AMAP Assessment Works
I was surprised to learn one fact from the results of the survey on using assessments in mental coaching…
28 percent of mental coaches reported they still do assessments the old fashioned way: they use interviews only.
I have nothing against using interviews for doing mental game assessments with athletes, but I do think there is a more efficient option.
The problem with only using interviews is that you lose out on valuable information ahead of time—before you do the interview.
Allow me to explain…
When MGCPs and I use the AMAP assessment with athletes, we send the AMAP to them prior to the first session.
Providing the AMAP assessment ahead of time has several advantages. Your athletes:
- Are given time to think about the questions you want to ask in the interview.
- They gain a “coaching affect” from thinking about their mental game.
- They can ponder the questions in the assessment after a practice or competition.
- They are more prepared when they start mental coaching as they know what to expect.
The only downside of sending an AMAP assessment to athletes before you start coaching is that it’s an extra step for the mental coach. And honestly, some athletes will procrastinate with completing the document if they are busy with school and sports.
But it’s worth the extra effort because you gain additional details about your athletes’ mental game before you interview them.
And thus, you as the mental coach, can organize your plan and prepare a few follow up questions in the first session.
You become more prepared with your interview approach because you know what to expect and exactly what topics you can follow up on.
Importance of Mental Game Assessments
85 percent of the mental game coaches surveyed reported that mental game assessments are important or very important.
However, not everyone has a proven system to assess athletes’ mental game aptitude, which is surprising.
I have a short story to share…
When I was a graduate student at The University of Virginia in the 80s, Bob Rotella discouraged us from using assessments.
Rotella taught us that assessments or validated instruments were useless when working with athletes in the real world. He said researchers developed them…
Rotella was wrong…
I think he hated any association with real research. He was an applied guy.
However, when I started working with athletes after school, I realized that an interview guide could be adapted as an assessment tool when working with athletes on the mental game.
So I developed my own assessment for athletes that would help me understand athletes’ top mental game challenges before we started to work together.
Today, I call it the Athlete’s Mental Aptitude Profile or AMAP for short. I use the AMAP for every athlete I work with (except for teams, I use a different approach).
Why are mental game assessment important for mental coaches?
Not only are assessments a great way for your athletes to do some self-reflection, but they serve to guide your mental coaching.
In addition, a good assessment can:
- Be used as a starting place for mental coaching
- Help mental coaches improve organization
- Guide the mental coach during the follow up interview
- Help athletes start to think about their mental game
- Provide a baseline prior to the start of coaching
- Assess the success of mental coaching after a few months
Using the right assessment has many benefits beyond the obvious: to understand your athlete better.
I was surprised to learn one fact from the results of the survey on using assessments in mental coaching…
28 percent of mental coaches reported they still do assessments the old fashioned way: they use interviews only.
I have nothing against using interviews for doing mental game assessments with athletes, but I do think there is a more efficient option.
The problem with only using interviews is that you lose out on valuable information ahead of time—before you do the interview.
Allow me to explain…
When MGCPs and I use the AMAP assessment with athletes, we send the AMAP to them prior to the first session.
Providing the AMAP assessment ahead of time has several advantages. Your athletes:
- Are given time to think about the questions you want to ask in the interview.
- They gain a “coaching affect” from thinking about their mental game.
- They can ponder the questions in the assessment after a practice or competition.
- They are more prepared when they start mental coaching as they know what to expect.
The only downside of sending an AMAP assessment to athletes before you start coaching is that it’s an extra step for the mental coach. And honestly, some athletes will procrastinate with completing the document if they are busy with school and sports.
But it’s worth the extra effort because you gain additional details about your athletes’ mental game before you interview them.
And thus, you as the mental coach, can organize your plan and prepare a few follow up questions in the first session.
Please let me know if you have any questions about doing mental game assessments with your athletes or teams.
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