Develop mental skills in yourself and the players
Jenny Coe is Performance Well-being Lead at the FA, she's also a coach developer for UK Coaching and has worked with the RFL. Jenny explores how we can develop mental skills in and outside of sessions
Mental skills are strategies or techniques athletes use to enhance their psychological performance. Examples include:
Goal setting (e.g., a rugby player aiming for a specific tackle count per game)
Visualisation (imagining a successful kick conversion under pressure)
Self-talk (using positive affirmations during a tough match… I am, I can, I will….)
Developing mental skills helps players manage pressure, improve focus, and sustain confidence. For example, a fly-half in rugby often relies on mental resilience to stay composed when making split-second decisions in high-pressure situations.
Mental skills give players a competitive edge and yet is it still one of the areas least resourced and understood across the sports landscape.
How can coaches use mental skills with their team?
Coaches can (and should) integrate mental skills through every session just as they would consider other technical and tactical components:
Scenario-based drills: Set up high-pressure situations like conversions with limited time/ time score based scenarios.
Reflection periods: After practice, ask players to identify what worked well mentally and where they felt challenged. This can also happen during the session and can be really impactful if you work alongside a sport psych.
Focus routines: Teach breathing techniques during activities to simulate keeping calm under fatigue. This also can work effectively through a sport psych or someone qualified to support correct and effective breathing techniques.
There are some key areas for support and development, but its really worth coaches spending some time on themselves first to understand their own knowledge before they dive into everything with players and the sport psych.
Here are some practical methods for coaches to think about:
Individual check-ins: Talk to players about their mental preparation and offer tailored advice. Know where their understanding and education on it is so you can build on these skills together.
Off-field challenges: Encourage players to reflect on their performances and set personal goals.
Resource sharing: Share podcasts, books, or articles on various mental skills so all staff are aligned (e.g., stories of Jonny Wilkinson’s mindset in critical games).
Language and behaviour, for all staff and players: Simply just think about what you say before you say it. Who are you saying it for and will this comment / feedback support the development of the athlete.
Support systems: Help players access psychologists if needed or other staff who will listen with intent and know when the conversation goes beyond their qualifications.
How can coaches develop their own mental skills?
Environment plays a huge part to everything mental in performance. However, there are some techniques that can help coaches enhance their performance environment through a mental or psychological lens. All of the below need to be looked at with consistency.
Mindfulness training: Practise techniques like meditation to improve focus.
Learning under pressure: Simulate stressful scenarios (e.g., making decisions with limited time).
Feedback loops: Invite feedback from players and colleagues to enhance communication.
Courses / workshops learning experiences: Attend training on mental skills or leadership.
For example, rugby coaches might visualise how they would handle managing a team talk after a demoralising loss.
Although we know there are varying measures of success, most coaches want to win or develop their athletes. Coaches are role models.
By demonstrating composure and focus, they inspire players to adopt the same traits. Strong mental skills also help coaches manage team dynamics, build resilience and adapt to challenges.
How can coaches help their mental wellbeing?
There are two areas that influence a coach’s wellbeing: the individual and the environment/system.
An individual, like a coach, can put in all the work. However, if the environment/system or key people in charge don't work with a performance and well-being lens, then the psychological work will always fall short or not be sustainable for the individual and they will burnout.
Coaches can try these methods:
Set boundaries: Limit working hours to avoid burnout. Plan and reset boundries if you need to
Debrief with peers: Use coaching networks to share experiences and offload stress. Plan
Self-care routines: Regular exercise, hobbies, or mindfulness can protect mental wellbeing.
Celebrate wins: Reflect on successes, no matter how small, to sustain motivation.
How can coaches help players with their mental wellbeing?
A lot of my current work in professional women's football is supporting the development of performance well-being, in which mental well-being is a key pillar.
We encourage staff to:
Create safe spaces: Make it easy for players to discuss struggles without fear of judgment.
Model balance: Encourage recovery and work-life balance.
Check in consistently: Ask open questions like, “How are you finding the workload?”
Refer appropriately: Help players access mental health professionals when necessary. Know your limits as a coach.
Knowledge: Understand the importance of social well-being as well as mental, physical and career and financial well-being.
In many organistions, teams now have well-being officers or programs to support players with the demands of elite sport.
Exploring sporting myths
The Myths of Sport Coaching and Myths of Sport Performance are two books which explore common myths across a diverse range of sport, debunking outdated ideas with evidence and practical strategies.
With both books Amy Whitehead and myself wanted to challenge misconceptions and offer actionable insights. With over 40 global authors covering amazing and important topics, we have had lots of interest from practitioners working across all sports and levels.
We are so delighted and look forward to two more books coming in 2025.
The feedback about the first book from grassroots coaches was humbling. Many coaches have emailed to say the book transformed how they approach coaching and working within a team. We ran a monthly seminar series on all chapters.
We are in the early stages of impact for the second book but we know many copies of it is circulating the NBA, WNBA and NFL along with key sports in Australia and Europe.
We have listened to the feedback and edited a book that we hope will help practitioners across all disciplines across key topics of high performance sport.
Find out more about the Myths of Sport Coaching book
Find out more about the Myths of Sport Performance book
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