Self-talk can impact an athlete's mental state and performance. It is important to develop personalized cue words and practice self-talk regularly. Using short, simple phrases allows athletes to quickly access the right mindset. While self-talk alone cannot improve skills, it can help athletes perform to their potential by reducing stress and doubt. Regular practice helps athletes internalize their self-talk messages and truly believe in themselves.

1. Approaches
Workbook
Self Talk – Teachers Answers

2. 1) Why is it importantto make a conscious
effort to control yourself-talk?
• Self talk has a big impact on your mental state and
how you feel emotionally. Making a conscious effort
to control self talk can:
• Increase confidence and positivity
• Increase motivation and determination
• Reduce feeling of anxiety, anger, fear and worry in
particular situations
• Act as triggers to remind you how to act in particular
situations
• Improve decision making
• Energize

3. 2) Whenusinganapproachtodevelopperformance
itisimportantthattheapproachisspecifictothe
performer. Howisthisachievedwhenusingself-talk
andwhyisitimportant?
• The athlete will choose their own cue words
of key phrases. This is important as the
athlete must remember the phrase(s) but
equally important the phrase(s) chosen must
invoke the desired reaction from the athlete.
This is only likely to happen if the phrase(s) is
personal to the performer and therefore
means something to them in a way that other
phrases might not.

4. 3) What do youthink might be reasonsfor
self-talk not being effectivewhenusedby an
athlete?
• To control your self talk effectively requires a lot of
practice. Athletes might not see this approach as being
as important as other forms of training such as skills,
fitness or tactics training. As a result they may not
practice it enough for it to be effective.
• Athletes might not actually believe their own self talk.
athlete might try to use positive phrases but at the same
time be doubting their belief in what they are telling
themselves. This will result in the athlete not fully
committing to their self talk and as a result not have the
desired affect on their emotions or mental state.

5. 4) Why do youthinkit is importantthat cue
words/phrasesare shortand simple?
• It is important that cues words are kept
short and simple so that they are easily
remembered whilst in the heat of
competition.
• The words/phrases being short and simple
will ensure that the athlete can achieve
the desired effect quickly without too
much effort or thought being given to the
approach

6. 5)Howimportantdoyou thinkself-talkisinhow
goodanathleteisandhowsuccessfultheyare?
Why?
• Self talk will not improve an athletes
performance on it’s own. If you are physically
unable to perform core skills and movement
patterns in the game, positive self talk will be
ineffective.
• However effective use of self talk will allow an
athlete to perform to their potential if used well.
This could be through; reducing levels of anxiety
and stress, maintaining focus, remaining calm
and relaxed, removing feeling of self doubt

7. 6) Self-talk is an approachto develop
performancethat any athlete can attempt to
use. Why?
• This is a simple and easy approach to use where
athlete only have to be able to develop their
own cue words/phrases and then practice using
them both during training and in competition.
• There are no particular skills that are required to
use this approach and for it to be effective.
• This approach will have no or little impact on the
time an athlete devotes to other aspects of
training.

8. 7) What might be a disadvantageof relyingon
cue words/phrasesduringa performance?
What can be done to overcomethis?
• In the heat of the moment the athlete might not
be focused on using their key words/phrases.
This could result in them not being used at the
correct times in order to avoid negative
emotions or mental states.
• Having the cue words/phrases written in a place
that will be visible to the athlete will help to
ensure that the cue words/phrases are
remembered and that they are at the forefront
of the the performers mind.

9. 8)Whyisitimportanttowritecuewords/phrases
downandpracticeusingthemtoachievethedesired
resultoftenon trainingandperformances?
• The more often positive self talk is used the more likely it
is that an athlete will change their belief systems so that
they actually match the self talk they are using. By telling
themselves something over and over again an athlete is
more likely to actually start believing it.
• Writing the cue words/phrases down allows the athlete
to regular read over their phrases again and again. By
writing them down the athlete is more likely to commit
to the process and is able to ensure that theie
word/phrases remain fresh in their mind.