Psychology and Soccer

It has long been recognized that physical components are not enough to make athletes excel in their fields. One of the latest concepts being applied to enhance the performances in sports is called cognitive psychology ? the study of brain mechanisms or human mental processes in relation to the way we perceive things, feel about things, solve problems, and the probable root cause of our behavior.

This paper will contain a detailed ten hour soccer team training plan and discuss the relationship of cognitive psychology to athletes? over-all performance focusing mainly on the information processing model of Whiting, Welford, and Schmidt. The contribution of cognitive psychology to enhancing the players? understanding and performance levels, the application of different theoretical approaches to a variety of sporting situations and the use of theory to enhance individual and team performance, specifically in soccer, will be explored.

There exists an array of sub-concepts under cognitive psychology which includes information processing. This elucidates the process in which our brain takes in information from the outside world through our senses, select and utilize the information which results to a decision, bringing about an output exhibited through behavior or actions, which is subjected to feedback from the environment.

The decision to pass the ball or to run for the goal is determined by the availability of a player in a more advantageous spot and the number of players guarding him (input). The success or failure of his moves (output) based on his decision is affirmed with a touchdown or a pass respectively (feedback). Now, the decision-making process involved during this split-second scenario is a product of simulated plays in which the player was trained and not born with. Through constant exposure to similar situation in the course of training, the learned skill has become intrinsic to a player?s mind which he was able to apply naturally in the actual game despite the pressured atmosphere...

The article was produced by Alex Kauffman from GrandEssays.com, who has many years of a vast experience in Custom Term Paper and Admission Essay writing. Check out more information on our website!