Inner Management: its effects in individual and team sports

In addition to players, referees, coaches, and spectators, there is a special and unexpected guest present at every sporting event: stress.

A certain level of stress helps to increase performance by producing adrenaline in the body. Guyton and Hall (2001), in their book “Textbook of Medical Physiology,” (pages 738-739) explain that the nervous system’s response to stress increases the body’s ability to perform physical activity with more energy.

However, excessive or poor control of this biochemical reaction can have undesirable consequences. Athletes who can manage it effectively tend to have fewer distractions and maintain optimal focus during games, resulting in better overall performance.

There are many ways to deal with these situations, and the methods proposed since 1975 by Daniel Goleman (in his book “Emotional Intelligence”), and also by Tim Gallwey (in his books of the series “The Inner Game”), which focus on managing the individual’s internal dialogue, both emotional and mental, in each situation, have gained popularity in recent years.

These methods are based on the premise that the mind and body are closely interconnected, and that mental practice can have a significant impact on physical and emotional performance.

In sport, both competitive and recreational, there can be a wide range of results, due to the technical and tactical skills of the players, as well as less visible aspects such as mood and stress levels. This fluctuation in results is a constant reality in competitive sports, affecting both individual players and entire teams. These aspects can be both cause and effect, feeding back into a potential loop from which it is difficult to escape.

In team sports such as basketball, coordination, communication, and decision-making between the individual players on each team are essential. Effective management of individual talent and potential is also critical for success.

Aim of this study:

The aim of this study is to explore the potential of Inner Management in sport as a comprehensive and integral tool to offer athletes, coaches and parents who support their athlete family members on a daily basis, the opportunity to discover improvements in their management of those factors under their control, including stress and emotional response, to achieve both individual and team results, thereby enhancing their own performance and consequently that of the team.