Sport Psychology

Playing any sport requires skill, strength, determination, and most of all, the right attitude. In fact, an athlete’s mindset is often the defining feature of their success. Sport Psychology utilizes the psychological principles of human performance and group dynamics in helping athletes consistently perform to the best of their abilities. 

The Sport Psychology Program at Fortis Healthcare brings together our clinical and sport psychology expertise, to create a holistic intervention plan that addresses the entire spectrum of athlete mental health – from emotional well-being to peak performance. We believe that a complete mental conditioning program should involve a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to affect true change and inspire mental toughness. Our program is built on the four fundamentals of ethical care, empathy, cultural sensitivity and scientific rigour. 

Sport Psychology for Peak Performance

Athletes experience a state of flow when the mind and body work together in perfect synergy. And so, high performance training involves a comprehensive approach that trains not just an athlete’s skill, speed or strength, but their mindset as well. A champion mindset is not something players are just born with – it’s about inculcating a set of psychological skills that athletes can learn and master through dedicated practice. 

Our interventions are tailored to each individual athlete, taking into account an in-depth understanding of their personality dynamics, situational factors and the nature of sport. Our evidence-based approach blends concepts from cognitive- behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment training, mindfulness-based approaches, and social psychology, along with advances in the field of psychophysiology. 

To ensure the efficacy of the program, these interventions are carried out across settings, and may include in-person or online consultations, practice visits, on-field drills, match observations, interactions with coaches, and support during key tournaments. 

• Dealing with Performance Pressure: It’s not uncommon for athletes to make unforced errors during high-pressure situations. Referred to as “choking”, competition pressure often results in players not being able to perform as well in matches as they do in practice sessions. Performance anxiety triggers a range of reactions that negatively impact a player’s performance – physiological changes in heart rate, breathing patterns and muscle tension, emotional responses such as anger, disappointment or guilt, cognitive changes such as a shift in focus or errors in judgment and decision making. 

Dealing with performance pressure requires strategies that address each of these elements. Relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, visualization and breath work target the physiological reactions associated with stress. Emotional regulation techniques, effective goal-setting, cognitive restructuring and behavioural corrections help develop a growth mindset to cope with competition anxiety. On-ground simulations and biofeedback may also be used to prepare athletes to channelize this pressure and play to their best. 

• Building Confidence: Confidence is the most important mental quality for an athlete to succeed. Yet, several factors such as past performances or comparisons with others can lead to feelings of self-doubt. The steps to building this confidence involve developing greater self-awareness, practicing positive self-talk and affirmations, improving body language, practicing imagery and setting effective goals. Each of these contribute to a sense of self-efficacy – our ability to succeed at the task we set out to achieve. 
• Resilience: Highs and lows are a part of sport, but what defines a champion is their ability to recover and bounce back from adversity. Building resilience involves restructuring our thoughts around setbacks, and developing a growth mindset where failures are perceived as opportunities to succeed. 
• Focus Control: The media, loud noises, the behaviour of an opponent, others’ expectations, worrying about results, overthinking – all of these serve as distractors which take away an athlete’s attention from their game. Some of these distractions may be external, while others may be internal, coming from within our own mind. Focus control strategies involve understanding the true nature of distractions, developing pre-performance routines and practicing mindfulness exercises to build present-moment awareness and sustained concentration. 
• Achievement Motivation: The road to success is a long one, that requires discipline, dedication and perseverance. Motivation is the driving force that propels athletes to stay committed to their long-term objectives. Strengthening this motivation involves understanding the ‘why’ of playing a sport. Developing intrinsic motivation, reigniting the joy of playing and aligning one’s actions with a stronger sense of purpose and values give rise to the never-give-up attitude. 

Sport Psychology for Athlete Mental Health and Well-being

Beyond the medals and accolades, an athlete is first and foremost a human being – with their own set of unique experiences, thoughts, emotions and life situations. And just like anyone else, an athlete may experience distress not just on the field, but off the field as well. This distress can impact an athlete’s performance as well as their overall quality of life. At Fortis, we believe in a holistic approach that involves caring for the athlete as a person. With an athlete-first mindset, our first and foremost priority is the health and happiness of our athletes.

• Managing Stress and Athlete Burnout– It’s only natural for an athlete, like any other human being, to experience stress at several points in their lives. When this stress remains chronic, it can lead an athlete to feel a sense of burnout. Athletes may experience stress due to concerns with the family, relationships, health, finances or future uncertainties. Stressors related to the sport including hectic travel schedules, time away from family, selections, interpersonal relationships, performance slumps, negative comments in the media, and balancing academics along with the sport are some factors that may also contribute to this distress. From relaxation techniques to taking effective breaks, from organizational skills to building developing healthy support systems, and most of all, a positive, solution-focused attitude - the task of a sport psychologist is to ensure that athletes have the life skills and resources to cope with these stressors. 
• Recovering from Injuries – We are all aware of the physical impact of injuries. The emotional impact of these injuries though often goes unnoticed. An injury can lead to low moods and anxiety, social withdrawal, a loss of self-confidence, a loss of motivation to participate in rehabilitation, concerns around overtraining or fears around returning to play. Mental health interventions at such a time ensure that athletes are able to regain a sense of control and self-identity, instill hope, build resilience, approach recovery with a sense of balance and purpose, and manage anxieties around playing.  
• Navigating career transitions – The life span of sport is such that most athletes retire by the time the rest of the world is just about settling into their career. Every career transition, be it from junior to senior or from one’s peak to retirement, involves its own share of challenges. The role of sport psychology is to support athletes through these career transitions by preparing for the future, developing psychological flexibility and adaptability, and developing a sense of self-identity that goes beyond results and transcends the sport. 
• Treatment for Clinical conditions – One out of every seven people in the world suffer from a mental health condition – like depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, eating disorders, substance use and so on. Just like any other person, an athlete too may experience such an illness at some point in their lives. Mental health conditions must be understood just as any other physical illness. Most often, they occur due to a combination of biological, psychological and social factors. Psychotherapy, also commonly referred to as counselling or talk-therapy, is the mainstay of treatment for these conditions. In certain cases, medicines may also be prescribed. In such cases, our treatment protocols take cognizance of the player’s sport to ensure that their therapeutic use meets international regulations, in no way interferes with the sport, so that athletes can continue to perform at their optimum level. 
• Mentoring and Vision Mapping – Here at Fortis, we go beyond conventional performance enhancement techniques and focus on the human element. Through our mentoring program, we support athletes in their journey towards making effective life-choices and cultivating their vision for the future. 

Sport Psychology During Big Tournaments

What separates matches from practice - what separates the Olympics from any other tournament in the world - is the psychological pressure that accompanies an event of this nature. Athletes spend years training for events like world championships, Asian Games and the Olympics. During this time, it’s essential to provide athletes with the right kind of support to deal with the expectations and pressures of such big tournaments. Sport psychology interventions at big tournaments are about designing brief, time-sensitive interventions so as to ensure that athletes aren’t overwhelmed by the unfamiliar environment, social expectations, anticipation anxiety, sleep disturbances, comparisons, tournament draws, media chatter and the highly stimulation village and stadium environment. Supporting athletes and support staff before and after big games, creating spaces and strategies for relaxation, providing avenues for team bonding, boosting morale, wellness and maintaining a sense of positivity and joy are all integral to peak performance at such sporting events. 

Sport Psychology for Teams

Our clinical understanding of the human psyche and group dynamics offers an enhanced perspective of the psycho-social environment of the team, and the challenges faced by individual athletes and the team as a whole. A complete understanding of these prevailing group dynamics is the essential first step to forming specific, goal-oriented intervention strategies for teams. Along with an understanding of each individual athlete, we also do an in-depth study of their communication patterns, interpersonal relationship dynamics and team culture. 

Athletes who form a team may benefit from all the individual interventions spoken about in previous sections on peak performance and well-being. In addition, experiential workshops with the team use psychological group processes to enhance team spirit, heighten motivation, build conflict resolution skills, foster group goal-setting, enhance cohesiveness and camaraderie, and at their core, provide players with the opportunity to draw from the strengths of one another. Our team session focus on team building, developing a strong sense of connectedness and vision mapping for the future. Through these interactive group sessions, we instill a sense of team identity which is not only aligned with, but also transcends self-identity. 

Sport Psychology for Coaches

An elite athlete is not formed in isolation. In fact, the athlete-coach relationship is at the helm of sport success. We conduct workshops and training sessions with coaches to foster psychologically informed coaching practices. Through these sessions, the aim is to go a step beyond technical training, be attuned to the athlete’s emotional well-being, and truly bring out the best in the player by focusing on the human, relational element. 

About Us:

The Fortis Sport Psychology Program has been running since 2016. As part of this program, our team has worked with elite athletes and para-athletes across individual and team sports – including archery, athletics, badminton, boxing, canoeing, cricket, equestrian, fencing, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, swimming, skiing, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, weight lifting, wrestling and wushu. With a strong focus on fostering mental toughness from an early age, our team also works extensively with grassroots sports, towards nurturing emerging talent.