Sport Psychology - Team Workshops

At Summit Counselling Services, we believe that sports and team participation can significantly enhance both the physical and mental well-being of our clients. However, when performance anxiety or team discord arise, the joy of the game can be lost, along with the satisfaction of challenging our physical and mental limits.

To address these challenges, we offer a comprehensive suite of four specialized courses designed to improve emotional well-being and optimize athletic performance and team dynamics. Each course is tailored to target specific aspects of sports psychology, providing strategies to enhance both individual and team outcomes. These courses can be taken individually or as a series. The cost is $250 per session, but if you choose to commit to all four courses, you'll receive a 50% discount on the first one.

1. The Intro

This foundational course, designed for the entire team, serves as a psychoeducational workshop on team cohesion. Key areas covered include:

Team Communication: Explore the psychological dynamics within the team, emphasizing effective communication, trust-building, and teamwork to strengthen cohesion.
Mental Health Awareness: Discuss mental health in sports, recognizing signs of mental health issues, and promoting a supportive environment for athletes.
Team Dynamics: Evaluate all aspects of team function and identify attributes that foster growth, including the needs of players, coaches, and families.
Performance Evaluation and Reflection: Encourage athletes to reflect on their performances, identify strengths and areas for improvement, and develop strategies for personal growth.

2. Practice, Prep, and Play

This course focuses on enhancing player mental functioning, covering everything from pregame mindfulness to postgame recovery. Key topics include:

Goal Setting: Teach effective goal-setting techniques to improve focus, motivation, and performance, utilizing the SMART framework.
Visualization and Imagery: Harness the power of mental imagery to enhance performance by mentally rehearsing skills and strategies.
Managing Stress and Anxiety: Provide tools to cope with stress and anxiety in high-pressure situations, including relaxation techniques and mindfulness practices.
Confidence Building: Boost self-confidence through positive self-talk, affirmations, and methods to overcome self-doubt.
Focus and Concentration: Improve focus and concentration during training and competition with mindfulness exercises and attentional control strategies.
Recovery and Resilience: Educate athletes on the importance of mental recovery, stress management, and resilience-building to bounce back from setbacks.

3. For the Coaches

This course equips coaches and staff with the tools to be effective, growth-minded leaders for athletes of all ages. Topics include:

Supporting Players: Learn to provide mental support, recognize emotional dysregulation, and address performance anxiety in your team.
Spotting Areas for Improvement: Identify and separate mental and physical performance, measure progress, and apply techniques for mental regulation.
Communication: Optimize your coaching approach to minimize mental strain on players and achieve the best results.

4. Players and Parents

This course examines the broader team system and the essential role of parents in supporting young athletes. Key areas covered include:

Player Support: Understand the practical ways parents can support their children in sports, ensuring their well-being and development.
Communication: Learn how to effectively communicate with coaches and children about emotions, expectations, and performance.

Our workshops are interactive, incorporating discussions, practical exercises, and role-playing scenarios to ensure athletes can apply these psychological principles effectively. Our goal is to empower athletes with the mental skills needed to complement their physical abilities, ultimately enhancing their overall performance and well-being in sports.

girls volleyball team celebrating a point

How Will This Help My Team?

Our workshops are completely customizable to best suit each team and their goals. We aim to create a workshop that focuses on your team's needs. These workshops are designed as age-appropriate, interactive sessions where everyone has a voice. We aim to schedule workshops at the beginning of the season, in the middle of the season to check on goal progress and adjust goals as needed and then a final workshop (usually before playoffs or final tournaments) to celebrate successes and prepare. We also like to have a workshop with just the coaches and parents whenever possible to give them tools to help their athletes and kids gain confidence and work on managing the stress and pressure of sport.