Sport psychology is a branch of psychology that is focused on the mental well-being and performance in athletes, particularly related to aspects such as emotion, thoughts and behaviour, motivation, discipline and a plethora of others. In addition, the wellness space for athletes within a counselling setting is designed to equip athletes with mental tools to perform, recover and regulate optimally within the sporting arena, whilst also providing a space to ensure that an athlete’s mental health remains a priority in various sport settings. Indeed, physical prowess, agility, strength and stamina are significant elements that an athletic body (or vehicle) may need to perform at highly competitive levels, yet cognitive ability, resilience, perseverance, confidence, motivation, discipline and positive self-talk is the mind’s fuel to move the athletic vehicle. When both the psychical and mental aspects of an athlete reach optimum, the athlete can enter flow state: a hyper-focused, automatic and zoned-in state of performance that locks our attention into our performance – this is where the real magic happens.
The wellness space is immensely beneficial for athletes to engage with their mental well-being, goals, aspirations and overall sporting experience, whilst simultaneously beneficial for spaces outside of the sporting arena, such as school, work, society, religious spaces, and various social phenomenon. In addition to upping the mental game, the sport wellness space in a counselling setting allows athletes the opportunity to develop balance between their sport of choice, and everyday life outside of their athletic commitments, a large challenge seen in today’s fast-paced society, driven by the emerging technological and digital age. Moreover, the wellness space is useful in assessing the mental health of athletes in relation to their sport, managing pressure – especially in high-level athletes – exploring relationships (friends, family, parents, coaches, team mates, rivals etc…), and is also useful for parents to find ways to better support their young athletes (specifically looking at things such as encouragement, motivation, and engaging in positive criticism vs destructive criticism, judgement, and pressure).
The sport wellness space at Vita Nova Counselling Centre is centred around the following areas as it relates to sport performance and athletic well-being:
- Confidence: Building and Maintaining
- Self-Talk
- Goal Setting
- Motivation and Drive
- Discipline
- Recovery and Burnout
- Pre-game/Pre-race routines
- Entering Flow State
- Establishing Balance
- Honesty and Accountability
- Resilience and Perseverance: Navigating setbacks and promoting comebacks
- Mental Tools: Visualisation, Meditation, Mind-Movies
- Emotional Regulation: Nervousness, Anger, Fear, Disappointment and others
- Mental Health: Aspects impacting performance outside of sport
- Sport vs Individual Identity: Role Identification
- Team sport vs Individual sport
- Group Talks on: Leadership, Teamwork, Motivation and Support
- Relationship Cultivation: Coach-Athlete, Parent-Athlete, and others.
About Bradley
Hi there! Bradley here from Vita Nova, your sports wellness counsellor that provides this unique service.
The challenges that athletes face in the sporting arena can be incredibly overwhelming, especially if these athletes are not equipped with tools to manage this intense pressure, which can ultimately get the better of them and can lead to things such as demotivation, negative thought patterns and self-talk, loss of interest, isolation and withdrawal, fear, and a plethora of others.
As a former competitive athlete in a high level of swimming, I understand these pressures, as I experienced all the above myself without any real mental guidance and tools. Part of my mission is to assist athletes in this unique area of life, and provide the tools and support that I, myself, did not have when I was competing. The harsh truth is this: It often takes an athlete that didn’t make it, to help mould a brilliant athlete. This is the role I am here to fulfil, and I wear this badge with deep humility and honour.
A brief background into my sport journey: I began competing in the swimming arena at 14 years old, and went on to represent South Africa twice internationally: Once in Italy at both the 2015 Treviso Swim Cup and the Pescara Swimming Champs, as well as in Uganda at the 2015 CANA Zone 3 Swimming Championships, whereby I was an 8 gold medal winner, and 12 medal winner overall for South Africa. My events were: 50m,100m and 200m freestyle, 50m, 100m butterfly, and I occasionally competed in short distance backstroke events. I also attended multiple Senior National Events, as well as the 2016 Olympic Trials in Durban. When Covid-19 hit in 2020, it was when I decided to hang up the cap and goggles and retire from competitive swimming.
Based off the above, my involvement in swimming and world of sport can be considered a high level, and with this high level came immense pressure to perform. Now, I am a Specialist Wellness Counsellor with an Honours Degree in Psychology, and a certification in Applied Sport Psychology from SACAP. In addition, I have been a swimming coach for the last 8 years, coaching both junior level swimmers, adults, and teaching learn to swim to beginners and small children, as well as babies from 5 months. Thus, I also understand the coach-athlete relationship, as well as the coach-parent relationship – maintaining good and positive relationships in one’s desired sport makes a massive impact and oftentimes can play a huge role in sport performance. With my first-hand experience in performing at high levels in sport, being an active coach working with children and adults, my training in psychology, counselling and applied sport psychology, I am equipped to assist athletes (young and mature) to reach their goals and optimum mental performance. Let’s work together to up your game and take your sport to the next level.