The role of Performance Psychology in high-performance sport has long been supported by scientific research.
At the same time, and in line with the positive impact demonstrated across research, it is increasingly recognised that elite athletes and coaches are integrating Performance Psychology professionals into their performance optimisation teams, as seen in the careers of athletes and coaches such as Serena Williams, Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Lewis Hamilton, Luiz Felipe Scolari and José Mourinho, among others.
The opportunities for performance optimisation range from more general psychological skills — such as confidence, motivation, concentration and anxiety management — to more specific skills and individual needs that tend to characterise each athlete in a unique way. Examples include:
Optimising mental health and personal well-being indicators;
Developing concentration strategies during training sessions and matches/competitions, enabling greater control and consistency throughout performance, both within an individual match or competition and across the different stages of a season;
Managing emotions such as stress and frustration associated with competition;
Optimising self-confidence, for example through mental imagery and performance visualisation, accelerating learning and stren