Performance Psychology
This course is designed to increase awareness & understanding of the phenomena involved in the psychology of performance and athletic activities. While the main focus will be on application to athletic performance, these principles can be applied to all aspects of life.The course will be divided into four major components: the biology of behavior/neuroscience, a mental toolkit for success, performance psychology fundamentals and leadership/team building.
Develop an understanding of the principles of performance psychology. Develop and practice skills that will hone personal performance in a chosen area. Develop effective strategies to re-engage performance after an injury or burnout. Understand how the strategies developed in this course can transfer to other areas in one’s life. Monitor and reflect on one’s personal transformation as a result of implementing aspects of performance psychology.
Brain and nervous systems functions help an individual understand performance behaviour Mental skills training and effective goal setting can help an individual achieve peak performance Peak performance can be achieved by boosting certain psychological attributes Injuries and setbacks require understanding of the grief stages and coping mechanisms/ strategies to return to peak performance Leadership traits and team building strategies can help an individual or team achieve peak performance
This course also relies on a multidisciplinary approach to learning, which fosters collaborative teaching, addressing concepts from biology, biochemistry, psychology and communication. Additionally, the course engages students in a co-educational experience of cooperative learning, where they can work together in teams, brainstorm and discuss ideas, and self-manage tasks and projects with direction from the teacher.