Academy Mental Skills Modules – Part 2

We continue our insight into the Mental Skills workshops conducted by the Greencore Munster Academy with Sports Psychologist Dr. Tadgh MacIntyre.

Following on from last week’s article where Tadgh discussed the rationale behind each approach and exercise, and their subsequent benefits to players (read it by clicking here), this week he looks at the wide menu of practical exercises and strategies adopted by players during their day to day activities.

Firstly, how much of a role does mental toughness play in the development of an Academy member’s career?

“For the on-pitch performance there are some pre-requisites in terms of confidence and motivation, and in the same way to become an Academy player in the first instance, there’s a certain foundation required in terms of motivation – to push yourself that hard for that long.

“While we can’t put a percentage on the role mental strength plays in the career and successes of a player, it’s fair to say you will not make it unless you have some very good mental strengths in your mind-set.”

With the theory behind each approach learnt in a classroom setting, some of the practical exercises and strategies adopted by Tadgh and Academy players – on the pitch and in everyday life – include:

Visualisation.
“Because it’s so individualistic regarding what will work for who, we choose from a wide list of strategies, but probably the most powerful one is using visualisation.

“This is well known in rugby circles, particularly with kickers, and it’s not always about visualising the ideal, sometimes we get players to visualise failure and more importantly coping with failure.

“Take Rory McIlroy for example. He will not just imagine the perfect shot each time he lines up. Instead he imagines at least three different shots, because there’s a range out outcomes he may need to recover from.

“Similarly with our guys, we get them to visualise the real rather than the ideal."

Positive Self-Talk.
“We also get them to work on positive self-talk, using the language for their inner conversations but also extending it to what they say to their team-mates – ‘what is it you say to the player next to you?’ ‘What commands do you give and how positive are they?’”

Self-Awareness.
“Another is to create a level of self-awareness. We are there to facilitate players and we need to acknowledge that players themselves have a lot of expertise. In turn they need to be good discerning consumers and choose what works best for them. They develop the mental skill and we monitor it both inside and outside the bubble of rugby – on the pitch, in their educational lives and in their personal lives. This way players will reap the benefits of these strategies for years to come and not just for the next match.”

“You need to be driven but also self-aware so you are not driven to a destructive level. Concussion and injuries are a good example in that regard. We look at previous examples and debate them – ‘should I stay on or go off’, and suggest that maybe it’s better in terms of your body and mind to think long term instead of short term.

“Players need to think of the ‘here, now and in the future’ when it comes to managing their motivation, mind-set and bodies. Don’t just win the battle, win the war!”

Need for Balance.
“You don’t make it in rugby by being obsessive, you make it by having the right balance of rugby, personal life and work/study life. Just look at some of the big names of Munster Rugby past and present. The likes of Keith Wood and Paul O’Connell have always managed to have many things going on. If that works for the likes of them – at the top for a very long time – then that’s a good template to work off.”