Alberto Cei

In many individual sports, training still tends to focus almost exclusively on technical perfection, as if mastering athletic movements were the only requirement for success. This approach stems from the belief that precision and flawless execution are at the core of athletic performance. However, this perspective risks overlooking a crucial element: the development of awareness in young athletes.

Coaches often prioritize the mechanical repetition of movements, aiming to produce excellent performers. The goal is to create athletes who can execute technical gestures without mistakes, like machines programmed to respond to specific stimuli. While this method can be effective in the short term, it often leaves little room for the athlete’s mental and personal growth. As a result, young athletes become skilled at doing what they are told but fail to understand the reasoning behind their actions, the purpose of a technical or tactical choice, or how to handle complex situations independently.

This lack of awareness can become a limitation. When faced with more complex competitive contexts that require adaptability, intuition, and quick decision-making, these athletes may struggle. A “thinking” athlete, on the other hand, is not just a good performer but someone who understands the meaning of their training, can read situations, and brings a personal strategic vision to the field.

To overcome this issue, a shift in approach is needed. Coaches should encourage young athletes to ask questions, experiment, make mistakes, and reflect on those mistakes. This doesn’t mean abandoning the focus on technique but integrating it with mental and cognitive development, empowering athletes to take ownership of their journey. Only then can we nurture not just technically skilled athletes but individuals capable of thinking and acting with autonomy and awareness.

The years go by, and coaches’ questions remain the same. They largely concern anxiety management, how to improve their athletes’ concentration during competitions, and how to keep motivation for training high. For those coaching teams or individual athletes, these are the three main questions.

My role in the sessions I conduct with coaches is twofold. On one hand, I provide theoretical information on these three topics, and on the other, I suggest interventions to be implemented in training to teach young athletes techniques for handling situations of excessive anxiety and reductions in concentration and motivation.

Generally, the time that federal training courses dedicate to these issues is limited, and the approach is mostly theoretical, as the lessons are held in a classroom (either in person or remotely). Thus, one could say that the sessions are often primarily informational rather than truly formative. The consequence of this is that, despite the high level of interest from coaches, the impact on their daily practice is likely less evident than it should be.

I understand that for both the federations and the coaches, improving this training would require greater resources—not only financial but also in terms of time and willingness to undertake a training pathway. However, this approach would enhance the professional skills needed to work with athletes, providing a clear advantage for the sports community.

Without going into the details of how a better training system could be organized, it seems that, almost 40 years later—as I’ve been teaching at the School of Sport since 1986—being asked the same questions as when I first started teaching sports psychology in coaching courses indicates that the training system has gaps that need to be addressed. On a positive note, these questions show that coaches have a strong interest in and desire to improve their psychological skills in guiding athletes.

I would like to conclude with an example. It could reasonably be argued that these questions remain relevant because coaches participating in the courses are still in training, and these are precisely the moments when they learn these skills, which they will later apply. To illustrate this, I’d like to give an example concerning breathing, which, among other functions, also helps improve self-control. Yet, no breathing exercise is typically included in the usual warm-up and training routines. This means that this skill is, in many cases, not part of athletes’ experience, even though it is covered in training courses. Coaches are probably so focused on teaching and refining the technical and tactical aspects of their athletes’ performance that they don’t feel they need to dedicate time to this area.