We all have voices in our heads which talks to us on an almost constant basis. Our voices give us messages continually, and what they say to us affects us. ~Juliene Berk

What a person says to themselves, whether positive or negative, affects how they perform. Phrasing thoughts positively will help an athlete to feel confident and believe in their abilities. There are three main categories of that self-talk falls into.

1. Position/Focus – These are the thoughts that an athlete needs to focus on in order to execute their role effectively.  Example: “Fast feet”
2. Self-Affirming – These are the thoughts that boost an athletes’ overall confidence and bolsters a belief in their abilities.  Example: “I have prepared for this, I am ready!”
3. Mood Words – These are words that help an athlete to summarize a feeling that they would like to compete with.  Example: “Patience” – a reminder to have some patience while competing.

It is important to remember that the way in which self-talk is phrased is important. If an athlete phrases the thoughts to say “don’t look down” they increase the chances that they will look down. What they can say instead might be “Head up” to increase the likely hood they will keep their head up.