Assessments
Whereas the physical and technical aspects of sport are more easily observable and measurable, the mental side of sport can be more subjective, and thus more difficult to evaluate. Assessments are a useful tool to provide information about an athlete’s mental skills, communication styles, competitive nature, motivators, leadership characteristics, personality, and confidence. Additionally, assessments can tell us a great deal about who you are and how you work.
9 Mental Skills of Successful Athletes Assessment (9MSSA)
The Nine Mental Skills of Successful Athletes (9MSSA) is a framework for helping athletes and their coaches understand the mental aspects of high level performance. The framework is used to assess an athlete's current mental skills level, and to aid in creating a plan for improvement. Developed by Dr. Jack J. Lesyk from the Ohio Center for Sport Psychology, the 9MSSA has been used to help athletes across the world identify strengths and weaknesses in their mental game, as well as develop training plans to improve performance.
What is it?
104 (individual sport) or 115 (team sport) item self-report questionnaire
Measures 9 different mental skills: Attitude, Motivation, Goals & Commitment, People Skills, Self-Talk, Imagery, Anxiety, and Concentration
How does it work?
Measures 9 mental skills associated with performance:
Attitude
Motivation
Goals/Commitment
People Skills
Self-talk
Imagery
Managing Anxiety
Managing Emotions
Concentration
Helpful in creating a road map/strategy for mental performance improvement
Improves athlete self-awareness
Why is it valuable?
Produces a baseline measurement of mental skills to identify current strengths as well as areas for development. Initial measurements can be compared with future measurements to chart improvement over time.
Provides athletes and coaches information to better prioritize mental skills and training
The 9MSSA is used with a combination of other questionnaires at the onset of individual training sessions
The Attentional and Interpersonal Style Inventory (TAIS)
The Attentional Interpersonal Style Inventory (TAIS) measures three basic performance building blocks—Leadership, Emotional Control, and Performance Under Pressure—and can be used to identify the root cause of performance problems. So much of mental performance is situational; what might work well in one situation may become harmful in another. For example, aggression might be valuable if you are playing defensive line, but may be harmful if you’re on the putting green. The TAIS helps identify environmental conditions which may help or hinder your ability to perform and play to the best of your ability.
The TAIS is most widely used in the evaluation and training of high school, college, Olympic and professional athlete. The TAIS is also used extensively in business, the military, and police forces to optimize performance under pressure.
What is it?
144 item self-report questionnaire
Provides information and feedback on leadership, emotional control, and performance by measuring 20 different concentration skills, personal attributes, and interpersonal attributes
How does it work?
Measures specific concentration skills, interpersonal preferences, and decision making styles
Provides information on the type of situations in which performers are likely to excel and struggle
Provides areas and ideas for personal and performance development
Why is it valuable?
Provides a view of behaviors in context; rather than labeling specific behaviors as good or bad, TAIS scores are interpreted in the context of the demands of a particular situation or environment
Helps performers anticipate situations where they are likely to struggle, as well as how they are likely to react in stressful situations.