ACE Mental Training

Aimee C. Kimball, PhD

A: Attitude and Attention
C: Confidence
E: Energy Management

ATTITUDE AND ATTENTION

Choose the mindset you want during a match
Know the type of player you want to be and the attitude you want to have
Focus on the current point and on where you want to hit the ball
Focus on what you control
Know what challenges you and pre-plan your mental and physical response to these critical situations

CONFIDENCE

Confidence is a choice
Preparation and trust are the keys to confidence
Confidence is about knowing you can play your best in the given situation
Appropriate focus will enhance confidence
Acting confidently leads to confident feelings and thoughts

ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Create the energy level that helps you to play your best

To Relax:

Take a few deep breaths
Release any physical tension
Clear your mind with a trigger word, action, or focus cue
Keep it simple, you are just connecting the paddle with the ball

To Get Pumped:

Listen to music pre-match
Give yourself mental pep talks, use trigger words and focus phrases
Make sure you have positive body language (head up, shoulders back)
Use imagery to picture the match you want or previous successful matches

Don't just play the game, seize it, control it, make it yours.

Dr. Aimee C. Kimball is the Director of Mental Training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Center for Sports Medicine. She received a PhD from the University of Tennessee where she specialized in sport psychology. She is an Association of Applied Sport Psychology Certified Consultant, and is a member of the American Psychological Association, the United States Olympic Committee's Sport Psychology Registry, the USA Swimming Sports Medicine Network, and the NCAA Speakers Bureau. As a Mental Training Consultant, Dr. Kimball has worked with professional, collegiate, high school, in analyzing potential draft picks and the Pittsburgh Penguins in developing their players. She has been a featured speaker at conferences across the nation and has appeared in Men's Health Magazine, Runner's World, Athletic Management Magazine, various local and national newspapers, and has appeared on ESPN, NPR, and news broadcasts across the country. Recently, Dr. Kimball was named as one of Pittsburgh Magazine's Top 40 People Under 40 for her dedication to improving the Pittsburgh region. Currently, Dr. Kimball works with athletes, coaches, corporate leaders, and other performers to assist them in achieving success in sport and life. (412-432-3777; kimballac@upmc.edu)

Set specific, realistic, process-oriented goals for practice and competition
Focus on skill improvement (not outcome) and self improvement (not comparisons to others)
Remember why you enjoy competing
Know that the situation does not change the task
Align expectations with reality
Control the controllable
Stay in the present and on task; don't worry about consequences, distractions, or past mistakes
Have a routine include a deep breath and a trigger word
Know everything about your best performance (thoughts, feelings, physical state) and what got you there (warm-up routine, music, imagery)
Develop a mental game plan