Mental Rehearsal

“I lie in bed the night before the game and visualize myself scoring goals or doing well. You’re trying to put yourself in that moment and trying to prepare yourself to have a ‘memory’ before the game.” – Wayne Rooney

- What is MENTAL REHEARSAL? -

• Using your senses to recreate or create an experience in the mind to help prepare you for your performance.
• A way for athletes to prepare for a competition without physically being in the training or competitive environment.

--Why would I use mental rehearsal? --

-To learn and practice skills -To correct mistakes

-To focus yourself for competition -To manage pre-game nerves

-To aid in the recovery of injuries -To build confidence

-To solve problems -To cope with emotions

What do I need to do to make sure my mental rehearsal skills are effective?

• • Use all your senses when creating a script.
  • Make sure the image is vivid and clear.
  • You must be able to control the image.
  • Identify if you are going to be using external imagery : see the image as if you are viewing yourself from a video camera, or internal imagery : see the image like your eyes would normally see it.
  • Focus on QUALITY , not quantity, of training.
  • Start with a brief relaxation exercise so that you are relaxed and focused

• PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!