Take This Mental Game Of Sports Assessment

This assessment form is meant to be broad, and to quickly provide you with the big picture in sport psychology. It will help you see numerous peak performance possibilities so your thinking about the mental game is stimulated. This may be the first of many assessments you could perform to pinpoint your strengths, assets, desires and areas for growth so you can formulate a strategic and tactical plan for building a strong and successful mental game.

It will help serve as a launching point for understanding how the mental game coaching process operates. I believe that mental game training begins the moment you begin completing this assessment. Understanding the mental game, becoming aware of possibilities, knowing yourself, seeing the big picture, and expanding and sharpening your mental game toolkit all begin now.

First, here are the two most critical questions to think about and answer now that will help guide your sport psychology learning process. Write your answers in the spaces provided below.

1. What are the top 3-5 mental issues you are facing now that are holding you back, which you would like to immediately begin working on?




2. Once you successfully make headway on these issues, how would that positively improve your sports performances and what would that mean to you?




Here's how to complete the following 65-item Mental Game Of Sports Assessment.

1. Review this list of topics and mark the number ONE in the space provided next to the items that seem MOST important and URGENT to you to be WORKED ON FIRST.

2. Mark the number TWO next to those that seem NEXT most important to work on.

3. Mark the number THREE next to those that seem to be in the THIRD TIER of importance.

4. Make NO MARK next to those which DON'T seem to be important now, or at all, or which DO NOT APPLY to you.

5. Place a QUESTION MARK next to those with which you are unfamiliar and would like clarification.

Send this completed form to us via email, fax or postal mail through our William B. Cole Consultants web site www.mentalgamecoach.com if you'd like to hire us as your sport psychology coach. We can use this as an initial, quick assessment to get your coaching jump-started. You can also send it to your sport psychology coach, or begin reading about the mental game of sports as part of your own self-coaching program. I have found that repeated review of this assessment is quite helpful in allowing you to continue to see new mental game vistas. Here we go with the assessment.

The Mental Game Of Sports Assessment

Which of these 65 sport psychology issues would you like to know more about, get under control and master? Which ones are holding you back from reaching your full sports potential?

1. ___ Stopping Choking and Panicking
2. ___ Improving Confidence
3. ___ Mental Toughness
4. ___ Developing A Mistake Management System
5. ___ Performance Consistency
6. ___ Minimizing Perfectionism
7. ___ Removing A Self-Critical Attitude
8. ___ Reducing Frustration, Fears, Or Worries
9. ___ Controlling Your Temper and Anger
10. ___ Fixing A Negative Attitude
11. ___ Removing Mental Blocks
12. ___ Developing The Killer Instinct
13. ___ Dealing With Opponent Psych-Outs
14. ___ Dealing With Slumps, Brown-Out And Burnout
15. ___ Improving Motivation
16. ___ Getting Into The Zone State
17. ___ Dealing With Negative People
18. ___ Pre-Competition Mental Preparation
19. ___ Goal Setting
20. ___ Concentration
21. ___ Stress Management
22. ___ Higher Energy Levels
23. ___ Mental Stamina
24. ___ Fixing The "I Play Well In Practice, But Not In A Competition" Syndrome
25. ___ Improvement Of Practice Efficiency And Effectiveness
26. ___ Staying Relaxed And Focused Under Pressure
27. ___ Finding More Patience With Yourself
28. ___ Appropriate Aggressiveness
29. ___ Appropriate Assertiveness
30. ___ Reducing Self-Consciousness And Shyness
31. ___ Reducing Intimidation By Opponents Or Officials
32. ___ Minimizing Discouragement After Set-Backs
33. ___ Developing A Strong Will To Win
34. ___ "Playing To Win" Versus "Playing Not To Lose"
35. ___ Appropriate Level Of "Hating To Lose" Versus "Wanting To Win"
36. ___ Self-Coaching Skills
37. ___ Reducing Self-Sabotage
38. ___ Stopping Procrastination
39. ___ Strategy And Tactics Related To Peak Performance
40. ___ Assessment And Diagnosis Of The Opposition
41. ___ Dealing Effectively With Competition Officials
42. ___ Dealing Effectively With Spectators
43. ___ Dealing Effectively With Competitors
44. ___ Dealing Effectively With The Media
45. ___ Dealing Effectively With Coaches
46. ___ Dealing Effectively With Parents
47. ___ Visualization And Mental Rehearsal
48. ___ Breath Control Training
49. ___ Affirmations And Positive Thinking
50. ___ Meditation
51. ___ Competing Well Against Weaker Opponents
52. ___ Competing Well Against Superior Opponents
53. ___ Beating Players You Should Beat
54. ___ Closing Out The Win
55. ___ Competing "At Home"
56. ___ Competing "On The Road"
57. ___ Overcoming Negative Thoughts And Images
58. ___ Overcoming The Fear Of Failure
59. ___ Overcoming The Fear Of Success
60. ___ Life Balance
61. ___ Life Stress Issues That Impact Your Sport Experience
62. ___ Injury Rehabilitation And Pain Control
63. ___ Reducing Psychosomatic Conditions
64. ___ Transitions And Retirement Issues
65. ___ Ethical And Sportsmanship Issues

If there are any other mental game issues that come up for you prior to your first sports psychology coaching session, please write them down so you can address them. I'm sure you are very excited about working on your mental game. This is a fascinating, fulfilling journey you are about to embark upon, one which will have far-reaching effects on your sport, your career and your life.

Find out more about sport psychology coaching services offered by Bill Cole, the Mental Game Coach.


To learn more about how sport psychology coaching can help you become a better, more confident athlete, visit Bill Cole, MS, MA, the Mental Game Coach™ at mentalgamecoach.com/Services/SportPsychologyCoaching.


Go to the International Mental Game Coaching website to see hundreds of additional free articles on sports psychology. IMGCA has the world's largest collection of mental game articles from experts around the world, including leading-edge strategies on the mental game, mental training, peak performance, sports psychology, sports psychiatry, sports philosophy, sports sociology, sports medicine, human performance, exercise psychology, stress control, youth sports, motor learning, sports coaching, teaching, teamwork, sports ethics, mind-body disciplines and human movement.