Sports psychology in plain language
Articles on preparation, motivation, managing anxiety, and athlete progress.
Discipline Is Not a Limitation of Your Freedom. It's Cutting Off All That's Unnecessary!
Discipline in hockey is not a restriction but a foundation that clears your mind of doubts and helps you grow stronger every day. Results come to those who keep working even when it's hard and no one is watching.
Alina Korableva · 04/11/2026Why Athletes Fear Mistakes: Self-Worth and Perfectionism
Why do some athletes calmly handle mistakes while others perceive them as catastrophes? We examine how self-worth and perfectionism influence the fear of error, and what helps regain stability.
Aleksandra Selezneva · 29/10/2026
The Psychology of the Young Point Guard
How to help a child master the role of the point guard while maintaining their interest in the game?
Viktoria Solodovnik · 21/10/2026Three Psychological Pillars of Champions
In addition to physical preparation, achieving high results requires psychological preparation. In this article, I discuss three pillars that help cope with stress and withstand significant loads.
Darya Rashevskaya · 20/10/2026Positive Thinking of Athletes: How to Gain Resilience and Achieve Better Results
Positive thinking is not denial of pain, but the ability to see a broader picture. This article explores how this skill helps athletes achieve resilience and show better results.
Aleksandra Selezneva · 16/10/2026Overcoming Competition Fear in Young Athletes: A Story of Pre-Start Paralysis and Tears
What to do if a young athlete is paralyzed by fear before stepping up to the judges? In this real case, I analyze how a comprehensive approach with a nine-year-old athlete and her mother helped overcome pre-start paralysis. How a change in perspective on mistakes returned freedom of movement and sports enthusiasm to the child.
Aleksandra Selezneva · 06/10/2026Sport Identity: The Art of Being Yourself Beyond One Role
Why do athletes suffer so much from defeats and what to do if sport has become the only meaning of life? We explore how the 'one-room trap' hinders a career and why it is essential to develop other aspects of one's personality. Personal experience of overcoming an identity crisis and simple steps towards inner resilience.
Aleksandra Selezneva · 25/09/2026
Motorcycle - The Best Psychologist?
I have encountered the opinion in motorcycle communities that those who ride motorcycles do not need psychologists, as the motorcycle itself is the best psychologist. So why do professional motorsport athletes, including those at the world level, turn to sports psychologists and acknowledge the effectiveness of this work? Why don't their motorcycles help them?
Maria Geynrikhs · 24/09/2026
Why Did Jorge Martin Get Injured? A Psychological Analysis of Possible Causes
No rider in the history of MotoGP has had a worse season than Jorge Martin in 2025. Let's try to reconstruct the psychological state of the rider and the psychological risk factors that led to such serious consequences.
Maria Geynrikhs · 24/09/2026
Recovery After Injury: How to Work with the Fear of Re-Injury
The body has healed. The fear remains. How to deal with the fear of re-injury.
Viktoria Solodovnik · 19/09/2026
Why Does an Athlete Need a Mental Coach and How Does Their Work Differ from That of a Sports Psychologist?
How can a mental coach help an athlete, and how does their work differ from that of a sports psychologist? We explore how mental coaching aids in understanding reactions, coping with pressure, and developing mental skills for training, competitions, and challenging phases of an athletic career.
Ekaterina Kudinova · 17/09/2026Fear of Starting as a Possible Symptom of Burnout
Why does an athlete's body say "no" and how to bring meaning back to training? Sometimes, what appears to be a simple reluctance to attend training or an unexpected fear of starting goes beyond mere fatigue; it may reflect hidden burnout that is hard to notice from the outside. This article addresses why even a successful child may begin to view sports as an obligation and how this affects their physical state. Using a real-life story, I will show how to help a teenager discover new meanings in
Aleksandra Selezneva · 17/09/2026Not an Instruction!
How to approach a sports psychologist and what to expect from them?
Anton Vetrov · 15/09/2026The Psychology of Victory: How to Gain Focus and Find Meaning in Pre-Start Anxiety
Pre-start anxiety is not an enemy to be suppressed, but a powerful resource. In this article, I discuss why attempts to 'calm down' drain your energy and how to achieve a fighting state by finding meaning in the very process of anxiety. Read on to learn how to stop battling with yourself and get in the mindset for victory.
Aleksandra Selezneva · 13/09/2026How to Find Motivation in Sports: A New Perspective on Crisis, Defeats, and the Search for Meaning
Why do even the most successful athletes face a loss of direction and how can they cope with this state? In this article, we explore how logotherapy helps find motivation beyond medals and transform a sports crisis into a point of growth.
Aleksandra Selezneva · 10/09/2026
Where to Find Strength When Hockey Becomes a Routine?
What to do when regular training no longer excites you and hockey turns into a chore? Intrinsic motivation is the main driver for athletes, but even it can falter.
Alina Korableva · 30/08/2026
Getting Used to Silence!
How to improve concentration in hockey? Discover why mental training in silence and avoiding your phone before a game enhance your ice sense and reaction speed more than any playlist. Learn to slow down to be the fastest on the ice!
Alina Korableva · 19/08/2026True motivation in athletes
What kinds of motivation are there, and what does motivation give an athlete? Why does it matter to find out an athlete's true motivation? What lies behind different kinds of motivation? Why be aware of your own motivation and understand it? I answer these and other questions in this article.
Marianna Urusova · 04/08/2026Psychological activation techniques: looking for the Om of sporting mastery
When you work with athletes on stress management, relaxation and breathing techniques are the ones used most, because they are what lets you bring arousal down and concentrate on what matters, setting aside the thoughts that cause worry and stress.
Anton Vetrov · 16/07/2026
How sport psychology improves your technique
How sport psychology can improve your technique:
Sports Talk · 15/07/2026
Motivation in sport: how to reach the top
In sport psychology, motivation plays a key role in achieving high results. Motivation is the internal engine that lets athletes get through difficulty and reach the goals they have set. However…
Sports Talk · 15/07/2026How to help a child get past the fear of losing: 5 techniques that work, from a sport psychologist
Fear of losing is one of the most insidious inner barriers a young athlete faces. It locks up the body, triggers mistakes in elements they know well, and often produces exactly the result the child is most afraid of.
Viktoria Solodovnik · 14/07/2026
How do you build mental resilience in sport?
Why mental resilience matters
Sports Talk · 01/07/2026
How to build mental resilience in sport
How do you build mental resilience in sport?
Sports Talk · 01/07/2026
Sport psychology in everyday life
Sport psychology is the branch of psychology that studies how psychological factors affect sporting performance and vice versa. But its application goes beyond sport: many of its techniques and approaches…
Sports Talk · 01/07/2026Why an athlete needs a journal: data instead of impressions
An athlete's journal turns subjective impressions into data that shows real progress and the points worth working on.
Maria Kritskaya · 17/06/2026Pre-start nerves: how to stop throwing competitions away
Where pre-competition anxiety comes from, and three techniques that work — ones you can use at your next competition.
Sports Talk · 17/06/2026
Sport psychology: the key to performing at your best
In sport, reaching the highest level is often decided not only by physical ability but by psychological preparation. "Sport psychology" is the science of how mental processes and behaviour…
Sports Talk · 15/06/2026
The secrets of sport psychology: how mental resilience leads to victory
In today's sporting world, where physical preparation is often at the very highest level, the factor that decides things is mental resilience. Many athletes and their coaches are beginning to understand…
Sports Talk · 08/06/2026
An interview with Dobrynya Suchkov
An interview with Dobrynya Suchkov as part of the "Athletes and their experience" project.
Sports Talk · 30/03/2026
A sport psychologist in volleyball: the psychology of the serve and working with mistakes
Volleyball is a game of errors. A match is often decided not by who is stronger but by who makes fewer mistakes at the key moments. Mental resilience here becomes as important a skill as passing or serving.
Sports Talk · 05/03/2026
A sport psychologist in basketball: team chemistry and stress in the closing minutes
Basketball is a fast, physical, emotional game where one moment can turn a match around in a minute. Here the mind matters not only at the individual level but at the team level. Five people on court have to feel each…
Sports Talk · 05/03/2026
A sport psychologist in swimming: dealing with monotony and pre-race anxiety
Swimming is a unique sport in terms of psychological load. Thousands of hours of repetitive work in the water, early mornings, isolation from the outside world, and seconds that decide everything. A swimmer's mind is under enormous…
Sports Talk · 05/03/2026
A sport psychologist in combat sports: controlling aggression and keeping a cool head in a fight
Combat sports are not just a physical contest. Above all they are a battle of character, will and mental resilience. A fight is often decided before the walk to the octagon — in the fighter's head.
Sports Talk · 05/03/2026
A sport psychologist in alpine skiing: fear of speed and decision-making on the course
A sport psychologist in alpine skiing
Sports Talk · 05/03/2026
A sport psychologist in tennis: how mental preparation takes your game to a new level
Tennis is one of the most psychologically demanding sports there is. There are no substitutions, no time-outs to catch your breath, and no way to share the responsibility with a partner. A tennis player walks onto the court alone, and their main opponent…
Sports Talk · 05/03/2026
The sport psychologist.
A sport psychologist's work is wide-ranging, but two main directions can be picked out:
Sports Talk editors · 24/02/2026
The «Two Paths Map» technique
This is an adaptation of motivational interviewing — an approach whose effectiveness with adolescents has been demonstrated in hundreds of studies.
Sports Talk · 17/02/2026
The language of love vs. the language of achievement
The language of love vs. the language of achievement: why praising results pushes a parent and child apart.
Sports Talk · 11/02/2026
An interview with Sofia Mersadykova
An interview with Sofia Mersadykova as part of the "Athletes and their experience" project.
Sports Talk · 19/01/2026
An interview with Maxim Suikov
An interview with Maxim Suikov as part of the "Athletes and their experience" project.
Sports Talk · 08/12/2025
9 skills of a successful athlete.
A short list of the nine mental skills. The pyramid of mastery. A detailed description of the nine skills. Recorded webinar "Key skills of an athlete" (on another page)
Sports Talk · 03/12/2025
The Wim Hof breathing method
Wim Hof, known as the Iceman, is a Dutch athlete holding 26 world records connected with extreme cold. He has climbed Everest and Kilimanjaro in nothing but shorts, run a desert marathon without water…
Sports Talk · 13/11/2025
A winner's routine in 4 steps.
Consistency of results comes not from magic but from a system.
Sports Talk · 06/11/2025
Athletes' pre-start states: how a coach can help a teenager handle the nerves
Athletes' pre-start states: how a coach can help a teenager handle the nerves
Sports Talk · 27/10/2025
Films about sport
A 2003 drama based on real events. The story unfolds in the small American town of Anderson, where high school football coach Harold Jones meets an unusual young man.
Sports Talk · 07/10/2025
An athlete's injury is a challenge for the coach too.
An athlete's injury is a challenge for the coach too.
Sports Talk · 07/10/2025
Anxiety. How do you work with it, and why is it dangerous?
Anxiety is one of the main enemies of an athlete's successful recovery after injury. Research shows that a high level of anxiety can seriously hinder rehabilitation.
Sports Talk · 07/10/2025Do you know what all great athletes have in common?
❓Do you know what all great athletes have in common? Powerful psychological preparation.
Sports Talk · 07/10/2025
Traps on the road back from injury.
3 mental traps on the road back from injury:
Sports Talk · 07/10/2025
The best recommendation for anyone who doesn't know what to watch
Understanding emotions: your child will see that being angry about a defeat or afraid of responsibility is normal. All emotions (even Sadness and Anger) matter and are needed. That lowers the internal pressure and the guilt. Accepting yourself: the main…
Sports Talk · 30/09/2025
Synergy. How does everyone act as one team?
Synergy. How does everyone act as one team?
Sports Talk · 30/09/2025
The mother's role: the Emotional Anchor and the Stress Buffer
The mother's role: the Emotional Anchor and the Stress Buffer
Sports Talk · 30/09/2025
The father's role: the Architect of Reality and the Number One Fan
The father's role: the Architect of Reality and the Number One Fan
Sports Talk · 30/09/2025
The three pillars of a child's success in sport
What is the single most important factor in a young athlete's success? Talent? A good school? Money?
Sports Talk · 30/09/2025
How do you support yourself right after a loss?
Confidence doesn't fall out of the sky after a big win. It is built brick by brick. During a bad spell that foundation matters most of all.
Sports Talk · 23/09/2025
A run of setbacks for athletes. How do you cope?
A run of setbacks. Every athlete faces it, whether we like it or not. The results drop, the mistakes pile up, and it feels like you are not in control.
Sports Talk · 23/09/2025
Who supports an athlete best during a run of setbacks?
Thank one person from your support team. Just say thank you for being there.
Sports Talk · 23/09/2025
How do you build the parent-coach relationship?
How do you build the parent-coach relationship?
Sports Talk · 08/09/2025
How do you bind a team together and build a healthy relationship between athletes? The psychotechnical game "Suspended animation".
Play, as part of a child's healthy development, helps them loosen up and gradually deal with difficulties that seem insurmountable to them at the time (playing at competing, for example). Using…
Sports Talk · 10/07/2025
How do you believe in yourself by convincing others? The psychotechnical game "Super-attention".
Play, as part of a child's healthy development, helps them loosen up and gradually deal with difficulties that seem insurmountable to them at the time (playing at competing, for example). Using…
Sports Talk · 08/05/2025
How to avoid burnout in athletes: causes, symptoms and prevention.
Modern sport demands enormous physical and psychological effort from athletes. Constant training, competitions, pressure from coaches, the expectations of fans and personal ambition — all of it creates the conditions…
Sports Talk · 06/05/2025
How can athletes handle pre-start nerves?
How to handle pre-start nerves: techniques and advice.
Sports Talk · 24/04/2025
How do you put yourself in another person's place and mentally play the situation out for them? The psychotechnical game "Reflexion".
Play, as part of a child's healthy development, helps them loosen up and gradually deal with difficulties that seem insurmountable to them at the time (playing at competing, for example). Using…
Sports Talk · 24/04/2025
The role of parents and sport psychologists in forming an athlete as a whole person.
The parents' role in building healthy habits around sport
Sports Talk · 21/04/2025
How does an athlete relax properly before an important performance? The psychotechnical game "The magic wand"
Play, as part of a child's healthy development, helps them loosen up and gradually deal with difficulties that seem insurmountable to them at the time (playing at competing, for example). Using…
Sports Talk · 09/04/2025
Applications are open for sports organisations to register
Pre-registration opens for sports organisations on the Sports Talk platform
Maria Kritskaya · 28/03/2025
How does an athlete develop concentration? The psychotechnical game "The idler and the worker".
Play, as part of a child's healthy development, helps them loosen up and gradually deal with difficulties that seem insurmountable to them at the time (playing at competing, for example). Using…
Sports Talk · 27/03/2025
How do you develop an athlete's attention? The psychotechnical game "The fly"
Play, as part of a child's healthy development, helps them loosen up and gradually deal with difficulties that seem insurmountable to them at the time (playing at competing, for example). Using…
Khvatskaya Elena Evgenevna I Latysheva Natalia Evgenevna. · 14/03/2025The agent's role in a tennis player's life and career | Maya Kurilova | An open conversation
The agent's role in a tennis player's life and career | Maya Kurilova | An open conversation
Sports Talk · 11/02/2025
The master's programme "Psychology of sport, physical culture and a healthy lifestyle"
The master's programme "Psychology of sport, physical culture and a healthy lifestyle"
Sports Talk · 27/01/2025
How does a sport psychologist choose the methods and techniques to use with athletes?
Sport is not only a passion but a risk.
Sports Talk · 19/12/2024
Insurance for athletes: protecting your health and your finances
Insurance for athletes: protecting your health and your finances
Maria Kritskaya · 18/11/2024