Evaluation of a Mental Skills Program for Serving for an Intercollegiate Volleyball Team

• Published in: Perceptual and motor skills Vol. 107; no. 1; pp. 293 - 306
• Main Authors: Shoenfelt, Elizabeth L., Griffith, Amber Usry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.08.2008; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Aptitude; Athletic Performance; Cognitive ability; Humans; Learning; Skill development; Teaching - methods; Teams; Training; Volleyball; Volleyball - education; Volleyball - psychology
• ISSN: 0031-5125; 1558-688X
• DOI: 10.2466/pms.107.1.293-306

A preseason mental skills program for serving was implemented for the 11 members of an intercollegiate volleyball team (M age = 20.0 yr.; SD = 1.1; years of intercollegiate volleyball experience M = 2.6; SD = 0.9). Key mental skills taught were relaxation, imagery, attentional focus, goal setting, behavioral modeling, and performance routine. A videotaped behavioral model articulated and demonstrated technical performance keys to effective serving. Players utilized a three-phase service routine to increase automaticity of performance and to incorporate key mental skills. End-of-season reported use of imagery was significantly correlated with Good Serve Percentage, as was reported use of a service routine. The mean Good Serve Percentage for the season was 49% (SD = 7); the team goal was 50%. Serve-specific self-efficacy significantly increased from the pretraining program to the end of the season. Results indicated that implementing the mental skills training program was associated with enhanced service performance.