In some sports, summer is the peak of the season, while many athletes are in their off-season during the summer. Summer breaks, holidays, and recovery from a demanding season are underway. Quality rest and recovery are a necessary prerequisite for a successful season. However, what does that rest entail?
Athletes very often completely stop mental training during the off-season. They “put away” all techniques and exercises because there are no competitions, races, or games. When the season starts, they either have to start completely from scratch or don’t continue with psychological preparation at all. However, mental training is exactly what its name suggests – training. Its purpose is to improve athletic performance, and it is most effective when done regularly, timely, and systematically. For this reason, mental training is not interrupted during the off-season.
Rest
Of course, this does not mean that you should not / are not allowed to take any break. As with physical and technical-tactical training, breaks are necessary to rest both body and mind. Many athletes make the mistake of not taking any break. This is also not good, as complete rest and a break from sports are necessary to prevent burnout. However, when you start physical preparation, it would be good to also start psychological preparation.
Athletes often receive training from their coaches that they should complete independently during the off-season to return physically ready for demanding preparations. Similarly, some mental training exercises should be continued even when there are no organized training sessions.
For example, breathing exercises and visualization are excellent tools for becoming (and staying) mentally prepared.
Introduction to Mental Training
It should be noted that the off-season is an excellent time to start mental training.
This period gives us enough time and space to try out and practice various techniques that can help us on the field when competitions begin and pressure mounts. What we often don’t have time for when competitions begin, we have enough time to “catch up on” during the off-season.
Good preparation is key to success. Just as athletes prepare their bodies, they should also prepare their minds. Again, this does not mean that breaks are sometimes unwelcome, but rather that mental training is like any other training. It is most effective when breaks are well-planned and not too long. Training in the off-season is the foundation for a successful new season, and the same rules apply to mental training.