Building a Performance Mindset for Athletes

Imagine the final seconds of a championship game. The score is tied, and the crowd is going wild. In these moments, how you think is just as important as how you move. Building a strong performance mindset is just as vital as physical training. (McNeil, 2023)

Whether you coach young athletes, weekend players, or professionals, teaching mental skills like focus, imagery, goal-setting, arousal control, self-talk, and confidence helps athletes handle pressure, bounce back from setbacks, and perform more consistently.

Defining a Performance Mindset

A performance mindset is a set of attitudes and strategies that support high-level performance. It combines resilience, focus, confidence, and the ability to manage emotions and energy during challenges. In sport psychology, this involves utilizing mental and psychological skills training, such as imagery, goal setting, relaxation techniques, routines, and self-talk. These can be learned, practiced, and measured.

Why Mindset Matters: Learning, Consistency, and Pressure

Physical practice builds skills, but a performance mindset helps athletes use those skills under pressure. Studies show mental training, such as mindfulness and structured psychological skill programs, leads to real improvements in performance. (Dong, 2024) Some research suggests these skills can boost performance by about 15%. ("The Impact of Psychological Skills Training on Athletic Performance: Insights from Current Research", 2024) Athletes who work on their mental skills are more likely to enter a flow state, handle nerves, and recover from mistakes. (Kelemen, 2025) Cognitive training helps athletes perform their best when it matters.

Core Mental Skills to Develop

Below are practical mental skills, supported by research, that sport psychology experts use to help athletes build a performance mindset. Start with basic skills and progress to advanced ones as you and your athletes are ready.

Goal-Setting

Create SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) goals for athletes in training, competition, or the gym. This foundational skill focuses attention and boosts motivation. For example, a soccer player might aim to improve passing accuracy by practicing a set number of passes daily. Taylor & Francis Online

Mindfulness & Attention Training

Increase present-moment awareness to reduce distractions and improve focus under pressure. Recent research supports the effectiveness of mindfulness in building mental skills. In swimming, this could mean focusing on water sensations during each stroke to maintain concentration in long races. Frontiers (Si, 2024)

Imagery & Mental Rehearsal

Visualize successful execution and mentally rehearse strategies to support learning and confidence. For example, a basketball player might picture making free throws, focusing on stance and follow-through. pure.hw.ac.uk (Cumming, 2009)

Arousal Regulation

Use breathing, muscle relaxation, or pre-performance routines to adjust awareness for task demands. In tennis, this could mean deep breaths between points to stay composed and ready. SpringerLink (Brems, n.d.)

Resilience and Mental Toughness

Adaptive coping, learning from setbacks, and staying committed. Resilience grows with structured exposure to pressure and reflective practice. In distance running, this can involve reflecting on races to build resolve and improve strategy. (Falon, 2018) For a practical pre-performance routine, try a few deep breaths to calm the mind, visualize a successful outcome, and use a cue word like 'focus' to trigger your mindset. This links theory and practice and encourages experimenting with mental skills. Frontiers ("The cognitive era in sports performance: mental fatigue, cognitive training, and psychological ergogenic substances", 2025)

Try combining these skills rather than relying on just one. For example, setting goals, using imagery, and doing a quick arousal routine before a competition can help athletes stay focused and confident. Key takeaway: Integrating several skills can make athletes more resilient and consistent under pressure.

Integrating Performance Mindset into Training

Building a performance mindset takes more than just one workshop or a pep talk. It should become part of the regular training routine. Sport psychology suggests adding short mental skills sessions to physical practice—just 5 to 15 minutes, two or three times a week, can make a real difference. Technology like apps for imagery or biofeedback can help track progress but should support, not replace, coaching. When coaches and staff regularly use mental training language and routines, athletes are more likely to use these skills. (Garrett, n.d.) Key takeaway: Consistent, small doses of mental skills training work best when integrated naturally into routines.

Practical Steps for Coaches and Athletes

If you want to translate sport psychology findings into everyday practice, try this simple process:

1. Assess — Begin with a short baseline: what are the athlete’s current strengths and most common pressure situations?

2. Prioritise — Pick one or two mental skills (e.g., breathing + imagery or goal-setting + pre-shot routine).

3. Create Short Drills — Embed a 5-minute imagery session or a two-minute breathing routine into warm-ups.

4. Measure Progress — Track focus, anxiety, or confidence. Ask athletes to treat this as a small experiment. For example, if imagery makes them feel 10% more confident, keep using it. This involvement keeps athletes curious and invested in improvement.

5. Reflect — Use short debriefs to discuss what mental approaches worked and why.

   
   

Taking small steps saves athletes’ time, fits with physical training, and helps them use mental skills in real competition. Research shows that regular, brief mental skills practice leads to better performance. (Fort Lee High School, n.d.) Key takeaway: Frequent short mental practice is more effective than cramming or one-off sessions.

Common Myths — and What the Evidence Actually Says

Imagine Alex, a young athlete who thought mindset was fixed. Despite hard training, he struggled with anxiety during competitions, believing he lacked mental toughness. After learning about sport psychology, he began structured rehearsal and mindfulness. Over time, his focus improved, anxiety dropped, and performance rose. This shows mindset can change through practice. Frontiers+1 ("Editorial: Motivation in learning and performance in the arts and sports", 2025)

Another belief is that mental skills are only for elite athletes. Jamie, a high school soccer player, thought mental training was unnecessary at her level. After adopting goal-setting and resilience exercises, she enjoyed training more, felt less burned out, and her performance improved. This proves all athletes benefit, even at grassroots and amateur levels. jses.net+1

A Final Note for Parents and Support Teams

If you are a parent, coach, or health professional working with an athlete, remember that building a performance mindset takes time and steady practice. Celebrate effort, sticking to routines, and good recovery habits just as much as results. You could say, "I liked how you kept up with your breathing routine today," or "Your effort in practice was great."

When mental skills are a normal part of training, athletes feel more comfortable trying new things, learning from mistakes, and improving. Sport psychology provides you with the tools, and your job is to use them effectively in daily training. Key takeaway: Consistent encouragement and support for mental skills practice create a positive environment for growth.

Addressing skepticism matters. Some doubt the effectiveness of mental training. To counter this, share stories from athletes who improved with mental skills training. For example, Olympians often credit mental preparation for their success. Research also shows performance improves with structured mental skills training, debunking myths across all sports.

If you'd like to learn more about how to support your athlete, check out Parent Support in Youth Sports: Building a Healthy Performance Mindset

Kimberly Freeman

Bachelor's of Psychology, Dip Counselling, Registered Counsellor, founder of Shifting Perspective Counselling, based on the Sunshine Coast, Australia.

References

Brems, C. (n.d.). Creating attunement with breathwork.

Cumming, J., Hall, C., & Weinberg, R. (2009). Sources of sport confidence, imagery type, and performance among competitive athletes: The mediating role of sports confidence. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 21(2).

de Lima-Junior, D., Lopes, T. R., Fortes, L. D. S., Nakamura, F. Y., & Marcora, S. M. (2025). Editorial: The cognitive era in sports performance: Mental fatigue, cognitive training, and psychological ergogenic substances. Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article 1640470. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1640470

Dong, X., Liu, Y., Fang, K., Xue, Z., Hao, X., & Wang, Z. (2024). The effect of mindfulness training on the psychological state of high-level athletes: Meta-analysis and systematic evaluation research. BMC Psychology, 12.

Editorial: Motivation in learning and performance in the arts and sports. (2025). Frontiers in Psychology, 16, Article [article number needed]. [DOI needed]

Falon, S. L., Kangas, M., & Crane, M. F. (2018). How resilience is strengthened by exposure to stressors: The systematic self‐reflection model of resilience strengthening. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 31(1).

Garrett, E. (n.d.). The power of mental training for athletes. Coach & Athletic Director.

Kelemen, B., Tóth, R., Benczenleitner, O., & Tóth, L. (2025). Effects of group mindfulness intervention on high-level distance runners: A quasi-experimental study. Frontiers in Sports, 7.

Kim, M., & Priscilla. (n.d.). A systematic review of cognitive sports psychology interventions on high school, college, and professional athletes. Journal of Student Research, 13(2).

Lange-Smith, S., Cabot, J., Coffee, P., Gunnell, K., & Tod, D. (2023). The efficacy of psychological skills training for enhancing performance in sport: A review of reviews. International Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 22(4), https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2023.2168725

McNeil, D. G., Phillips, W. J., & Scoggin, S. A. (2023). Examining the importance of athletic mindset profiles for level of sport performance and coping. International Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 22(4).

Si, X. W., Yang, Z. K., & Feng, X. (2024). A meta-analysis of the intervention effect of mindfulness training on athletes' performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, Article 1375608. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1375608

Sport psychology and performance meta-analyses: A systematic review of meta-analyses. (2022). PLOS ONE, 17(issue number needed]), Article e0263408. [https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263408

The impact of psychological skills training on athletic performance: Insights from current research. (2024). Sports Mental Skills Training. https://www.sportsmentalskillstraining.com/post/the-impact-of-psychological-skills-training-on-athletic-performance-insights-from-current-research