The Old “Eyeball” Test Doesn’t Work for Assessing Mental Skills
This should be obvious, but it’s not. To make a correct assessment of an athlete’s mental skills a real assessment is required. Not just an “eyeball” test. Giving a struggling athlete the old “eyeball” test is not enough.
For example, just because you see an athlete choke in the final minutes of a game multiple times doesn’t mean they can’t deal with pressure. There may be a real technical or tactical coaching issue causing the problem. However, the old “eyeball” test defaults to labeling the athlete a choke artist. This is a lazy way to assess the situation.
Instead, it’s best to use the four-part assessment renowned sports psychologist Robert M. Nideffer, PhD uses with his athletes.
The Four-Part Assessment to Know if a Physical Error is Mental or Mental Error is Physical
First, assess the athlete’s skill level when they are at their best. If the athlete has all the technical and tactical skills they need on their best days but fail to use these tools on their worst days, then this suggests a mental issue. On the other hand, if the athlete is lacking skills even on their best days, then it’s a physical issue.
Next assess the athlete’s pattern of making errors. If the athlete makes errors randomly in both pressure and non-pressure situations, then it’s a physical issue. If the mistakes have a predictable pattern that only occur when the pattern is present, then this points towards a mental issue.
Then assess the athlete’s emotional state when they are making errors. If the athlete appears confident and in control as well as responds affirmatively when asked, then this points towards a physical issue. On the other hand, if it’s obvious the athlete tends to panic, rush, or feel hopeless when they make errors then this is likely a mental issue.
Finally, assess the type of errors the athlete is making. If the athlete is only making one type of mistake, then it’s likely a physical issue. But if the athlete is making multiple mistakes, then this suggests a mental issue.
Rushing to judgement on calling an athlete a “choke artist” is one of the most common mistakes fans make. As a parent or coach, you can’t afford to rush to judgement. Instead, follow this process and make the right assessment then follow through with the appropriate training program to address it.