Mental Preparation

This lesson covers the mental preparation techniques required by the OCR GCSE PE specification (J587, Section 2.2). Mental preparation refers to the psychological strategies performers use before and during competition to optimise their performance. OCR requires you to know four techniques: imagery, mental rehearsal, selective attention, and positive thinking. You must be able to define each one, explain how it helps performance, and apply it to sporting examples.

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Why Is Mental Preparation Important?

Physical preparation alone is not enough for optimal performance. A performer who is physically fit but mentally unprepared may:

• Lose concentration at a critical moment.
• Feel overwhelmed by pressure.
• Focus on distractions rather than the task.
• Lack confidence in their ability.

Mental preparation addresses these issues by training the mind as well as the body.

Physical Preparation	Mental Preparation
Develops fitness, strength, skill	Develops focus, confidence, control
Ensures the body is ready to perform	Ensures the mind is ready to perform
Achieved through physical training	Achieved through psychological techniques

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1. Imagery

Definition: Creating a vivid mental picture of a successful performance using all the senses (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste).

How Imagery Works

• The performer closes their eyes and visualises themselves performing a skill or competing in an event.
• They imagine every detail: the environment, the sounds, the feel of the equipment, the movements of their body, and the outcome.
• The brain responds to vivid imagery in a similar way to actual physical practice — neural pathways associated with the skill are activated.

How Imagery Helps Performance

Benefit	Explanation
Builds confidence	Visualising success creates a positive mental state and reinforces the belief that the performer can achieve their goal
Reduces anxiety	Imagining a calm, controlled performance helps to manage pre-competition nerves
Improves focus	Imagery directs attention to the task rather than distractions
Reinforces technique	Mentally practising the correct technique strengthens the neural pathways associated with the movement
Prepares for scenarios	The performer can mentally rehearse how they will respond to different situations (e.g. being behind in a match)

Sporting Examples

Sport	How Imagery Is Used
Gymnastics	A gymnast visualises their entire floor routine — every tumble, leap, and landing — before stepping onto the mat
Penalty kick (football)	The kicker imagines the run-up, the contact with the ball, the flight of the ball, and the ball hitting the back of the net
Diving	A diver visualises each phase of the dive — the approach, take-off, rotation, entry — including the sound of a clean entry into the water
Athletics (high jump)	The jumper imagines the run-up, the take-off, clearing the bar, and landing safely on the mat

Exam Tip: When describing imagery, always mention the senses involved. A strong answer will state that the performer uses visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic (feel/touch) senses to create a detailed mental picture. This is what distinguishes imagery from simple "thinking about" the performance.

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2. Mental Rehearsal

Definition: Going through the physical movements of a skill in the mind without physically performing them.

How Mental Rehearsal Differs from Imagery

While imagery involves creating a vivid sensory picture, mental rehearsal is specifically about mentally practising the movements. In practice, the two techniques are closely related and often overlap. However:

Imagery	Mental Rehearsal
Creates a vivid, multi-sensory picture	Focuses on mentally practising the physical movements
May include the environment, emotions, and outcome	Primarily concerned with the movement pattern and technique
Used for motivation and confidence	Used for technical preparation and muscle memory reinforcement

How Mental Rehearsal Helps Performance

Benefit	Explanation
Strengthens neural pathways	Mentally rehearsing a movement activates the same motor areas of the brain as physical practice, reinforcing the movement pattern
Improves consistency	Repeatedly rehearsing the correct technique mentally helps the performer reproduce it physically
Useful when injured	A performer who cannot physically practise (due to injury) can still mentally rehearse skills to maintain neural pathways
Reduces errors	By rehearsing the correct movement, the performer is less likely to make technical mistakes under pressure

Sporting Examples

Sport	How Mental Rehearsal Is Used
Tennis	A player mentally rehearses the serve action — the ball toss, the backswing, the contact point, and the follow-through — before stepping up to serve
Cricket	A batsman mentally rehearses their footwork and shot selection while waiting to face the next delivery
Golf	A golfer mentally rehearses the swing before addressing the ball
Sprinting	A sprinter mentally rehearses the drive phase, acceleration, and top-speed mechanics before the race

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3. Selective Attention

Definition: The ability to focus on the relevant information (cues) in the environment while ignoring distractions.

Why Selective Attention Matters

In any sporting situation, the performer is bombarded with information — the crowd, the opposition, team-mates, the ball, the playing surface, the scoreboard, their own thoughts. Selective attention allows the performer to filter out the irrelevant information and focus only on what matters for the current task.

graph TD
    I["All Available<br>Information"] --> F["Selective<br>Attention<br>Filter"]
    F --> R["Relevant Cues<br>(processed)"]
    F --> D["Distractions<br>(ignored)"]

    style I fill:#8e44ad,color:#fff
    style F fill:#2980b9,color:#fff
    style R fill:#27ae60,color:#fff
    style D fill:#e74c3c,color:#fff

How Selective Attention Helps Performance