Coaches’ knowledge of mental training with talented young athletes

While an array of applied sport psychology literature provides insight in how to work with elite athletes and players little information is available on the needs of, and approaches for mental training with talented young athletes and players. Using a combination of a qualitative and quantitative research methodology, 36 tennis and 22 swimming coaches working daily with young athletes in the elite sports schools of the Flemish tennis federation (VTV) and of the Flemish swimming federation (VZF), or had been working with athletes in these sports prior to their joining the topsportschools, were questioned on (a) their knowledge on mental coaching, (b) the mental functioning of their players in function of age and level of performance, (c) the learning and training of mental techniques with young players, and (d) the role and influence of significant others on the mental functioning of young players. Coaches had a good basic knowledge of sport psychological techniques and mental coaching. Furthermore, coaches advocated the need to specify mental training and mental coaching not only in function of specific mental skills and/or attributes (e.g., being motivated and showing effort, being able to concentrate and focus, being able to manage stress) but also in function of specific age-groups. Finally, coaches also indicated that mental training of young players should not only be conducted on a day-to-day basis but also be integrated, as fully as possible, in young players' daily on-court training provided by the coaches themselves rather than via a sport psychologist or mental consultant.