This research examined whether coaching from a mental coach, who specializes in working with athletes, will improve athletes’ motivation to perform well. 9 members of a Double Dutch team in a university were examined in regards to their mental performance improvement after 4 coaching sessions, over a period of 6 weeks. The diagnostic inventory of psychological-competitive ability for athletes (DIPCA.3), which consists of 5 factors and 12 scales, to evaluate the mental coaching in regards to the athletes’ psychological-competitive ability.
The scales of“ belligerence”,“ self-realization”,“ will for victory”,“ self-confidence”, and“ cooperativeness” were increased significantly during observed period. But, scales of“ self-control”,“ relaxation” and “concentration ability” were almost unchanged during the period. There was a significant relationship between the scales of “self-realization” and “self-confidence”. Members who had high motivation for improving their ability in the start of this intervention had higher wills to obtain victory than those who didn’t score as high. Members, who set their sights high for playing ability, responded low in the scale of“ cooperativeness”.
The post-intervention test showed that 4 factors and 8 scales were increased during the observed period. Therefore, mental coaching was useful for improving the athletes’ psychological-competitive ability. In regards to the three scales which did not show a change, there were positive comments noted when subjects wrote their personal reflections.
Therefore, continuous intervention by mental coaches would be effective on these scales also. It is surmised that the motivation of the subjects and their manner of goal setting when the mental health coaching was introduced, influenced the results.
