Jackie Van Patten
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| Jackie Van Patten has worked with high school teams, and the Phoenix College women’s basketball program, helping to develop the mental skills that are important to becoming a successful athlete. She has M.A degrees in sport exercise psychology and professional counseling, and played college basketball before a career-ending injury led her into the field of sport psychology.
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Articles by this Author
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THE MENTAL EDGE
Power of Positive Self-Talk
What athletes think or say is critical to their performance. Thoughts directly affect feelings and, ultimately, actions. Inappropriate or misguided thinking usually leads to negative feelings and poor performance, just as appropriate or positive thinking leads to good performances.
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THE MENTAL EDGE
Why do we need goals?
If you were going to dig for buried treasure on an island, you wouldn’t just start digging anywhere would you? No, you would need a map to get you to where the treasure is buried. You can think of goals in the same way. Not having goals is similar to digging for treasure without a map. Goals, like a map, help you to get to your destination much faster than digging up the whole island to find the treasure.
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THE MENTAL EDGE
Performing “In the Zone”
Many athletes have experienced what is known as being “in the zone,” where his/her performance seems automatic and effortless. While this is the goal for many athletes, it is more typical for athletes to perform when they are not in this automatic, optimal-performance zone. Learning to perform when not “in the zone” requires athletes to be mentally skilled; focus effectively; and manage their thoughts, emotions, and actions during competition.
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