Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

INTRODUCTION

The need to improve is part of man's nature. He has always tried to stand
out, to demonstrate his talent, his skill and his strength. In the case of sports, these
have existed since at least pre-history. In this regard, there is archaeological
evidence that they were practiced since the Paleolithic period (33,000 BC). At that
time they were expressed in the form of dances, hunting games and initiation
rituals into adulthood.

Mesopotamia, Egypt and China also developed the sport. Classical

Greece, with its Olympics and its gymnasiums, is a paradigmatic case of the
importance of sport for that evolved people who, in the end, demonstrate that the
presence of sport has been and is a constant in history. .

Now, Sports Psychology is a branch of Psychology that studies the

psychological processes and behavior of men and women during a sporting
activity. It is a relatively recent science that emerged to respond to various
problems that athletes and their environment suffer in pursuit of their improvement
and success.

This report will attempt to make a study and description of what Sports
Psychology is, what its origins are, what it is for and what its importance is in the
development of, not only athletes, but also the rest of the people who, as we well
know, , we need recreation, leisure and physical activity to enjoy good health.

In other words, playing sports is not an exclusive matter “for athletes” but
should be practiced by all people of all ages.

In addition to the aforementioned, we are going to develop the particular

case of soccer, because, in our country, it is undoubtedly the most popular and
most practiced sport, but also the one that applies the most pressure on those who
practice it professionally. Finally, we will try through field work to demonstrate the
importance of sports psychology when it comes to achieving excellence and
psychophysical balance in athletes.

The conclusion will tell us if indeed from theory and practice we verify its
importance for sports, personal and social improvement, in addition to internalizing
ourselves in its theme, observing its results and verifying the beneficial nature of its
action in a context of strong psychological pressures such as They are the courts
and playing fields of the different sports.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Issue

Description and study of sports psychology. Psychosocial and historical

analysis of the impact that sports psychology therapies have on the performance of
athletes in general and soccer in particular.

Problem:

There is a theoretical gap regarding the impact of the action of

sports psychology on the performance and development of sports players.
In the particular case of soccer, much is said about the players and the
coach in particular to outline capacity, leadership, aptitudes, titles and triumphs. All
this in the context of a successful society creates a cocktail that is difficult to digest
for many athletes.
The general public does not take into account the psychological substrate
of athletes and their loved ones, they do not know about their insecurities, their
fears, their mental state or the mood or not that they feel when competing. It's all
about discipline, effort, natural talent or luck. The present work aims to analyze
historically and socially the importance that the action of sports psychology has for
the development and evolution of high-performance athletes, for the general public
and to verify its effectiveness when it comes to addressing the problems they face.
These are faced when playing a sport.

Goals

-Define what sports psychology is.

-Describe the history of sports psychology

-Provide tools to teachers for the personal and sports development of

athletes.

-Inform about the different problems that athletes can go through.

-Inquire into the impact of sports psychology on the problems that the
athlete is affected by.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Justification

We live in a successful society, where everyone aims for success.

Sports in general and soccer in particular become a popular spectacle watched by
millions of people. In this context, athletes are affected by various problems and the
pressure they suffer when competing. To deal with the stress generated by such a
context, and with other problems of a different nature, there is a discipline that is
not well known to the public but that has proven to have very positive effects when
it comes to solving them.
With a multidisciplinary approach, athletes can face the great challenges
that the development of their discipline puts in front of them. We believe it is
necessary to analyze and describe sports psychology, to present it to society in a
schematic way so that it stops being a “new” discipline that is known to few. To do
this, we will analyze it historically, we will describe it and, together with field work
that acts as statistical support, we will demonstrate that it is a science that should
be heard in the sports field and taught in physical education institutes so that,
through its use and dissemination can be addressed to solve problems and
challenges that athletes suffer on the path of their development. We will try to get
the public to resort to it, to get to know it, in order to make more complex an often
irrational context where everything is summarized in winning or losing and where
the development of the discipline, the enjoyment of the athlete and the benefits it
gives to those who practice it be relegated to a simple victory or defeat
.

Contextualization

We will historically describe sports psychology from its origins, at the

global and national level, to finish our analysis with local field work with the aim of
discovering the daily problems of athletes on their path to improvement. The
bibliography consulted is mostly on the Internet and focuses on a description of
what sports psychology is, what is its history and object of study, which is why this
work is limited to a description of the discipline for its presentation to the public and
for demonstrate that it is a very useful tool when it comes to facing the challenges
that professional athletes face, both locally and nationally and internationally.

CHAPTER I
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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

“...the current drama of sport is that the serious studies

carried out on it are not known, not by the mass of fans, but
by the vast majority of informants, not even by responsible
sports leaders or politicians. Here ignorance does not remain
among the masses but rather invades the spheres of senior
decision-makers. There are still some countries where the
senior management positions in sports are occupied mostly
by people without training in sports or physical education.
"It is fertile ground for outdated theories, without any
connection with the abundant and serious science that
already exists at this point in various parts of the world on
the subject." José María Cagigal (1975, p.104)1

WHAT IS SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY?

Sports Psychology is an interdisciplinary science that takes elements

from psychology, physiology, kinesiology, sociology and biomechanics. Its
objective is the study of psychological factors in sports performance, as well as the
ways in which participation in sports and exercise influence psychological
development and physical condition. However, defining the concept of sport
psychology is not an easy task, as it is a relatively new area of application and,
therefore, with a brief history to date, which motivates the existence of different
approaches and perspectives within the aforementioned specialty.

1.1 The relationship between psychology and sport

The first approaches to psychology and sport consisted of coaches

consulting psychologists to describe certain behaviors that happened to athletes
during a competition; That is to say, the consultation focused on searching for self-
control and relaxation techniques for greater performance of athletes.

“
healthy men in healthy corpore”
1
1 Cagijal, JM, “Sport in today's society”, Spanish Press and Spanish Teachers, Madrid, RTVE Collection,
1975.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Nowadays all coaches and athletes recognize the importance of

psychological factors for both development and sports performance. Factors that,
in fact, intervene positively in improving the professional and personal quality of life
of the athlete, his group and the institution to which he belongs

The contribution that Sports Psychology can generate in the specific

activity is based on the theories and practices of Clinical Psychology, which studies
the elements involved in mental disorders and maladaptive behaviors; by
Behavioral Psychology, which focuses on behavior based on stimuli; of
Motivational Psychology2 which studies the relationships between motivation,
personality and self-esteem among other variables; Social Psychology that studies
the social processes that modulate personality; also of Educational Psychology that
studies student learning and the different aspects that modulate their cognitive
development and the new contributions of Cognitivism3 , in addition to the personal
contributions that the specialist has in his professional experience.

Today, the scientific community as a whole recognizes the

importance of this discipline as an essential development for the improvement of
the athlete.

Among other things, the sports psychologist helps the

competitor to control the stress that produces emotional and behavioral
disorganization and that can affect performance, while trying to generate a transfer
of the expectation of success (when the athlete feels that his ability is directly
associated with sporting victory) to the expectation of effectiveness (so that actions
and technical movements occupy your attention and feelings instead of thinking in
terms of victory or defeat).

Now, according to Rafael Beltrán4 A Sports Psychology will never work

alone but will always consolidate its position within an interdisciplinary team in
2

Many psychologists have been interested in the study of motivation, since it is a basic principle in the
behavior of human beings: no one moves without motivation, without a reason for it. Being motivated
means carrying out daily tasks without burdening us and keeps us alive. But not only that, motivation is
related to other psychological variables, such as stress level, self-esteem, concentration, etc., and, as many
studies have indicated, it has an effect on the health and well-being of all of us.
For this reason, there are many theories that talk about human motivation, including Maslow's Pyramid,
McClelland's three factors or Herzberg's dual factor theory. When studying motivation, different approaches
have been developed that are applicable to different areas: work, sport, learning, etc.
3

Cognitive psychology can be defined as a branch of psychology that is responsible for studying our mental
and cognitive processes. That is, this discipline addresses everything that happens in our brain. For example,
our capacity for reasoning, thinking, perception, memory, attention and concentration, planning, problem
solving, learning, etc.

4
At the age of 25, when he was finishing his administration degree, Rafael Beltrán discovered that, in reality,
he did not like that profession at all. His passion for wanting to understand human behavior led him to enroll
in psychology. At the age of 30, a friend of Rosario asked him to help his tennis-playing nephew. The boy got
very nervous before games. This is how he started in the field of sports psychology.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

which it will fulfill its role appropriately and actively according to the modality of the
reference group and adhering to the philosophy of the institution to which it
belongs. in order to reach the goals set by the athlete and his work team.

1.2) Object of study of sports psychology

In this regard we can say that for approximately 20 years, North

American and European psychologists have begun to take a professional interest
in sports sciences and, through this approach, they have come to the conclusion
that the science specialization widely recognized as Psychology of Sport mainly
deals with two fundamental aspects: the individual, group and institutional
psychological factors that co-determine the practice of certain sports and the
structural and psychosocial consequences of such practices.

In this broad spectrum, the sports psychologist will choose as the object of
his study the personality structure of the athlete, his aptitudes, leadership,
compliance with the rules that regulate the activity, group dynamics, his unique
motivations, psychophysical well-being, performance, success, failure, esprit de
corps, maintenance and optimization of results, intra and interpersonal conflicts
and their resolution, competition, team harmony, concentration, perception, etc.

Sport, which according to its etymology implies “getting away from work”,
generates not only fun and recreation, but historically, as we said, it is a
fundamental part of human behavior. Conduct that is regulated and guided by rules
and regulations that are as old as the history of each sport. Sports Psychology will
do everything possible to maintain and encourage these standards that make up
Athlete Ethics, both in their personal and professional lives. In fact, compliance with
these rules favors maximum performance with the consequent feeling of success
on an individual, group and institutional level, improving the sport in a
comprehensive manner.

Now, the levels of competitiveness require that the mental aspect

have professional treatment, which is not left to common sense, good will or
improvisation. What in everyday life is seen as a generator of confidence and
emotional strength does not work the same in high performance, because the
demands and requirements are different.

Many athletes and teams with excellent potential cannot put their abilities
into play due to fear of failure, anxiety, mishandling of errors, and the desperation
that comes with the pressure of results. Understanding that only those who are
willing to lose have the right to win is not an easy thing. Accepting that
commitment, effort, desire and perseverance are not causes of high performance

Today, at 45, he has a Doctor in Psychology, directs “Performance Psychology” where he offers a psychology
service aimed at high performance both in teams and at the individual level of athletes, businessmen,
executives and professionals. He is a specialist in Strategic Negotiation from Harvard and a member of the
British Psychological Society, the Association of Business Psychologists and the Special Group in Coaching
Psychology. It has clients in Argentina, Mexico, the United States, Spain, Canada and China.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

but consequences, is not easy either. And seeing that only the development of
confidence and clear vision - which is achieved with this - is the cause of superior
athletes, even less so.

Sports psychology professionals handle the best practices of high mental

performance and know the tools to develop the level of confidence to where the
player, the team and the coach want to go:

“With humility and patience to enter a process

of change towards mental excellence in the game,
levels of performance greater than any expectation are
achieved. Being able to count on specialists in mental
performance allows us not only to achieve excellent
results, but also to do so with maximum enjoyment of
the display of confidence and ability..." (Rafael
Beltran)5

For all of the above, we begin to outline a science that not only focuses on
generating high sporting performance, but is also a basic tool that, with the
contribution of other sciences, aims to improve society through sport. healthy
competition and the personal and psychological improvement of those who come to
it.

1.3) Scope of application of sports psychology.

The areas of application of sports psychology fall into three different axes:

1) Research: The first function of the psychologist should be that of a

researcher who provides new knowledge in one of the different areas of sports
practice. It is important to highlight this function, since there is currently a growing
demand for psychological advice and training in many sports.

2) Training: at the level of training of professionals in sports

psychology, the APDA6 (Argentine Sports Psychology Association) created in
1992, is a pioneer and the first association that was formed with the objective of
bringing together and training professionals in sports psychology in our country. It
teaches courses with educational programs aimed at athletes, coaches, family
members and work teams. It also provides advisory and assistance services to

5
Extracted from an article on the following website: https://archive.li/CKA6J
6
APTA official website: https://www.psicodeportes.com/institucional/

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sports institutions, associations, federations, confederations, educational and

health establishments.

3) Application:
-Intervention with athletes and coaches

-Advice and support

-Help to sectors of the special population (with

obesity, depression, anorexia, etc)

-Physically and mentally handicapped.

CHAPTER II

HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPORTS

PSYCHOLOGY

2.1) The beginnings

With respect to history, we can say that throughout the 19th century and
the beginning of the 20th, the two areas of knowledge on which current sports
psychology is based were established and evolved : On the one hand, scientific
psychology, whose formal beginning It is usually located, based on the application
of Wilhelm Wundt's experimental procedures7 at the end of the 1880s and, on the
other hand, physical education, one of whose first steps dates back to the 1830s
7
Wilhelm Maximilian Wundt (August 16, 1832 - August 31, 1920) was a physiologist, psychologist and
philosopher famous for having developed the first experimental psychology laboratory (in Leipzig) in 1879,
to study experience through the experimental method. immediate and observable. It must be said that
William James already had a laboratory in 1875, but it was for demonstration purposes. The contents of
consciousness and basic sensory processes were approached with the method of introspection, which was
the internal perception of the elements of one's own consciousness. The psychic variables were quantified
and controlled.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

from the work carried out in the school environment by the Anglican priest Thomas
Arnold.8

However, the formal beginning of sports psychology is not established until

the moment in which the scientific community defines its object and method of
study, as well as its scope of application; In this sense, this discipline has a short
history that begins in the mid-1960s.

Now, continuing with the explanation, we could say that the first stage of
sports psychology is linked, above all, to the pioneering work of Lesgaft. 9 , Puni and
Rudick, in the Soviet Union and to the works of Wundt in Germany.10

8
Thomas Arnold Rector of the Rugby school from 1828 to 1841, "Thomas Arnold" is the name that appears,
necessarily linked to the birth of contemporary sport, in fact it constitutes one of many myths in the history
of sport.
Educators, under the direction of Thomas Arnold, discover the pedagogical value of sport, fair play, rules,
training, competition and sports organization. Thomas Arnold, ordained priest and rugby specialist, develops
one more alternative for the vicious and dangerous youth of the moment. This pedagogue wanted to foster
in his students a love for regulated games in order to develop in them qualities of initiative, solidarity,
competitiveness and fair play, based on the close relationship between teacher and student, without belittle
the intellectual aspect and moralism.
This great idea of Arnold's started what contemporary sports are, to a large extent the sports development
that was achieved through Arnold's idea brought great benefits to humanity since today many sports are
massive and have a great impact on all people. .

9
Peter Franzevich Lesgaft (September 21, 1837 – 1909) was a Russian professor, anatomist, physician, and
reformer. He was the founder of the modern system of physical education and medical-pedagogical control
in physical training, one of the founders of theoretical anatomy. The St. Petersburg National State University
of Physical Education, Sports and Health is named after him.

10
Regarding this historical period, we know that it was characterized by the creation of experimental
laboratories with topics such as reaction time, mental chronometry, motor skills, motor learning, etc. The
first of them was in Leipzig (Germany) in 1879. Here a sport psychology is characterized, carried out
informally by coaches, athletes, commentators, etc. In this regard, the first manuals were published, the
most important being those by Triplett and Fitz (United States), Wundt (Germany), Lesgaft (Russia) or
Coubertin (France).

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

William Wundt with his disciples in the Leipzig laboratory

At the beginning of the 20th century, Peter Lesgaft, a Russian professor

and doctor, began studies where, perhaps unintentionally, he linked psychology
and sports. The unity and integrity of all the organs in the human body was the
basis of Peter Lesgaft's system in addition to the practice of specific exercises for
physical development and intellectual, moral and aesthetic education.

Outdoor games were his favorite means of both the physical development
and the formation of a child's character, and his work was particularly fruitful in
relation to the training of physical education instructors in both civilian and military
settings.

Despite this early beginning, we will have to wait until after the October
Revolution of 1917, a period in which specialized centers are created to study the
abilities of athletes. One of the pioneers in this aspect was Peter Rudick, who is
considered the father of Soviet psychology.

2.2) Period 1920 – 1940

Already in the 1920s, the so-called physical culture institutes were

founded. Each of them had a department of psychology of physical education and
sports activities where applied and research work was carried out. Under the
protection of these institutions, Rudik, in Moscow, carried out experiments on
reaction times and Puni, in Leningrad, studied the influence of skiing on personality
development.

However, this work in sports psychology was still sporadic and carried out
without a coordinated research program. The number of topics was low and there
was no relationship between them. At an applied level, certain themes begin to

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emerge that would have continuity and forge the distinctive seal of sports
psychology in the USSR in contrast to other ways of understanding the discipline.
These themes were: the motivation and interests of the athletes, the tensions of the
athletes prior to the competition and the concept of “mental power of the athlete” (a
dark construct made up of values, determination, tenacity, resistance, self-
discipline, etc.).

In Germany in 1921, the book "Body and soul in sport, an introduction to

the psychology of physical exercise" by Schulte is published. Between 1921 and
1928, RW Schulte, N. Sippel and F. Giese wrote texts on the psychology of
physical activity.11 Their titles reflected the way in which the psychological
parameters of physical activity were beginning to receive more attention from
European physical educators.

Subsequently, German psychophysiologists participated with their

experiments seeking how to increase or improve the athlete's sports performance,
in this regard the works of Carl Diem stand out.12

United States, the figure of Coleman Griffith, and his close connection with
the University of Illinois, is essential to understand the birth of the discipline.
Coleman taught the first sports psychology course in North America (psychology of
athletics) at said university. Likewise, he was hired to improve the performance of
his athletes and directed the first laboratory. In Coleman's studies, three lines of
research are distinguished: motor skills, learning and personality variables.

He was responsible for combining laboratory research with observations

and field studies. Also, he was concerned with disseminating the knowledge
derived from his research through articles and two classic books: psychology of
coaching (1926) and psychology of athletics (1928).

His work is undoubtedly important and topical, although in his immediate

time Coleman had no followers or a true line of continuity to his legacy (some
authors have defined him as “a prophet without disciples”).

11
c. Diem, with the collaboration of Schulte and Sippel, founded the first specifically sports psychology
laboratory in 1920 in Berlin and published several relevant publications.

12
Between the 1920s and 1930s, the figure of Carl Diem stood out, a German sports administrator, General
Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games (also known as the "Nazi
Olympics") and founding rector of the Higher Sports School of Berlin. Germany. He was the creator of the
Olympic torch tradition and is considered one of the most influential sports historians, especially regarding
the Olympic Games.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Coleman Griffith, leading figure in sports psychology

2.3) World War II

Subsequently, after the Second World War, research on motor learning

experienced a great boom in the United States. They were motivated, at first, by
the army's interest in the search for effective criteria for the selection of pilots. It
was not until the early 1960s when psychologists began to work directly with
athletes. They used tests and evaluation scales to study important variables, such
as the personality traits of elite athletes.

The first applications of psychology

of sport had a military character

For its part, in the Soviet Union, a sports psychology applied to the
athlete's preparation for competition was developed in this period, following the
lines set by Puni and Rudik. Psychological training begins with the study of
tensions prior to the competition through psychophysiological tests (changes in

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heart rate, blood pressure, etc.) and psychomotor tests. In this way, through
interdisciplinary work between physiologists and psychologists, the optimal level of
activation was sought in each athlete so that they obtained maximum performance.

In some Western European countries, with a certain delay compared to

the socialist bloc, a series of isolated studies and institutional collaborations began,
which made the birth of sports psychology possible. They had a more marked
theoretical character. In the 1950s, John Lawther's studies applied to coaches
stood out, and in the 1960s Ogilvie and Tutko developed tests and evaluation
scales to measure the personality and motivation of athletes.

2.4) Period 1965 - 1980

Now, beyond these contributions, sport psychology did not obtain

international recognition as an independent discipline until the First World
Congress of Sport Psychology, held in Rome in 1965. Two important
consequences derived from this congress were the founding of the International
Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP), and the subsequent appearance in 1970 of the
International Journal of Sport Psychology . Therefore, relatively recently, sports
psychology has been institutionalized as a theoretical discipline and as a field of
research and application with its corresponding dissemination bodies. However,
despite the congress, based on the study of the minutes and confirming its
conceptual and methodological dispersion, we could say that it had more
sociological than scientific importance. Its celebration was fundamentally linked to
the founding of the Society and the publication of the magazine.

Since the First World Congress of Sports Psychology held in Rome in

1965, sports psychology began to be differentiated from the first works related to
motor learning and focused on psychological factors such as anxiety, self-esteem
and personality of athletes and their impact on sports performance.

At the same time, associations of psychologists applied to sports begin to

develop, with some relationship to sports medicine, and with them specific
publications are born and greater dissemination of the official activity of sports
psychology begins.

Demand also increases from institutions and associations, as well as

from some Olympic Committees, as the sport is given an assessment of socio-
political importance between nations.

2.5) The decades of the '80s and '90s. The role of the media

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

In the '80s and '90s of the 20th century, high-performance organized

sports grew worldwide, the sports industry began to expand on a global scale, and
sports competitions occupied more and more spaces in the media, generating new
models. successful social groups, the heroic idols of mass and increasingly
professionalized sport

Sports psychology begins not only to study, investigate and advise people
who practice sports but also coaches, family members, referees, leaders, the
public, medical-kinesiological teams, journalists, etc. We begin to work not only on
the disorders of athletes, in relation to their personality, anxiety or motivation, but
also to analyze the effects of their interaction with the other subjects, objects and
situations with which they interact. Thus, Ribes and Lopez (1985) improved the
interbehavioral theory that explains the interactions of organisms with their
physical, biological and social environment. Therefore, the professional role of the
sports psychologist is expanded to all those participants in the sports spectrum
who demand it, working on prevention and mental preparation, to optimize their
psychological capacities before, during and after the sporting situation.

At that time in the United States and Canada, the rise of sports psychology
gave rise to a discussion about the professional role and what functions a sports
psychologist should perform. According to Danish and Hale, until then, due to the
influence of the medical model, the sports psychologist had generally played the
role of clinical therapist who helped solve the athlete's problems. However, these
authors considered that an educational and preventive approach based on a model
of human development that would offer certain advantages such as: Breaking the
dependence of athletes on their usual psychological treatment in the event of the
slightest difficulty and changing the clinical function of the athlete would be better.
psychologist as an advisor to facilitate dialogue with other sports science
professionals, especially with physical educators13

Now, authors like J. Cruz, and E. Canton 14 They consider that this model
must be expanded with the development of the research function, since psychology
is a basic science that must generate knowledge and guidelines for sports
professionals and also develop an interest not only in studying the individual
characteristics of athletes, but also the relationships that they establish with other
subjects who also participate in sports activities. Failure to take this last aspect into
account has led to the general forgetting of the study of other participants in sport
other than the athletes themselves and who, in some cases, from a psychological
point of view, may have a more relevant role than the athletes themselves. same
athletes.

Thus, these authors point out that the sports psychologist must have three
clear ideas:

13
Danish, S. J., and Hale, B. d. (1981). “ Towards an understanding of the practice of sport psychology .”
Journal of Sports Psychology 3, 90-99.
14
Cruz, J and Cantón, E. (1992) “Historical development and perspectives of Sports Psychology in Spain.

Journal of Sports Psychology, 1, p 53 - 61

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

1) Ensure not only the performance of athletes, but also their well-
being. In this sense, it would be advisable to develop a code of ethics to guide the
professional performance of the sports psychologist.

2) Remember that elite athletes and their performance are not the only
areas of research and application of sports psychology.

3) Maintain close contact with its field of application, physical activity

and sport, and collaborate interdisciplinary with the rest

All this theory comes hand in hand with the emergence of sport as mass
entertainment, in this regard J. M. Cagigal (1979) states: "The media were mainly
responsible for intensifying the motivations of the national needs for champions.
"The very high percentage of sports information refers to spectacle sports, with a
minority of spaces dedicated to the merely healthy or educational aspect of sport."

This supercompetitiveness that J. M. Cagigal was increased in the

nineties with the emergence of neoliberalism, exalting extreme individualism over
nationalist valuations, gradually losing the State the function of being the social
organizing and unifying entity of a country, surpassed over the interests of the
capitalist economic powers, turning sport and everything that it moves into being a
means to feed lost nationalism, using in many cases sports results as powerful
instruments of political propaganda. This is when sports psychology begins to help
athletes and coaches face pressures, adapt to changing conditions and maintain
discipline and concentration under stressful circumstances, planning in advance for
such situations to obtain maximum effectiveness.

Research methodologies are then increased and improved, not only in

laboratories but in the specific field of each sport or discipline. Better records and
observations of sports behaviors are beginning to be obtained, treated with more
accurate electronic and digital measuring instruments, and specific computer
systems were developed for research in sports psychology. This generated an
increase in specialized productions in sports psychology of better scientific quality
and greater predictive value.

Multiple offers of specialization courses and careers and master's degrees

are being developed in Latin America for psychologists who wish to specialize in
sports psychology, starting from the milestone marked by the Barcelona '92
Olympic Games.

Towards the end of the 20th century, many of these productions and
specific content found on the Internet a means for rapid and permanent
dissemination that:

 It presents novel information on possible and in many cases

legitimized practices.

 Allows access to information about possibilities to improve

vocational training,

 Stimulates the development of projects and research work,

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

 It offers human resources that demonstrate effective interventions in

different sports and physical activities, based on empirical research,

 It facilitates the exchange of information and the sharing of

experiences and work between professionals from the same or different countries.

At the dawn of the 21st century, we believe that it is of fundamental

importance that the role of the sports psychologist is that of defender of identities.
How far can a million-dollar contract go in the rights of professional athletes to
participate in cultural activities such as carnival? of Rio 1 or choosing when and
how to get married?

Helping athletes and coaches to be able to make the decisions that they
consider most convenient for sporting activity and for the rest of their lives, on and
off the playing field, in conditions of maximum pressure is our great challenge.

Some proposals that I would like to raise, in relation to the future of

sports psychology, are:

 Produce knowledge that has a balance between theory, legitimized

research and the practice of each sport or discipline, so that the protagonists can
observe and verify the benefits of psychological preparation carried out properly;

 Expand the population to which the publications are directed and

adapt the terms used, so that not only high-performance and professional sports
are nourished, but also beginning athletes, their coaches and families, to avoid
premature abandonments in sports;

 Help coaches to: develop methods that allow increasing the learning
of sports techniques and tactics; plan your time to achieve the proposed objectives;
optimize the relationship and communication with your athletes; and develop group
cohesion in team sports;

 Develop strategies for injury prevention, and to address the period of

inactivity and optimal recovery in injured athletes;

 Advise and prepare athletes (especially professionals) for retirement

from sports practice, and the reorganization of their lives;

 Propose social programs and plans that include physical activities

and sports to increase the health of the population, the beneficial use of free time
and the prevention of addictions and extreme sedentary lifestyle;

 Intervene in the production of strategies for the prevention of acts of

violence in sports stadiums;

 Develop a code of ethics for sports psychologists with clear

guidelines of what to do and what not to do, with sports agents and among
colleagues, to manage the pressures of economic, professional, political and
managerial interests, without being seen. affected the relationships and work with
athletes, coaches, leaders, journalists, family members, referees, representatives,
supporters, etc... to form highly specialized units, interdisciplinary teams, that
involve all those involved in the initiation processes , sports training and

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

development; to collaborate in the training of healthier, more intelligent, creative

and independent athletes, as Antonio Morales Águila (2004) maintains, and thus
promote their sporting and personal development.

CHAPTER III
SPORT TYPES

There are different types of sports as well as different levels of sports

activities, here we differentiate the different levels at which sports psychology acts.

3.1) Initiation or base sport

Base and Initiation Sport refers to the beginning phase of physical-sports

activity, especially at an early age. Sports have become a field of basic
psychosocial development for many children and adolescents. It must be
understood that sport viewed from this perspective must be understood not so
much as a competitive activity, but as a recreational activity and personal
development. Learning, motivation, social interaction and enjoyment of the activity
are, among others, priority aspects at this stage.

The fundamental objective of the Physical Activity and Sports Psychologist

in this area is to attend to the training, learning and development of practitioners
(knowledge, attitudes and values), and their functions are specifically intended to:

1. Guidance and specialized advice to technicians and managers involved

in grassroots and beginner sports.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

2. Family members, to establish an adequate climate that favors physical-

sports activity.

3. Those responsible and in general the staff of administrations and

institutions with powers in the planning and development of physical-sports activity.

4. Research and evaluation for subsequent application to the normal and

special population (with learning difficulties, psychomotor disorders, etc.).

5. Direct training for technicians, monitors and trainers.

6. Direct intervention with athletes in their stages of learning and initiation

of the activity, such as training of basic psychological skills.

It must be clarified that this initiation and base sport is understood as that
sporting activity prior to the high-level competition that takes place in sports
schools. It is the sport that is not the work of national federations but should be
promoted because it is the previous step to high-performance competitions.

We could consider it a breeding ground where we observe the first steps

of athletes who will later perform in high-performance and professional-level
competitions.

Sport encompasses different human dimensions, from vital needs that

help improve health and enhance intelligence, achieving the necessary vital
balance, to training as a social and cultural animal. Grassroots sport, developed at
an early age, should be understood as a path to achieving one's life project, that is,
as help to enhance the young person's personal skills and attitudes. In other words,
sport is at the service of the person, both in social and personal development.

Through sports practice we are able to discover our possibilities through

healthy competitiveness, without this nullifying fair play and the social function of
sport, while at the same time forcing us to understand each other with others.
Likewise, sport is a good way to take advantage of free time and leisure time,
providing us with moments for personal and social fulfillment, joy, excitement,
excitement and fun.

Sport understood in this way is a manifestation of playfulness, a reality of

the game. All sports make us grow in this aspect, making us have fun.

Not only sports that involve motor activity contribute to human

improvement, chess, for example, is one of the best sports when it comes to
perfecting human behavior, as a school of life, as a channeler of emotions,
sensations and as learning of the know how to win and lose. Furthermore, chess,
being a game that attracts children due to its playful and fun aspect, also helps
them develop their mental agility and intelligence.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Chess helps us develop our intellectual abilities

3.1 a) List of sports

There are, moreover, a multitude of sports, here is a list of the best-known

sports that can be practiced in alphabetical order:

TO CD

Walk walk Camping

Aquagym Cardio training

Athletics Hunt

b Cycling

Badminton Comets

Modern dance and street Cross Training

dance
Dance
Ballet
Darts
Basketball
EFG
Handball
Horse riding
Ship
Fitness
Canyoning
Flemish
Baseball and softball
Frontenis
Bodyboarding
Soccer
Boxing
Football
scuba diving
Rhythmic and artistic
Diving, Scuba diving gymnastics

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Golf Rugby

H.J.K. Running

Equestrian Yes

Hockey grass Hiking

Hockey wheels - ice Skate and scooters

Jiu Jitsu Skimboard

Judo Snorkeling

Karate Snowboarding

Kayak squash

Kitesurfing and SUP - Stand up paddle

Landkiting
Surf
M.N.
T
Nordic walking
Taekwondo
Mountain
Tennis
Fitness
Table tennis
Swimming
Clay pigeon shooting
Q
archery
Paddle
Trail-Running
ice skating
triathlon
Skates, Rollers
VWY
Vasca ball
Sail, Boat
Fishing
Volleyball
Underwater fishing
Beach volleyball
Petanque
Wakeboarding,
Pilates

Ping-pong Windsurfing

R Yoga

Raid - Trail

Snow rackets

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

3.2) High performance sport

To achieve excellence in high sports performance, it is essential to

maximize all available resources, both physical and technical, as well as mental.
Only in this way can one go beyond one's own limits, expand one's capabilities and
aspire to be at the top of the discipline.

High-performance sports generate strong stress in athletes

At high levels of competition the difference is made by the mental

performance of the athlete. They all consider and emphasize that the mental
aspect is fundamental in the game. However, in general, players or teams do not
have adequate specialists in the field. Almost everything mental is left to good will
and common sense. It is not difficult to feel like specialists in the knowledge and
management of the mental aspect of sport. Common sense seems to be enough
and professional advice is not considered necessary. However, the current
demands of high performance demand another level of professionalism to be on
par with the best. Many strategies that work for acceptable performance do not
work for high performance and may even be contradictory.

Many mechanisms that are usually used to create trust in players end up
destroying it. If the player or coach can command his mental state at will so that he
performs at his maximum potential, without it happening by chance, then he does
not need a sports psychology professional. But, if that performance is left to
chance, then it does need specialized support. In other words, something is really
known or learned when it can be repeated and handled at will.

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Improving mental performance is a process that requires time and

patience. The process allows us to develop concepts to change old premises and
beliefs for more evolved ones. Expecting instant results is not understanding how
the mind works in sport. Professional work with the athlete must consider the
mental aspect at the beginning of the path. Seeking a sports psychologist in a
situation of crisis results demonstrates the lack of importance given to the mental
aspect15 .

The results of the sports psychologist can only be seen a few weeks after
starting to work. They are not direct but in less than a month if the work is done well
the first results can be reaped.

The sports psychology principles found here correspond to best practices

for high performance and are difficult to put into practice, but the more you can
advance them, the higher the level of development. This does not mean that
considerations that contradict them do not work, but that, for sustainable
development, they are recommended. Each coach must receive them to generate
their own thoughts and apply them with their originality and personal style. Many
coaches and players are successful but that does not necessarily mean that they
are clear about why they achieved it.

It is advisable that the sports psychologist has not practiced the sport on
which he is advising because in this way he will not tend to focus on technical
aspects that are not his concern, but only on the mental ones.

3.3) Leisure, health and recreation sports

There is wide recognition of the beneficial effects produced by regular

physical activity and exercise, both from a physical and psychological point of view.

15
This type of sporting performance, based on false expectations, is the reflection of a strongly success-
oriented society that delimits all sporting actions based on the results obtained. This is precisely the
opposite cliché to the psychological and multidisciplinary approach that sport psychology seeks to root in.
medium and high performance sport contexts.

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The psychological benefits are not only evident for the normal population,
but also for the treatment of psychological disorders such as depression, anxiety,
stress, alcohol or substance abuse, etc. Likewise, regular physical exercise can be
useful in preventing psychological disorders. To this end, different physical activity
programs have been developed and implemented for therapeutic and health
purposes, contemplating the need to avoid the phenomenon of abandonment and
facilitate initiation and adherence to them; tasks that fall fully within the professional
field of Psychology.

On the other hand, in this area the professional intervention of

psychologists includes tasks aimed at optimizing the psychosocial development of
children and adolescents through two global methods: improving the training of
psychosocial agents (mainly parents and coaches), and provide children and young
people with the most appropriate strategies for assessing their achievements,
according to the evolutionary stage in which they are.

In relation to health, it is confirmed that in organizations, physical activity

programs increase the cohesion and satisfaction of their members and facilitate
positive work behaviors (increase in productivity, decrease in absenteeism and
days of sick leave). Furthermore, the practice of physical activity is strongly
associated with the reduction of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases, and in
general morbidity and mortality.

In summary, the functions of the Physical Activity and Sports Psychologist

in terms of leisure, health and free time, will revolve around two main axes:

1. Knowledge of the psychological effects that carrying out physical-sports

activities can entail.

2. Knowledge of the psychological factors involved in carrying out said

activity.

In order to achieve greater operability and specificity in the intervention,

the type of population to whom the Sport of Play and Recreation is directed can be
classified as follows:

• Common sedentary population.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

• Common population with adequate health and leisure habits.

• Initiation children and youth population.

• Population with special needs: elderly, disabilities.

• Population in leisure time: tourists, urban leisure, rural leisure,...

• Population with psychological disorders.

• Population with high incidence of risk behaviors (prevention and

intervention).

As we see, recreation must be addressed by this analysis as a possible

practice that leads us to psychophysical balance. Even high-performance athletes
need recreation and the practice of other disciplines not directly linked to their
medium or high-performance sports work.

Recreation can be framed or described as those opportunities for the use

of free time that society offers and that allow the experience of leisure. We also
assume that free time is part of individual and social time without external
restrictions or compulsions. We place leisure in a sphere of human activity
characterized by pleasure and freedom.

They characterize physical activity, sports and recreation in that they must
be: constant, sustained and methodical. They can also have a prophylactic nature
as a means of improving or maintaining health. But all of them are linked to the
concept of free time.16 Also the activities that these generate must be adapted to
the circumstances and conditions, both physical and functional, of each individual.
For their part, recreational activities can be focused on occupying free time in a
positive way. Another characteristic is that these activities have to compensate for
a sedentary life or those that do not contribute to the adequate training of the
individual and must be adapted to the individual's personality.

Thus, we can point out that the general health benefits produced by sport,
physical activity and recreation can be framed within both the physical and
functional spheres, pointing out among other benefits the following:

 Increased blood pumping to the heart

 Low heart rate
 Increased lung capacity
 Low blood lactate levels
 Increased cardiovascular endurance
 Improved peripheral muscle oxygenation
 Lower blood pressure
 Improves intellectual functioning
 Helps in the control of arterial diseases

16
Free time is the period of time available to a person to carry out voluntary activities, the completion of
which brings satisfaction and which are not related to work and/or training obligations.

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 Improves muscle tone

 Prevents risks associated with high blood lipids
 Contributes to the control of obesity
 Reduces the risk of myocardial infarctions

In the order of psychosocial aspects, benefits can be noted such as:

 Promoting habit control

 Stimulates productivity, independence and autonomy
 Increases self-confidence and emotional stability
 The relationship between knowledge of the body increases, as well
as the image of the body is perceived in a more positive way.
 Helps in regulating emotions and pain.
 It significantly helps combat addiction to alcohol and tobacco. .

Regarding the psychological benefits we can find:

 · Holistic sense of well-being

 · Stress management: prevention, mediation and restoration
 Catharsis
 · Prevention and reduction of depression, anxiety and anger
 · Positive changes in moods and emotions

In this discussion of characteristics and benefits, we can close in a

synthetic way, expressing that "movement makes strength." The force of positive
change that every human being, without distinction of gender, age or ethnicity,
requires for their own benefit and that of society in general lies in effort and
perseverance, but also in enjoyment and pleasure for what is does.

In this sense, by incorporating into our way of life activities such as:
painting, yoga, dance, theater, music, contact with nature, reading, writing, sports
and physical activity, we will be contributing significantly to improving our quality of
life and that of our fellow human beings and thus, to a better society.

CHAPTER IV

FUNCTIONS OF THE SPORTS PSYCHOLOGIST

4.1) Psychological support

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In general, support lies in influencing athletes as individuals and teams as

social groups. In such a way that they can develop their maximum performance
possibilities in the competition.

4.2) Psychological counseling

Help people emotionally in phases of insecurity. In order for them to

quickly find their own security and self-confidence.

4.3) Psychological training

Aspects such as motivation, concentration, self-confidence, emotional self-

control; Key factors for all specialists in the world of sports are left to chance. They
are considered by many to be innate, immutable abilities that only belong to great
athletes or, at most, to the most veterans. Contrary to these opinions, it is proven
by experience that good psychological training, directed by a psychologist,
specialist in sports psychology, can allow the athlete to perform to the maximum of
their real possibilities, preventing states of nervousness in critical moments. , loss
of concentration, low self-confidence and motivation, etc., limit their performances
in competition and in training below their potential.

Through goal setting, activation and relaxation techniques, cognitive

restructuring, visualization, concentration techniques or biofeedback 17 , practiced
systematically as a complement to sports training, the player acquires or enhances
psychological skills to optimally deal with sports situations, improving the athlete's
performance and well-being to the maximum of their technical, tactical and physical
potential.
Psychological training provides support for the futsal coach who does not
want to feel defenseless against possible mental blocks of his players at crucial
moments. Many countries and different sports have used this type of training for
many years with great results at the highest sporting level.

PHASES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAINING

1. INTRODUCTION AND FAMILIARIZATION
2. INITIAL EVALUATION
3. STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES
4. PLANNING AND SEQUENCING OF TECHNIQUES
5. TRAINING AND APPLICATION OF TECHNIQUES
6. EVALUATION OF RESULTS AND FOLLOW-UP

17
It is a process that allows an individual to learn how to change physiological activity in order to improve
health and performance. Precise instruments measure physiological activity such as brain waves, heart
function, breathing, muscle activity and skin temperature. These instruments quickly and accurately 'feed
back' information to the user. The presentation of this information - often in combination with changes in
thinking, emotions and behavior - supports desired physiological changes. Over time, these changes can be
sustained without continued use of an instrument. (source: Wikipedia)

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

4.4) Applications of sports psychology:

Sports psychology professionals are interested in two main objectives:

1-On the one hand, help athletes use psychological principles to improve
their performance.

2-On the other hand, understand how participation in sport, exercise and
physical activity affect the psychological development of the individual, their health
and well-being throughout their life cycle.

Therefore, the Psychology of Physical Activity and Sports is responsible

for studying the psychological aspects during physical activity, whether it is
performance-oriented or not. Therefore we will differentiate the applications into:

1-Destined for performance: Where techniques are used to develop and

perfect psychological skills that improve performance.

2-Not intended for performance (initiation and society): They try to set
guidelines to establish the social environment and learning that will increase the
skill and development of athletes.

4.4 a) - Applications in athletes:

The psychological preparation of athletes includes the rigorous application

of appropriate strategies to achieve a certain mental state and carry out a behavior
or set of behaviors that are relevant to their performance. Psychological
preparation involves the manipulation of psychological variables such as
motivation, self-confidence, attention, etc. with the objective, in this context, of
achieving the most appropriate sporting and personal performance at each specific
moment (training, competitions, moments prior to the competition, rest periods,
coach-athlete meetings, etc.).

4.4 b) - Applications in coaches and parents of athletes:

The psychologist must educate them by helping them optimize the

psychosocial development of children and adolescents through improving the
training of the psychosocial agents of said children. In addition, the psychologist will
advise the coach on what guidelines he should follow for the motivation of the
athletes at each moment of the season.

This way you can help the coach with motivation and his communication
style. As for parents, you should help them maintain their good expectations.

4.4 c) - Applications in managers and fans:

The psychologist can help them in maintaining expectations, and policies

of respect and cooperation to carry out the sports field in an appropriate way.

4.4 d)- Referees and judges :

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The psychologist can help them regarding their motivation; knowing how to
withstand the pressures and tensions that come with working in competition; as
well as making appropriate decisions in times of tension or conflict; and to know
how to dialogue and treat athletes, coaches, and other actors who may interact
with them.

4.4 e) - General population:

It can help with policies to raise awareness of the importance of sport in

health, as well as in its socio-educational aspects, trying to reach all sectors,
making them see the benefits of sport and motivating them to practice it.

4.5 The work of the sports psychologist

The set of activities that a psychologist specialized in sports can

specifically offer covers two referenced areas:

The theoretical and practical area is in turn subdivided into:

a) The individual
b) The group
c) The institutional

In the theoretical area: all activities linked to global and specific research
on each particular sport, sport as an educational system, relationships between
games/sports and social education, conferences, debates, publications, surveys,
etc. will be carried out. that have Sport as a human conduct as their main point.
This level of theorization will serve as support for all institutionalized sports
practice.

In the individual practical area: the sports psychologist will provide the
following activities in a personalized way:

-Personality diagnosis of each player

-Psycho-sports diagnosis (specific skills)

-Analysis of the reasons for sport

-Personal guidance in cases of conflict whether individual, group,

professional and/or institutional

-Stimulating support to achieve successful behaviors and their

maintenance

-Analysis, evaluation and therapy of the feeling of defeat and/or failure.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

-Analysis of learning curves

-Analysis of “stress”, personal fatigue and error with the subsequent

therapeutic method

-Consolidation of self image

-Creation and maintenance of self-esteem

-Other deficient points in your professional personality.

In the group area: the sports psychologist will carry out tasks related to:

-Diagnosis, analysis, evaluation and resolution of group conflicts

-Stimulation of behaviors integrated into sport

-Conformation of the “esprit de corps”

-Psychological analysis of it

-Analysis, evaluation and reflection of failure and/or defeat

-Stimulation of winning behaviors

-Sustaining victory

-Psychological improvement of triumph

-Compliance with rules, regulations that regulate sporting activity

-Analysis of the competition, positive and negative aspects of it

-The leader, his selection and support

-Conducts between the leader and the group

-Development of the leader within the group

-New leaders

-Analysis of the group's projections

-Rewards in sport

-Socio-economic interventions

-Other sports incentives

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

-Group analysis of the “performance”

-Frustration/gratification

-Aggression/harmony

-Hostility/understanding

-Group image

-Team stress

-Group mood

-Group evaluations of specific factors (anonymous personal surveys)

-Psychological learning methods for:

Autonomy, perception, attention, concentration, creative imagination,

memory, integration, self-control, fixation on success, challenge (your own and that
of the other), the development of style (own and group), discipline, psychic speed,
fear.

-Analysis of individual and group potential possibilities

-Potential stimulations

-Batteries of tests for sports techniques:

Analysis of intellectual factors, memory, speed, perception, attention,

specific graphics, global personality, individualization, ethical values. Evolutionary
comparisons (analysis of sports evolution)

-Psychological feedback of sports performance

-Strengthening in decision making

-Awareness of high performance

-Encourage high performance

-Cognitive techniques to improve execution

-Constitution of self-esteem, self-confidence

-Establishment of goals and their realization

-Psychological sports training

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

-Psychological rehabilitation of the athlete

-Analysis of predisposing factors to injuries in athletes

-Reactions to injuries

-Group reactions to the injury of a team member

-Psychological aspects of the fracture/injury

-Relationship between coach-player

-Link optimization

-Maintenance of positive behavioral patterns

From the institutional point of view : the psychologist specialized in

sports may act as an active agent in everything that affects the relationships
between athletes and coaches, adhering to historical guidelines or those
established by the coach by virtue of his or her ability and experience. , as well as
in all those functions that, from the management of the institution and strictly from a
psychological point of view, can promote positive behaviors within its area.

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CHAPTER V:

SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY AND FOOTBALL

5.1.) Soccer from a sociological point of view

Sport and especially football is one of the characteristic aspects of our

civilization. It is one of the phenomena that is part of the daily life of the citizen of
our time, whether we like it or not, we come across it daily, whether on the radio,
television, in the newspapers or in the conversations of others, as Joan Riera says.
:

“...sport has become a rich and exciting aspect

of our society worthy of being studied from
educational, economic, sociological, political,
biological and psychological perspectives. Riera18
1991, p.22.

Now, despite the great individual, economic and social benefit, sport is a
highly undervalued physical and mental activity as an important part of the
educational training of individuals in their societies and for this reason it is given
low budgets in schools, in all their levels, especially in less developed countries like
ours. However, sport and especially football, considered the king of sports , is
widely disseminated by all mass media. Beyond what is made known in the
aforementioned media, it has great social importance, according to what is
summarized below by Norbert and Dunning19 1999, which mention that football:

It rivals sex as a recurring and frequent topic

compared to others of interest and debate within the
topics handled by men's circles in societies around the
world. It is a recreational activity in all countries of the
world. It is so important as a show of power that the
sports boycott has been used as a weapon in
geopolitical relations. It implies an opportunity to
achieve upward social mobility. And in our country, it
18
Riera, J., Introduction to Sports Psychology, Barcelona, Martínez Roca, 1985, p. 22.
19
Elías, N. and Dunning, E. Sports and Leisure in the process of Civilization, Mexico, Economic Culture Fund,
1992.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

is one of the best paid professions. Kitchin, an English

sociologist, considers that football is the only “world
language” apart from science (in Dunning op. cit.).

An example of the weight and impact that sport can have

are the soccer World Cups or the Olympic Games, events that,
when they take place, paralyze many nations at work, especially in
the final matches, or when the national teams play. Football also
offers us a wide range of varied aspects to study such as: the
behavior of the masses in matches, sport as leisure and use of free
time, sport as a source of employment at the most diverse levels.
Sport as a generator of million-dollar economic resources. The
phenomenon that is professionalism in sports, training and sports
schools, commercialization and the great industry that is sports.
The role of the State and sport, academicism in sport,
administration, organization and sports control. Sport, politics and
control methods in sports organizations of different political
systems, sport in Third or First World countries, impact of mass
media on sport, educational and academic training in sport, sport
and social class , sport and race, sport and sex, ethics in sport,
violence in sport and many other aspects.

For all this we say that soccer is the sport that generates
the most pressure on those who participate in it. It is, at the same
time, the most recreated pastime and the most lucrative enterprise
from a sporting point of view, the most observed and most followed

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sport, in short, the one that awakens the most passions in people.
Soccer and its context become a catalyst for various psychological
problems such as stress, demotivation, fears, anxiety, phobias,
etc. All these disorders are the object of action of sports
psychology and its work is very important when trying to solve
them and achieve better performance.

5.2) Pressure, fear and anxiety

It is very common to hear explanations from a team in

psychological terms with phrases like: “We are focused”, “we are
very good in the head”; or its opposite, “we left in the second half”,
“the pressure was hard”, “we fell with the result on Saturday”; etc
However, not many times can the reasons that caused them be
diagnosed, repeating the same form of play over time. Even when a
player is told to “concentrate”, “pay attention to the play”; Do you
really know what you are talking about? What does it mean to be
focused?

Words widely heard, but little worked on. Nowadays, just as

you learn tactics, strategy and technique, you must also be
informed of the meaning of very important terms when competing:
attention, concentration, activation, motivation, etc., and how to
implement them. The player not only faces physical and social
evaluations but also mental pressures; Fear arises, fear of failure,
of the result, of losing the job, self-criticism, of getting injured, fear
of being judged, situations that are constantly part of a
competition.

Fears can be controlled, but pressures

cannot. Fears are tangible things, we can see
them; The pressures are related to anguish, to
uncertainty, where “I put myself at risk” in each
play. Soccer is a sport with a lot of action
where the player must make quick and precise
decisions at every moment of the game,

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otherwise his game analysis is one of drama

and emotional chaos.20 .

This is where Sports Psychology is inserted, its purpose is

to transform pressures into performance, through techniques and
skills that are part of mental training. Being mentally prepared
means being prepared for everything, where the surprise effect
does not alter the game, nor the clarity and order of thought. It
means playing in a state of calm and alert, paying attention only to
what needs to be attended to without any stimulus being able to
take it out of its field of attention. It is playing the “here and now
of the game”, without fear of repeating past plays, or playing in the
future of the result.

Confidence prevails and the game is played without fear of

error, since those plays and situations were trained many times in
the mind. On the other hand, the player does not feel alone on the
field, there is not one, there are eleven, where through group
cohesion, a force is created with the same objective, without
individualism or star players, since talent without a team It is a
cause of jealousy, rivalries, and lack of common goals.

20
Liliana Almirón Graduate in Psychology extracted from:
https://www.ellitoral.com/index.php/diarios/2012/07/12/deportes/DEPO-01.html

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As we could see in this study, the repertoire of a sports

psychologist is very varied. It involves years of study, work and
research. Knowledge that never ends if the professional wants to
be a little better every day, if he wants to know a little more, or
feel competent in what he does. It is important to clarify that it
works in the area of mental health and in some social circles there
are still myths about the role of the psychologist; that is, a certain
resistance to consulting, due to the fear that the person who
comes is thought to be “because he or she is crazy,” or is weak, or
is incapable of solving problems on his or her own. Values contrary
to the discourse of football, without forgetting that the player is a
human being who can suffer blockages or strong emotional
burdens that prevent him from performing at his maximum or
customary potential. The field of work on psychosports methods
and techniques is very broad and adapted to each situation.

As if this were not enough, as we said previously,

professional sports have changed drastically. Commercialization,
television, increasingly shorter times, economic needs, among
other factors, have caused the protagonists to be considerably
affected, both in their sporting performance and in their personal
lives. For this reason, psychology has grown a lot in this area as a
form of help or relief for athletes.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Playing in important events, for example, such as finals or

world championships, the growth of children while they project a
life of high performance, or how money, temptations, etc. affect
them, are some of the issues in which sports psychology it can
help.

In the context of a strongly success-oriented society like

ours, issues emerge such as the demand for results: you have to
be first or it is of no use . When you lose a final you also win the
silver medal, an achievement that is difficult to obtain, however, it
seems that it is worth nothing. There is a kind of obligation that
everything has to be gold, there is no recognition for second or
third place, but they are the ones who also reach the podium.
Success is valued and not effort. In a context like this this is the
main reason why someone becomes depressed, not being the first.

Now, the economic issue is, as we saw, vital in the football

market. Individuals are not exempt from what this causes in the
results that materialize on the fields. Along these lines, Almirón 21
he pointed:

“I don't think that winning a lot of money

makes you want to win. I think it is very important to
take into account the history of boxers, such as
Carlos Monzón or Ringo Bonavena. Most came from
poverty and when they had enough money, very few
were able to retain or invest it. I guess it happens to
those who play soccer too.

It seems like they make money easily, all

within an illusion that playing football is fun, but it is
work. Football, as it is played by everyone, seems like
something simple for everyone. But there is really a
lot of demand.”

5.3) Reversed roles

This useful life that they go through encourages parents

and their children so that they can be the future stars of the world.
In the lower divisions the boys already have representatives. So,
21
Op. Cit.

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this pressure for the youngest plays a vital role in their lives, in the
words of Almirón:

“Now there is a very particular phenomenon:

children have to become professionals because the
life of the family group depends on them. The issue
is completely reversed, instead of the boy being
the one fed and protected by his parents, he is the
one who has to save and feed his family."

So much pressure and demand from an early age causes

something in the lives of athletes: after so much obligation to win
and play well, it reaches a point where someone has a crisis. A
talented player scores goals, stands out, but a person is not
always in the mood to do everything well. It's like thinking that a
soccer player has no personal life, that he has no other life than
the field.

There are several examples such as Ariel Ortega with his

problem with alcohol, Diego Maradona himself with his addiction,
or Messi's vomiting before playing important games, which only
demonstrate that this problem is real. It is not easy to withstand
the pressure from the media, from your family and friends, from
everything that is put on as a spectacle that is watched by millions
of people.

Thus, the athlete is faced with at least two realities that

threaten his optimal development on the field of play: first, his own
nerves catapulted by a successful society where the only thing
that matters is winning, and on the other hand, the fact of being
continually observed by millions of people at the same time.

Nobody really seems to care about the mental or spiritual

reality of the soccer player, it all comes down to development,
effectiveness, goals, results. People so exposed, as mentioned
above, suffer the pressure of being popular and known worldwide.
They meet the expectations of millions of people both in their
countries of origin and in others, they are the cause of family, work
and coffee conversations.

Such adverse contexts that bring with them the dream of

fame, success and recognition must be visualized by the sports
team and, from a multidisciplinary approach, face this reality to

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improve it. The general public does not take these issues into
account. Whether due to ignorance or prejudice, the psychological
world is seen by many people as belonging to the realm of
madness. It is time to change this perspective for the good of the
athlete and his environment. To make realities more complex that
not only have to do with what is seen on television

CONCLUSIONS

This report, personally, allowed me to gain in-depth knowledge of a

discipline that, according to what was studied, many people are unaware of.

Now I am sure that sports psychology is a tool for the excellence of

the athlete and his team since beyond the training, preparation and effort of
each day, if one is not mentally sure of the conditions and possibilities that
each one has, the mind can turn against you like a rival to defeat; then
internally, you will be fighting against insecurities and doubts, fears and
weaknesses that will reflect negatively on sports performance and the
enjoyment of the activity.

But knowing that, in a high-level competition, the athlete must be

prepared in all its forms to face and take advantage of his preparation and
training, therefore sports psychology is undoubtedly essential for every high-
performance athlete who is Constantly subjected to pressure and demands
for results.

In this regard, there are so many particularities that are not taken into
account when perceiving sports performance: mood, social and personal
relationships, comfort, containment, sense of belonging, etc. The
psychological preparation of the athlete, in a multidisciplinary context, will
allow the constitution, development and improvement of the athlete's
personality formations and their psychological capacities involved in the
activity.

It is necessary to point out that Sports Psychology arises as a

consequence of the contradictions that appear in the practice of sporting
activity and especially in the process of training and competition of high-
level athletes.

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Thus, psychological training aims to help the athlete improve their

performance, offering the necessary tools to know the functioning of their
body and mind, becoming more aware of all the dynamics of the organism
and being able to manage it voluntarily to achieve the desired performance.

Sports psychology helps normal athletes become psychologically

optimized athletes prepared for competition and for pressure and stress
scenarios. Thus acquiring psychological skills to improve their
performances and enjoyment in the practice of their sport.

Now, with respect to the sociological impact of the work of this science, we
can say that there is still much to do in this regard since it is not yet being
used in broad social circles and its dissemination is very limited to high-
performance sports and very much in the minority. To the general public.

From what we were able to verify in the surveys, in sports settings if there
are nerves and anxiety before each competition. How each athlete
processes them is a personal question but one that concerns an entire team
linked to him. However, we believe that with the assistance of the
discipline that is the subject of this study, we can be sure that there will be
a positive impact on the performance of athletes in competitions that are,
as we saw, scenarios of strong psychological pressure, increasingly
observed. by people all over the world.

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EXHIBIT

FIELD WORK

Survey

No. 1 The objective of this work is to observe if sports psychology is a

science that the population in general and athletes in particular know. And, if the
athletes know it, know what difficulties they have been treated for to finally know if
they have treated these difficulties with a professional.

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To the population in general:

Do you know or know anything about sports psychology?

But.

a) This gives us that a % did not know her

Do you know what it's about for sure?

But

This reflects that a % do not know what it is about

To athletes:

Did you feel nervous, fearful or anxious before, during or after a

competition?

But

A % said they felt some of these difficulties

Do you think those sensations can work against you?

But

He said yes

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Sports Psychology Valentin Cabrera 2018

Did you turn to professional help to solve it?

But

1% said no

Interview

Interview with Lic. in Psychology Daniela Rios.

1- Why did you decide to study Psychology?

He felt a strong calling to help people. Within these aids, listening and
speaking was what I felt for me.

2- How does Psychology help people?

It is a science that helps people find their strengths, work on their

weaknesses. To look for strategies that help overcome difficulties or accept them in
a way that is as beneficial as possible.

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Discovering our superficial and deeper thoughts, recognizing and learning

to appropriately express our emotions and learning to choose those behaviors that
benefit us in the overall well-being of people.

3- In certain circles, going to a psychologist can be seen as crazy? What can you tell
us about that?

I think that today there are very few people who still have this view that
those who go to the psychologist are crazy.

Most people find that it is a profession that seeks to help those who for
some reason are not well. It may be due to external or internal circumstances. And
we all go through difficulties in life and we don't always find the strategies that help
us deal with them.

On the other hand, sometimes you go to a psychologist to optimize

resources, improve in an aspect, without necessarily going through any discomfort.

4- Are there psychological problems linked to sports? Which is it?

There are problems in people. And sport is done by people. Many times it
can be due to personal characteristics: self-esteem, motivation, skills, frustrations,
etc.; and others due to difficulties in interacting with other people, be it a coach or
teammates. And also both.

5- How do you think a psychologist can help an athlete?

You can be helped in many ways, depending on the difficulty you present.
You can do personal and/or group work. Group dynamics, leadership work,
competition. Strengthen self-esteem, confidence, tolerate frustration, resilience,
competitiveness, concentration, responses to stress, among many others.

6- We live in a highly mediated society. How does media exposure impact the mental
balance in general and of footballers in particular?

This aspect also depends on the personal resources you have to process
the information received (naturally or worked on in psychotherapy). How much the
media will influence you depends on each person. What affects us is not so much
what we hear or see, but what each person thinks about what they hear and see.
Can not generalize.

Conclusion of the interview

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Based on what was expressed by Ms. Daniela Ríos, it is understood that

psychology is a discipline that can help people in various ways, and not only in
times of crisis, but also in other circumstances.

Fortunately, psychology is no longer seen pejoratively as a science to

treat madness, but rather it is viewed as a tool for personal improvement.

As she herself expressed it, sport is done by people and psychology

contributes to personal improvement and well-being. There are many difficulties
that an athlete goes through, in this sense and as our work expressed it,
psychology is a science that, when applied to sports, becomes a very helpful tool to
strengthen self-esteem, confidence, and tolerance for frustration. , the capacity for
resilience, concentration and other qualities that contribute to the optimal
performance of athletes personally and as a group.

The way to face the challenges that an athlete goes through is a unique
and different process from person to person, however, for all of them, sports
psychology can become a discipline that, together with the other training that the
athlete receives, can help make him the best version of himself. The impact of
media exposure is also important.

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