International Journal of Development in Social Sciences and Humanities

"Sport psychology involves preparing the mind of an athlete, just as thoroughly as one prepares the body. Sport psychology is an emerging field in the worlds of psychology and athletics. For many elite-level, professional, recreational, and even youth athletes, successful performances, cannot simply be reduced to superior physical performance. Instead, performance in any endeavor, is largely contingent upon mental preparation and psychological strength. Just as you prepared for competition by practicing physical skill as well as increasing your strength and endurance, you must also prepare yourself mentally. This includes setting clear, short-term goals, entertaining positive thoughts, using self affirmations, imagery, negative thought stopping, etc.