The Case for Psychological Skills Training for High School Athletes

This paper showcases the viability of psychological skills training (PST) for high school athletes by highlighting the extant literature about the program. PST is defined as an intervention that aims to facilitate improvement in athletic performance. The effectiveness of PST is well-established among elite-level athletes, specifically those in the professional, collegiate, and Olympic ranks. By reviewing previous studies on PST in high school settings and among youth athletes, emotion regulation, imagery training, self-talk, and pre-performance routines are identified as among the psychological skills that optimize improvement in athletic performance. PST has also been established to be effective in enabling life skills and personal development. A consulting model and a training model were discussed to serve as frameworks in the design and implementation of PST programs for high school athletes.