snowboarding and sports psychology- the inner game

Mental preparation and rehearsal has become a major part of all sport in recent years. It's not to be dismissed as some dark art or mystical fad. If anything, for snowboarding and other extreme sports some mental rehearsal is even more important than for activities you might associate this with.
For a beginner to snowboarding a key tip is to prepare yourself mentally for the strange environment you will find yourself in. Many beginners have fear of falling over and either injuring themselves or just looking stupid! By spending some quiet time in mental preparation you will genuinely have a greater confidence which will lead you to balance, move and generally perform better.
At the recent Olympics you will have seen many athletes going through some rituals of preparation before their race or event - be that on the track, in the pool or on horseback. Modern advances in fitness training, nutrition and general wellbeing have levelled the playing field and for serious competitors much of the training now takes place in the mind long before the event.
Former world motor racing champion Damon Hill was a great believer in these techniques and would famously complete his race in his head before even starting the engine of his car! He invested time leading up to an event to mentally rehearse and imagine steering every twist and turn of a track. As a snowboarder you can apply the same technique. As a beginner use mental rehearsal to imagine yourself confidently gliding down the slopes and imagine how good this feels. For more advanced snowboarders this tip can help you to progress to success in complex tricks and moves.
You will literally program your mind to achieve greater balance, speed and style and in the process find increased enjoyment when you get out on the snow for real.
Jon is an experienced snowboarder and helps beginners and advanced boarders alike to achieve greater performance http://www.squidoo.com/snowboarding-tips
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