awareness of the athlete’s strengths;
- Increase motivation and self-efficacy ;
- Overcoming blocks that limit sports activity.
These introduced strategies can contribute to obtaining such concentration and commitment that allow the athlete to perceive himself more effective and be able to lead the competition to success.
In conclusion
Single Session Therapy is a methodology suitable for supporting athletes , particularly athletes or teams competing at a competitive level, in their sports preparation process and in achieving the final result.
From this perspective, it is desirable to propose a consultancy service that allows athletes to learn specific techniques useful for managing emotional states during competitions, which help to increase self-efficacy and consequently improve sports performance .
Giada Mastrogregori Psychologist
Bibliography
Cannistrà, F., & Piccirilli, F. (2018). Single-Session Therapy: Principles and Practices . Giunti Editore.
Pitt, T., Thomas, O., Lindsay, P., Hanton, S. and Bawden, M. (2015), Doing sport psychology briefly? A critical review of single session therapeutic approaches and their relevance to sport psychology, International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8(1), pp.125-155
Lucidi F. (2011). Sportivamente. Themes of Sport Psychology . University Editions of LED.