What are our core beliefs, values, and behavior as Mental Skills Coaches?
 Observe, analyze, find solutions, and
teach.
Thrive on listening and
understanding, as well as verbal communicating.
Recognize that there is no one
personality common to all great performers, and you must trust
yourself if you are going to excel.
Realize that some combination of
long-term and short-term goals work best to keep the athlete
moving toward their dream. Believe that every problem has a
solution, but you may have to exert effort and time to find
it.
Recognize that you never know when it
will all “fall into place”...so you must
persevere.
 Ensure
that every Mental Skills Coach has a driving passion for what they
do.
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What is Mental Skills Coaching?
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Mental Skills Coaching can be seen as a course of actions (i.e., observing, listening, communicating, planning, encouraging, etc.), designed to help individuals and teams improve, maximize, and/or strengthen their process or manner of accomplishing the desired goals. This process can be done in numerous different ways, incorporating a wide variety of mental skills.
The Mental Skills Coach, ideally, does not work separately from the Sport Specific Coaching staff (Baseball, Soccer, Tennis, etc.). For the athlete to gain the greatest benefit, all Coaches need be involved. When collaboration between the physical and mental training occurs, each area can reinforce what is being emphasized in the other. An athlete needs to become proficient with both the physical, and the often neglected mental component, for the athlete to consistently reach Peak Performance.
There is still a strong stigma about an athlete seeking the services of A Mental Skills Coach. The athlete is often viewed as weak, lacking mental toughness, and can not be counted on in tough situations. In such circumstances, the athlete can choose to have a confidential relationship with the Mental Skills Coach and there is no communication with other personnel, such as coaches and athletic trainers. |
What does a Mental Skills Coach do?
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The Mental Skills Coach helps athletes improve in those performance and/or personal area (s) that have identified as lacking, unsatisfactory, or not reaching the athlete’s full potential. In addition, elite players may see a Mental Skills Coach as needed to keep their mental game sharp and remain competing successfully at very high levels. Coaches, parents, teachers, and others are often in a good position for suggesting meeting with Mental Skills Coach. It is also important to recognize that each situation is different, but the methods used to optimize the athlete’s performance tend to fall into three basic coaching strategies; these are:
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| Mental Skills are strategies, techniques, abilities, and more that focus on the mental part of performance. Our focus is on those Mental Skills that have been shown to consistently lead to improved performance when applied to appropriate situations and athletes. Research, observation, and experience have demonstrated over and over again, that no one skill will benefit all athletes or situations. It is the job of the Mental Skills Coach, with input from the athlete, to determine what skill (s) have the highest or greatest potential for enhancing, in some manner, the Performance of each athlete in a given set of circumstances. We believe that athlete input is crucial to the success of any program developed. |
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What we have discovered about peak performers, is
that these athletes share two valuable attributes which are: 1) their sport is
very important to them; and 2) they’re committed to being the best that they can
be. However, within the scope of their commitments come some limitations – other
life commitments, family, school, time, and their level of natural ability. They
set high, realistic, and challenging goals for themselves and train and play
hard. They are successful because they are pursuing their goals and enjoying
their sport. Their sport participation enriches their lives and they believe
that what they get back is worth what they put into their sport. Since the field of sport psychology began, we have been trying, with little success, to identify the "personality traits" that comprise the elite athlete or set them apart from other less successful athletes. However, largely through the work done by Dr. Jack Lesyk, Mental Skills Coaches now know that there are 9 primary, specific mental skills that contribute to consistent success in sports. |
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Successful Athletes Consistently 1. Choose and maintain a positive attitude. 2. Maintain a high level of self-motivation. 3. Set
high, realistic goals. 9. Maintain concentration. |
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What Mental Skills do we use with the majority of our coaching with athletes?
| The 10 Mental Skills mentioned above are integrated with other mental skills we tend to work with on a regular basis. Of course, we use some more than others, but we are trained in the use of all. Other skills and areas may be used in unique situations that fall outside the scope of the mental skills listed below. |
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The above skills are successful with about 90% of my athletes. For the other 10%, we use our creativity, insight, experience, training, and at times our "gut feelings”. |
What Training/Education is required to be a Mental Skills Coach?
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The Performance Enhancement Group, Inc. has very high standards and strongly believes that competent, well-trained, and effective Mental Skills Coaches need exemplary specialized instruction, experience, and mentoring in the areas of: |
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We also understand it is crucial to incorporate/integrate extensive eclectic knowledge and expertise, not necessarily gained through traditional educational opportunities. This alternative training is necessary in order to work with and meet the needs of the widest possible range of athletes and sport environments.
Who is the President of The Performance Enhancement Group, Inc.?
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Dr. Betty Kelley is a nationally recognized Mental Skills Coach, who has worked with countless numbers of groups and individuals, through Consulting and/or Counseling. Betty has been invited to deliver international, national, regional, and local presentations, workshops, and seminars. The greater part of her consulting has been in Sport Psychology/Mental Skills Coaching, which is comprised of approximately 25 mental skills and specialty areas. Dr. Kelley works with all skill levels (beginner to professional/World Class), sports (team and individual), and ages (9 being the youngest and 83 being the oldest). She is presently working with several world and national champions but knows their mental preparation along with excellent physical abilities are what consistently found them on the podium. She believes that Mental Skills Coaching should not be started until the young athlete has reached the age of 9 years old. Children can start with the very basics of a sport, but 9 years old is when they can start to cognitively grasp and understand a few very simple mental skills to get them started with a good foundation of both the physical and mental sides of sport.
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Mental Skills Coach Business Professional
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 Its good for our athletes to see that we are human and also willing to put ourselves on the line. It is also a reminder to practice what we preach! |
Betty was a Tennis Teaching Professional and Tennis Tournament Consultant for 16 years. Dr. Kelley was a university faculty member for 23 years. Ten of those years, combined teaching with Head Coach responsibilities in Tennis (women [men 1 season]), and Women’s Basketball. Her teams were consistently playing in the NCAA Championships for both teams, placing high in the tournament results. After completion of her PHD, she used the next 10 years focused on teaching, research, and consulting at large universities. Betty made the decision to step away from teaching, so she can devote her time and energy full-time in her private practice as a Mental Skills Coach and Performance Enhancement Consultant. Throughout her competitive and coaching careers, Dr. Kelley took the opportunity to sharpen and fully use her own mental skills, while becoming, increasingly competent and effective, in her consulting. Betty has a strong, extensive, and successful sport background. She has been a competitive athlete from the time she started to walk, and has been in motion ever since. Dr. Kelley was the youngest certified downhill ski instructor in the nation. She was a national caliber athlete in: downhill ski racing, tennis, and field hockey. Betty will always remain active and enjoys tennis, running, rollerblading, golfing, and yes, shuffle board. |
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Sport and Life can sometimes be messy! But we will get our hands dirty to do whatever we can to take your game to the next level. |
Upon completion of her PHD, she immediately began Mental Skills Coaching. Betty was one of the first professionals to earn Certified Consultant status from the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, back in 1993. Dr. Kelley has tremendous passion for all of the athletes she coaches, and states that, “I love to work with dedicated athletes of all ages, sports, and ability levels. Successful athletes tend to have a superior ability to integrate the physical side of the sport, with the always important, mental component.” Betty believes every athlete ought to be able to use the services of a Mental Skill Coach and works hard to make that happen, through nontraditional mediums such as Phone and Webcam sessions that are much more economical, and when warranted, she uses a sliding scale for those struggling financially.
At Dr. Kelley’s core, beats the heart of a Mental Skills Coach, Teacher, Performance Consultant, Mentor, and always, a Sport Participant. Betty knows, she is at her best, as a person and a professional, when she is involved in those endeavors. Her goal as a Mental Skills Coach is simple, “help athletes learn a broad repertoire of mental skills and the understanding they need, to help them more effectively manage the issues and challenges they face now, and in the future, in their chosen sport. Making forward strides are most often demanding, exciting, challenging, irritating, funny, frustrating, and very enjoyable, all at the same time. Begin your journey today. “I will be there with you, every step of the way.”
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What we considered as play a few years ago are now athletic events. Our clientele is also becoming more diverse- greater variability in sports, ages, race, ability levels, and experiences. I use my creativity, wits, and humor as tools to build strong bridges between me and my clients. |
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We all learned a long time ago that laughter is the best medicine. It is also often the best Mental Skills Coaching intervention. Don't lose the ability to find humor in situations that are funny. Most important, never lose the willingness to laugh at yourself. It's truly wonderful to watch your athlete open up in a way they had not done before. |
Belief is at the beginning of all accomplishment.
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We will not only share yourdream, we will help youget there!
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| We will all leave legacies behind related to our sports participation. What will yours be? | ||
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Only you can make the decision to reach out for assistance, support, and that extra edge you've been looking for. Little will be gained by waiting, and it may actually prove harmful in the long run. |
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However, there is much to be gained by stepping forward to take control of the wide array of performance situations in your life. |
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