Veidlapa Nr. M-3 (8)
Study Course Description

Pre-Start Conditions in Sport, their Individualisation and Optimisation

Main Study Course Information

Course Code
LSPA_544
Branch of Science
Health sciences
ECTS
3.00
Target Audience
Pedagogy; Psychology; Sports Trainer
LQF
Level 6
Study Type And Form
Full-Time

Study Course Implementer

Course Supervisor
Structure Unit Manager
Structural Unit
Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE)
Contacts

LSPA, Brīvības gatve 333, Riga, LV-1006

About Study Course

Objective

To encourage students to acquire knowledge and practice on sports psychology, identification of athletes’ emotions, and psychological preparation of athletes for start-ups, as well as to promote the development of awareness and competences about athletes’ pre-start sobriety manifestations, the nature of events and the possibilities for optimising them with the individualisation of the application of psychological skills.

Preliminary Knowledge

General and developmental psychology knowledge, basic knowledge of sports theory, understanding teaching and learning, and qualification of a student in a sport.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge

1.Students define and understand the psychological preparation of athletes for a start, the emotions of athletes and the expressions of pre-start sobriety, as well as formulate psychological skills and specific characteristics of the athlete and sport.

Individual work and tests

The psychological preparation of the athletes for the start, the emotions of the athletes and their manifestations before the particular start.

Skills

1.Students are able to describe and analyse the emotions of athletes, the psychological preparation of athletes for start-ups, are able to analyse the manifestations of pre-start conditions of athletes in different factors, as well as be able to select psychological skills for optimizing pre-start conditions.

Individual work and tests

Analysis of the expression of pre-start conditions of athletes in different factors and selection of desired psychological skills for the optimisation of pre-start conditions.

Competences

1.Students are able to model an individually drawn up psychological preparation plan for athletes to start, as well as are competent to develop a programme for the improvement of the psychological skills of athletes of the particular sport for the optimisation of pre-start sobriety.

Individual work and tests

Development of the personalised psychological preparation plan model for one sports athlete to optimise the most specific pre-start conditions.

Assessment

Individual work

Title
% from total grade
Grade
1.

The psychological preparation of the athletes for the start, the emotions of the athletes and their manifestations before the particular start.

20.00% from total grade
10 points

A video analysis of the three athletes prior to the start is performed and a description of the psychological preparation of the s-Portists for the start and the expressions of the athletes’ emotions prior to the start is performed.

2.

Analysis of the expression of pre-start conditions of athletes in different factors and selection of desired psychological skills for the optimisation of pre-start conditions.

30.00% from total grade
10 points

Perform an analysis of the pre-start conditions of three athletes of different ages in different factors and the desired selection of psychological skills to optimise pre-start conditions.

3.

Development of the personalised psychological preparation plan model for one sports athlete to optimise the most specific pre-start conditions.

50.00% from total grade
10 points

Prepare and present the development of the personalised psychological preparation plan model for one sports athlete to optimise the most specific pre-start conditions.

Study Course Theme Plan

FULL-TIME
Part 4
  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Introduction. The nature of psychological athlete preparation.
Description

The content of the course and an introductory lecture on the nature of psychological athlete preparation are provided.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
Off site
Online
2

Topics

Psychological preparation of athletes for different types of starts, attitude of athletes to the training and competition process.
Description

A theoretical description is provided with examples of sports activities regarding the psychological preparation of athletes for different level of starts, the attitude of athletes to the training and competition process.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Personality traits of the athlete and their role in the individualisation of the athlete’s training and competition activities.
Description

A theoretical description is provided with examples of sports activities regarding the role of the personality traits of the athlete in the individualisation of the athlete’s training and competition activities.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
Off site
Online
2

Topics

Personality traits of the athlete and their role in the individualisation of the athlete’s training and competition activities.
Description

A theoretical description is provided with examples of sports activities regarding the role of the personality traits of the athlete in the individualisation of the athlete’s training and competition activities.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

The emotions of the athletes, their characterisation and manifestations.
Description

The nature, functions and theories of emotions, the emotions of athletes, their characterisation and manifestations.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
Off site
Online
2

Topics

The emotions of the athletes, their characterisation and manifestations.
Description

The nature, functions and theories of emotions, the emotions of athletes, their characterisation and manifestations.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Expressions of pre-start conditions, criteria for evaluating them in the context of environmental characterisation of different sports. Optimal emotional Zone theory (EZOF).
Description

Theoretical information and practical evaluation of the manifestations of pre-start conditions, their evaluation criteria in the context of environmental characterisation of different sports. Optimal emotional Zone theory (EZOF).

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
Off site
Online
2

Topics

The most important psychological skills and their impact on the performance of competitions in different sports in the context of the characteristics of athletes of different ages.
Description

Theoretical characteristics are provided with examples of sports activities on different psychological skills and their impact on the performance of competitions in different sports in the context of the characteristics of athletes of different ages.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Breathing and its application as a psychological skill for optimizing pre-start conditions in athletes.
Description

Theoretical characteristics are provided with examples of sports activities regarding breathing and the application of its types to optimize pre-start conditions in athletes.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Positive speech and the application of its forms as psychological skills for optimizing pre-start conditions in athletes.
Description

Theoretical characteristics are provided with examples of sports activities regarding the use of positive speech and its types as psychological skills for optimising pre-start conditions in athletes

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Visualisation, sensory accentuation and other skills and activities as psychological skills for optimizing pre-start conditions in athletes.
Description

Theoretical knowledge and practical examples of visualization, sensory accentuation and other skills and actions for optimizing pre-start conditions for athletes.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Visualisation, sensory accentuation and other skills and activities as psychological skills for optimizing pre-start conditions in athletes.
Description

Theoretical knowledge and practical examples of visualization, sensory accentuation and other skills and actions for optimizing pre-start conditions for athletes.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Application of routine activities and types thereof as psychological skills for optimizing pre-start conditions in athletes.
Description

A theoretical description is provided with examples of sporting activity about the most routine activities and their types.

  1. Lecture

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Routine actions before the race, on the day of the race and before kick-off. Application of these types to athletes of different types of sport.
Description

A theoretical description is provided with examples of sporting activities of routine or ritual activities prior to the competition, on the day of the competition and prior to the start. Application of these types to athletes of different types of sport.

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Developing a model of an athlete’s individualized psychological preparation plan for optimizing the most characteristic pre-start states.
Description

Characterisation of personality traits, emotional states and characteristics of the course of the training process in the development of the personalised psychological preparation plan model of a particular sports athlete for the optimisation of the pre-start condition.

  1. Class/Seminar

Modality
Location
Contact hours
On site
Study room
2

Topics

Developing a model of an athlete’s individualized psychological preparation plan for optimizing the most characteristic pre-start states.
Description

Characterisation of personality traits, emotional states and characteristics of the course of the training process in the development of the personalised psychological preparation plan model of a particular sports athlete for the optimisation of the pre-start condition.

Total ECTS (Creditpoints):
3.00
Contact hours:
32 Academic Hours
Final Examination:
Exam

Bibliography

Required Reading

1.

Ābele A. Sporta psiholoģija. Teorija un prakse. R: RaKa, 2018.

2.

Weinberg, R. S. & Gould, D. Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 2023.

3.

The individual zones of optimal functioning (IZOF) model (1978–2014): Historical overview of its development and use Montse C. Ruiz,John S. Raglin &Yuri L. Hanin Pages 41-63 | 15 May 2015

4.

Deleon D.J. High Performance Sport Skill Instruction, Training and Coaching: 9 Principles for Athletes to Flow and Get in the Zone. DDJ publishing, 2022.

Additional Reading

1.

Lochbaum, M., Stoner, E., Hefner, T., Cooper, S., Lane, A. M., & Terry, P. C. 2022. Sport psychology and performance meta-analyses: A systematic review of the literature. PloS one, 17(2), e0263408

2.

Burton D., Raedeke T.D. Sport Psychology for Coaches, Human kinetics,  2008.

3.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Harper Perennial Modern Classics) Tapa blanda – 2008