Poster: Mental Skills for Collegiate Swimmers and Divers

The sport psychology component of a two-year multidisciplinary project, The Holistic Athlete, sought to obtain data regarding the use of mental skills strategies (relaxation training, stress management, positive thought control, self-regulation, mental imagery, and concentration skills) with swimming and diving team members at a New England Division III college. The Competitive Behavior Questionnaire for the Swimmers was utilized to assess pre and post season test scores measuring the utilization of mental skills and strategies for performance enhancement. Researchers administered the pre-test, conducted a workshop with the athletes to review and practice mental skills, and distributed a Performance Skills Workbook for Swimmers created by the research team. The post-test was administered at the end of the swim season. The data showed an increase in stress with little to no practice of mental skills which is consistent with previous research on Division II and III athletes