Archive for the 'Olimpiadi' Category

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Tennis: lots of training, little confidence – how is that possible?

How is it possible that a young tennis player aged 16–18, who trains 50 hours of tennis per month, 25 hours of physical preparation, and 5 hours of mental training – totaling around 800 hours over 10 months – is not fully aware of this investment and fails to turn it into performance on the court?

  • Insecurity?

  • Poor understanding of the value of training?

  • Coaches not doing enough to raise awareness and reflect with them?

  • Too much pressure on winning distracts from deeper thinking?

  • Too much focus on fixing flaws and too little on recognizing strengths?

 

Emotional Immaturity and Lack of Confidence

At this age, athletic identity is still under construction. Constant comparison with peers or external expectations (family, coach, rankings) can undermine self-confidence.

  • Despite the workload, self-efficacy (the inner sense of “I can do this”) may not solidify.

  • Losses feel heavier than hours invested, because the athletic ego is fragile.

Distorted Focus: Winning vs. Improving

Often, the implicit message is: “Winning is what matters.” This leads to:

  • Disconnection from the process: the athlete doesn’t think “I’ve trained 800 hours,” but rather “I lost in the first round.”

  • Progress becomes invisible, because feedback is based solely on results.

Coaches: Not Enough Focus on Awareness

Many coaches focus heavily on what to do, but rarely on what it means:

  • Little or no shared reflection on the athlete’s identity, progress, or accumulated experience.

  • Errors are corrected, but acquired competencies aren’t celebrated enough.

Low Mental Literacy

Five hours of mental training per month is often not enough to:

  • Build true awareness of one’s journey.

  • Learn tools for self-reflection, self-assessment, and emotional regulation.

  • Deepen key mindsets like work ethic, resilience, and long-term vision.

 

 

 

Over-Correction: The Athlete Doesn’t “See” What They Can Do

When the spotlight is always on what to fix:

  • The athlete doesn’t internalize what they already do well.

  • They feel never “ready enough” to express themselves, stuck in a constant “work in progress” mindset that chokes confidence during competition.

Final Note: Awareness Must Be Trained — It Doesn’t Happen by Itself

To turn 800 hours into solid performance, we need:

  • multidisciplinary educational approach (coach, mental trainer, parents).

  • A clear internal narrative: “Who am I? How far have I come? What am I building?”

  • Less obsession with short-term results.

  • More value placed on experience, effort, and developed skills.

The social pressures that lead girls to quit sports

A recent global study conducted by Unilever, in collaboration with the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR) and the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women, has highlighted a concerning trend regarding teenage girls dropping out of sports. In Italy, the issue was further explored by AstraRicerche, revealing some striking findings.

Key findings from the research

  • Dropout rates among teenage girls in sports:
    • 50% of girls aged 13 to 17 quit playing sports.
    • Of those, 2 out of 3 do so because of insecurities about their appearance and lack of body confidence.
  • Parental reaction to quitting sports:
    • When a daughter stops playing sports, 73% of parents accept the decision.
    • When it’s a son, the acceptance rate drops to 51%: parents are more likely to encourage boys to reconsider, revealing a clear gender bias in attitudes.
  • Aesthetic pressure and discomfort:
    • 47% of Italian girls report feeling uncomfortable due to societal pressures to look fit and attractive.
  • Sources of criticism:
    • 45% of girls say they have been criticized about their appearance.
    • Most of these criticisms come from peers:
      • 22% of the time, criticism comes from other girls.
      • 15% comes from boys.
    • This highlights a contradiction with the ideal of female solidarity, which is often promoted but not always reflected in practice.

These statistics show how body image pressures and unequal treatment between boys and girls significantly influence teenage girls’ participation in sports, contributing to a social and psychological issue that deserves more attention.

Mental aspects to run a marathon

Running a Marathon: A Physical and Mental Challenge

1. The Marathon: More Than Just a Race

  • It demands immense physical and mental endurance.

  • Runners face not only physical fatigue but also mental challenges—nagging thoughts about pain, exhaustion, and doubts about finishing.

  • That’s why mental preparation is as crucial as physical training.

Psychological Strategies for Marathon Success

2. Mental Training: The Invisible Workout

  • Sports psychologists offer tools to help athletes manage their minds during training and races.

  • Goal: make the experience more fulfilling, enhance performance, and push personal limits.

3. Set Realistic and Motivating Goals

  • Write clear, measurable, and progressive goals (e.g., weekly mileage, pace targets).

  • Use motivational slogans around the house to reinforce daily commitment.

  • Avoid setting too many or overly ambitious goals to prevent burnout or injury.

  • Celebrate goal achievement to boost confidence and motivation.

Training the Mind During Preparation

4. Build Mental Routines

  • Incorporate race simulations during training.

  • Develop a mental strategy for handling the full 42 km.

  • Practice dealing with pain and fatigue mentally, not just physically.

5. Cognitive Strategies: Association and Dissociation

  • Associative strategy: focus on bodily sensations and technique (preferred by experienced runners).

  • Dissociative strategy: distract the mind from discomfort with unrelated thoughts (common among amateur runners).

  • The best approach is flexible: use association at the beginning and end, dissociation in the middle.

6. Visualization: Running With the Mind

  • Mentally rehearse the race, obstacles, and a strong finish.

  • Visualize yourself overcoming specific difficulties (hills, heat, fatigue) and crossing the finish line.

7. Positive Self-Talk: Words That Push You Forward

  • Repeat motivational phrases or keywords during runs and training.

  • Choose personal and effective phrases (“you got this”, “smooth”, “strong”, “almost there”).

  • Practice regularly so they become automatic and powerful during tough moments.

On Race Day: Managing Energy and Emotions

8. Prepare Everything in Advance

  • Organize gear, logistics, and clothing the night before.

  • Arrive early and aim to enjoy the day.

  • Familiarize yourself with the event and mentally map the course—even if you’ve never seen it.

9. Start Smart and Pace Yourself

  • Avoid getting “trapped” at the start by positioning strategically.

  • Stay calm and resist early-race adrenaline urges to go too fast.

  • Stick to your planned pace and conserve energy for the final kilometers.

During the Race: Overcoming and Pushing Forward

10. Managing Crises

  • Hitting “the wall” is as much mental as it is physical. Recognize it without fear.

  • Accept fatigue as part of the process—it’s not a sign of failure.

  • Use practiced self-talk to counter panic and stay focused.

11. Focus on Technique

  • Tune into your breathing, stride, and foot placement.

  • After a crisis, a bit of mental distraction can help refresh your focus.

12. Break Down the Distance

  • Set mini-goals throughout the race (e.g., next 5 km, next 30 minutes).

  • This helps the full distance feel more manageable and keeps motivation high.

Conclusion

Running a marathon is not just a physical test—it’s a mental journey. Training your mind with the right psychological techniques allows you to face every phase of the marathon, from preparation to the finish line, with greater awareness, confidence, and satisfaction. Each marathon becomes a powerful personal experience, not just a sporting one.

Sport as preventive medicine and therapy

July 31, 2024 – in Italy the Senate Health Commission – Bill: “Provisions for the introduction of physical exercise as a tool for prevention and therapy within the National Health Service.”

In recent years, sport has gone beyond its traditional role as a simple recreational or competitive activity, taking on an increasingly central role in the promotion of health. Today, it is fully recognized as a form of preventive and curative medicine. Regular physical activity, when practiced with moderation and consistency, significantly contributes to an individual’s physical and mental well-being.

One of the main benefits of sport is its ability to counteract a sedentary lifestyle, which is one of the most widespread causes of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, obesity, and even certain types of cancer. Physical movement also improves blood circulation, strengthens the immune system, and reduces stress, while also boosting mood through the release of endorphins.

Many studies show that regular physical activity at moderate intensity can also reduce the incidence of headaches and migraines, improve sleep quality, and lower muscle tension—often a root cause of these ailments.

Sport, therefore, becomes a true “natural pill,” without side effects, accessible to everyone, and supportive of the balance between body and mind. It is an active form of prevention that can enhance quality of life, increase life expectancy, and make people stronger—not only physically, but mentally as well.

Remembering Nino Benvenuti

The motivation to improve is essential

 

 

 

 

Who are the tennis serial winning

In the last days, we’ve witnessed some great tennis matches at the Internazionali d’Italia and the outstanding performances of Jasmine Paolini, Sara Errani, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Let’s try to identify the key traits that set these serial winners apart from other equally talented but less successful players.

The difference between serial winners in tennis and talented players who win less frequently lies primarily in mindset. While technical and physical skills are fundamental, it’s the psychological aspect that often makes the real difference in crucial moments.

Characteristics of the Serial Winner’s Mindset

  • Handling pressure and emotions – Champions like Novak Djokovic have emphasized the importance of mental stability. Djokovic has stated that his turning point came when he learned to manage his emotions better and quickly bounce back after difficult moments.
  • Focus on the process – Tennis players must concentrate on giving their best effort in every point, rather than obsessing over the final outcome. This process-focused approach helps maintain concentration and reduces performance anxiety.
  • Positive self-talk – The ability to maintain constructive internal dialogue is essential. “Self-talk” techniques help athletes stay focused and confident during matches.
  • Growth-oriented mindset – Champions see every challenge as an opportunity to improve. They develop a mentality that pushes them to exceed their limits through commitment and perseverance.

A study showed that the difference between top players and those ranked around 150 is often minimal: top players win about 51% of points, while the lower-ranked win around 45%. This indicates that small margins can lead to significant differences in results, and mindset can be the decisive factor.

Therefore, while natural talent is important, it’s a winning mindset that allows champions to consistently excel. Through emotional management, process focus, positive self-talk, and a growth-driven mentality, serial winners manage to stand out even in the most critical moments.

Review: Palla al centro, psicologia del calcio

In youth sports the dominant approach is still heavily instructional

In youth sports, both in team and individual disciplines, the dominant approach is still heavily instructional: the coach speaks, and the young athletes execute.
You still see a lot of mechanical repetitions, isolated drills, and very few situations in which the athlete is required to think, choose, and adapt.

But why does this happen, despite modern research and sports pedagogy pointing in the opposite direction?

Traditional Coaching Culture

Many coaches have grown up in a system based on top-down knowledge transmission. This model:

  • prioritizes technical repetition;

  • is perceived as “orderly” and controllable;

  • ignores the cognitive complexity of the game.

Pressure for Short-Term Results

Coaches, managers, and parents often aim for immediate outcomes: winning games, seeing “organized play,” avoiding mistakes. This leads to:

  • simplifying instruction into rigid, standardized patterns;

  • reducing the athlete’s autonomy;

  • excluding or penalizing those who don’t lead to immediate victories;

  • stifling creativity.

The focus on results replaces the care for long-term developmental processes.

Lack of Coach Education

Many youth coaches:

  • lack in-depth training in active methodologies;

  • are unfamiliar with tools like the ecological model, the constraints-led approach, or Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU);

  • rely on “successful” adult-level models, which don’t work the same way with young people.

Difficulty Handling Complex Learning

A path that develops game understanding requires:

  • time and patience;

  • accepting mistakes as part of the process;

  • the ability to ask thought-provoking questions, not just give instructions.

Many coaches fear losing control if they open the game to players’ initiative, because active learning can appear chaotic from the outside.

Stereotypes and Misguided Models

In sports media, authoritarian coaches, rigid systems, and “chalkboard” solutions are often glorified. This reinforces the idea that youth sports should follow the same approach, even though children and adolescents don’t need to execute patterns—they need to understand and decide.

Ancelotti and Brazil: a dream

Amazing Ancelotti