Mental skills training (MST) is the method used by sport psychologists when working with athletes teaching them psychological techniques, such as imagery, self talk, and relaxation, to help boost their psychological skills such as self confidence, control anxiety levels and eliminate negative thoughts.
With sports science at the highest level, the next step for an athlete to gain an advantage is through having a clear and focused mind. If an athlete can be at their optimal arousal level during a performance and their opponent is not there, they will function and perform to a higher standard.
There are many different occasions for an athlete to approach a Mental Skills Coach or a Sports Psychologist, and for this reason, no MST programme will be the same. Some may be very similar but because of the athlete centred approach, every programme will have their differences in some form or another. Furthermore, an MST programme is not only developed for performance purposes, athletes can require an MST programme for help in their lives outside of sport. For example, when an athlete makes a career transition or termination they might find this change difficult and therefore a MST programme can be used to help them adjust to their new lifestyle.