The Sport Psychology Professional Model
- Inside Team Denmark’s Sports Psychology support
The sports psychology profession in Denmark has been characterized by a diversity of approaches
and has acted as a tool-based discipline. International research suggests that an optimal sport
psychological intervention requires a coherent service delivery model that integrates the entire
efforts of the consultant's professional philosophy from intervention methods to the specific tools.
This text describes Team Denmark profession model for sport psychology. The model describes the
background of, and the structure and content of the sport psychology work.
Objectives of the model are:
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To make visible a field of professionalism
To create an overall framework for the sport psychology work in Team Denmark
To create a uniformity in the consultants' work
Creating expectations visible to any external partners.
The model is built around four hierarchical levels that move from the fundamental and theoretical to
the concrete and practical:
 The first level is the Psychology Team’s consultant’s basic beliefs and values regarding the
world and human behaviour. This level describes the understanding of elite athletes and the
central underpinning processes.
 The second level describes the theoretical paradigms which action is based. In particular,
intervention theories. That is, theories about how the sport psychological consultant can best
help and develop athletes and coaches.
 The third level defines the targets for intervention
 The fourth level describes what athletes need to learn, and practical aspects of work, such as
tools and organisation.
The idea of the model is that a good intervention requires consistency between all these four levels.
A tool-oriented sports psychologist will go directly to level four and describe a number of practical
skills and tools to teach them. The Team Denmark Sport Psychology team's position is that the
content and tools only make sense in the context of a fundamental professional philosophy.
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Level 1 – Basic beliefs and values
The foundation for action is the psychologist’s fundamental beliefs about elite athletes, elite
coaches and their performance. This level contains assumptions we are not always aware of and do
not talk about in the daily work, but which govern our approach to the field. We have defined 10
fundamental beliefs that pervade our work.
1. Elite athletes and coaches operate from an interplay of thoughts, feelings, physiology and
actions. This interaction is crucial for performance and wellbeing.
2. Elite athletes and coaches have a personality and identity (values, motives, self-esteem, and
typical behaviours) that shape their lives and actions. However, many people act differently
in different situations, because they are also affected by the surroundings and adapt to
different situations.
3. Elite athletes are embedded in an environment. One can not understand an athlete without
understanding the environment and relationships with people within this environment.
4. Elite athletes are motivated and learn better when they are allowed to think and take
responsibility for their own development.
5. Elite athletes are elite athletes 24 hours a day. It requires dedication and commitment.
However, the development and performance of elite athletes is best in the long run, when
their identity has broader meaning than the sport and when their self-esteem is not only
dependent on sporting performance.
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6. A sports career is a progression through a series of natural phases that possess unique
challenges. The transition between (or progression through) these phases is a key challenge
for the athlete and the potential for crisis or growth.
7. Adversity is a part of sport. Athletes must learn to view adversity as a natural part of sport
and therefore develop strategies to manage and cope with them.
8. The way to top results is through a focus on the process.
9. The mental component plays a major role in both training and competition. Quality
performances require quality training. A sports psychologist’s core mission is to build
quality into the daily training as well as in competition.
10. Mental skills should be developed in the sport environment. Therefore, the development of
mental skills should be integrated into the daily training and the coach plays an important
role in mental development.
Level 2 – Theories of Interventions
This level describes the theory of intervention, on which the practical work is based. Psychology is
now characterised by a variety of theoretical paradigms which contains both a descriptive level
(what is the nature of people and their problems) and an applied level (intervention theory: how can
and should a psychologist create development and change in humans to help people overcome their
problems).
Although these theories and schools sometimes compete and conflict, we believe that at the applied
level the different theories can complement each other in a fruitful manner. Therefore we work from
an eclectic perspective. We draw inspiration from a variety of psychological schools and directions.
An eclectic approach is not the same as working outside the theory, but a creative synthesis of the
theories.
Below is a brief description of the theories we obtain our inspiration from, and specifically which
parts of the theories we will draw inspiration from.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive behaviour therapy describes the link between thoughts, feelings, physiology and
behaviour. Athletes’ thought patterns are at the heart of their performance. By identifying,
modifying and controlling thoughts, athletes can optimize their athletic performance.
Another central belief in the cognitive behavioural therapy is that we do not respond to reality,
rather our interpretation of reality. An athlete will not necessarily be nervous when he is in fact out
matched and in danger of losing, but only when he perceives this is occurring. A key part of the
psychologists’ task will be to help athletes to understand how they interpret events and what impact
this may have on their effort and achievement.
The cognitive behaviour therapy emphasises that people rarely stick to certain behaviours unless it
has some benefits. ‘Inappropriate’ behaviour often has secondary gains (e.g., if I become ill in an
event it may reduce the pressure to perform). However, it is important to fully understand the
consequences of these actions and why they are important.
An important tool from cognitive psychology is psycho-education. This means training in
psychological issues. In short, education is a part of treatment to understand the relationships that
underlie one's problems. Teaching key psychological concepts (e.g., stress, self-esteem, etc)is an
important part of the psychologists’ role.
Last but not least, the cognitive behavioural therapy position on the importance of training. To
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change behaviour, you must first understand the concept and then practice, practice and practice. If
an athlete wants to be better at handling nervous, they must be trained, and this training must be
integrated into the daily training. This idea fits well with elite sport where ‘quick fix’ solutions are
rare and improvement requires consistent effort.
Systems Theory
Systemic Psychology is a complex scientific tradition, rather than one school. We draw inspiration
from both the tradition’s focus on the "whole system" as well as in the systemic conversation
practice.
A major inspiration is the recognition that an athlete is embedded in an environment. The sport
psychologist therefore needs to work with the whole environment, both sporting and the nonsporting areas, in order to create optimal conditions for the athletes’ performance. For example, an
athlete who has moved to start a new education may have difficulty finding focus in training. If we
only focus on the athlete and only on what is happening during training and competition, then we
may miss key points. In practice, this has a number of consequences. First, in some cases the sport
psychologist may spend time and energy on factors that are "outside the sport". Secondly, the coach
will have a central role in the developing the mental area. The coach is a key support and plays a
central role in helping the athlete’s mental development.
Another view of the systemic psychology is that problems are circular. People often want to see
simple linear causal relationships and maintain that certain selected factors are the cause the
problems, however the reality is often more complex. Elite athletes and coaches must learn to see
their own role in maintaining the problems and thus identify what steps they can take to find a
solution.
Humanistic Psychology
Humanistic Psychology sees people as self actualised, that is motivated towards goals and able to
assume responsibility for their own development. In practice this means that the sports psychology
consultant should believe that the athletes are competent and motivated to work on their own
problems. Therefore, self-directed tasks (“home assignments”) and a focus on the athletes’ own
resources are important consultation methods.
The humanistic psychology also draws attention to the concepts of identity and meaning. In a sport
psychological context it can be said that concrete mental skills are important, but it is equally
important to go "back" and examine how the athlete understands himself and whether he or she is
experiencing a meaningful career as an elite athlete, as well as which dreams and goals create
motivation, confidence, etc. Humanistic psychology also strongly focused on the relationship
between psychologist and client. A central belief is that the relationship heals. But not in itself. A
relationship characterized by trust, confidence and recognition, creates opportunities to work with
athletes’ behaviour in the therapeutic relationship and creates fertile ground for learning and
development.
Personality Psychology
The final area in which we find inspiration is the research in the "sports personality". Although
context is important and we act differently in different situations, the approach puts the focus on
that all people have a core personality. People tend to follow different behavioural and thought
patterns across different situations. There is no fixed personality that follows us from birth, but a
tendency for preferred or typical behaviours and often acting in a similar manner, etc. This
approach has included the study of what characteristics Olympians have in common with each
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other.
Research on personality in the sport has evolved much in recent years. First, now there is the not the
same emphasis on a "fixed personality" rather a focus on typical behaviour. Secondly, it
recommends you do not test in connection with the selection of talent, because young performers
develop throughout their career.
We are inspired by the idea that athletes have a "personality". Athletes are in varying degrees,
ambitious, detail-oriented, risk-takers, creative, etc. But we do not believe that this personality is
either fixed or applies to all situations. Therefore we use tests without definitive answers, but to
allow development. In practice this creates a number of important actions. First, we use sportspecific tests, not broad or generic tests. Secondly, the function of testing is as a starting point for a
dialogue, not as a definitive answer. Thirdly, tests are used to identify development areas, based on
the principle that we can develop the personality.
Level 3 - Objectives of the sport psychology intervention
On an organizational level Team Denmark wants to become the leading knowledge organization in
sports psychology in Denmark.
Overall, the sport psychology team is a part of Team Denmark and its overall objectives. This
means that 'we are fighting for gold to Denmark' and working towards creating Denmark to be the
best place in the world to develop as an elite athlete.
More specifically, the sport psychological team has the following objectives:
 That Danish elite athletes obtains the right mental tools to perform optimally at the highest
international level and to ensure that the Danish elite athletes have the mental edge in
competitive situations (see Support Concept)
 Promote quality in the daily training
 That the individual elite athletes experience meaning and value in life as elite athletes
 Creating a common language for the psychological aspects of sports training and
competition
Level 4 - Content: Team Denmark's Sports Psychology Model
Team Denmark’s sports psychology team has developed the Sport Psychological Model to provide
an overview of sports psychology work. The model describes the content of the sports psychology
work. That is, what levels, layers and themes we're working with. The model works with three
levels, ‘Personality and identity’, ‘Life as elite athlete’ and ‘Mental skills’, as well as the sporting
and non-sporting environments.
Team Denmark's sports psychology model
Personality and identity
The bottom layer is about personality and the athletes’ personal identity. Personality is about how
each of us basically is/acts as a person. Identity is about how we define and understand ourselves.
Identity can be equated with self-image. In our personality and identity is our self-esteem, our
motives, our values and our typical behaviour.
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Self-worth
Self-worth is about whether a person appreciates and accepts themselves as they are. An elite
athlete’s self-worth should be independent of his performance. You are all right as a human being,
even if you lose some games or make mistakes. Not all athletes are naturally thinking this way, and
there is an important role for sport psychologists to help athletes to learn to separate performance
and self-worth.
Motives
We as people have many motives, we are motivated to pursue. Elite athletes have a strong
motivation to grow their elite careers and achieve the goals they have set themselves. But there may
also have conflicting motives. For example friends you want to grow, family, or study. Athletes
should know their own motives and be aware of how to handle motives, pointing in different
directions.
Values
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Values reflect what is important to us and has a value for us. It can be personal values such as
dedication, determination, order or variation, or human values such as leadership, support,
recognition or independence. It is an advantage if the elite athlete is aware of own values, so they
can go through their career in a manner consistent with these values, or if the athlete has values that
may need to be compromised, they willing to make this compromise.
Typical behaviour
If we look at an elite athletes’ behaviour over time, there are behavioural elements which are linked
with their personality and that are reflected both in training and competition. This is the behaviour
we call the typical behaviour, and associated with elite athletes "sports personality". By becoming
aware of your own typical behaviour strengths can be identified as well as areas for development.
Openness and awareness of sports personalities and typical behaviour is also an advantage when
one is part of a team to achieve synergies and avoid conflicts.
Life as elite exercises & life skills
The middle layer refers to tackling life as elite athlete and mastering the life-skills that are needed to
be an elite athlete. It's all about the athletes’ commitment, planning, career stages, team work and
sport-life balance.
Commitment
Commitment is about whether elite athlete has an elite attitude, as well as the motivation and
engagement, and the degree to which they commit to and prioritise their elite sports career.
Planning
Planning is about fundamental planning skills. It is important to plan each day with training, eating,
rest, study or work as well as family and friends.
Career Transition
A sports career is progressing through a series of natural phases that has its challenges. Transitions
between these phases are key challenges for the athlete and the potential for crisis or growth. Elite
athletes must learn to cope with the progression between these phases.
Team Work
An elite athletic career often requires working with other people. The athlete must be able to work
with coaches, team mates, support staff and other partners. Therefore, cooperation and
communication are key areas in sports psychology.
Sports-life balance
Elite athletes are elite athletes 24 hours a day. It requires dedication and commitment. However,
elite athletes perform best in the long run, when their identity is defined wider than sport and selfworth does not depend only on sporting performance.
The Mental Wheel – Mental Skills
In the upper layer is the Mental Wheel. The mental wheel contains 8 key mental skills that are
important to an elite athlete in order to perform optimally. Training of the 8 mental skills is an
important element in the daily training environment.
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Goal setting
Goal setting is a key skill for an elite athlete in both training and competition. Goals provide
direction, focus and motivation. Typically, elite athletes have clear result targets, but those who
succeed build motivation and believe in achieving process goals.
Constructive evaluations
Evaluating your goals and performance is an important step for developing and learning.
Constructive evaluation is an important skill to be learned. Constructive evaluations focus primarily
on self-reviews to build effective learning and motivation. Negative evaluations focus often on
external factors such as opponents, coaches, judges, or internal factors, in a way that is self-critical
and can decrease confidence and motivation (and in worst case low self-worth, see earlier about
self-esteem).
Concentration
Concentration comes to focus and directing attention to the relevant information with the right
intensity. It is also about having the ability to refocus when something unexpected happens, or if
you are distracted.
Self talk
Self talk is the dialogue taking place in our mind. Sometimes this dialogue may be a single voice,
other times it may be a conversation within our mind. For example, there may be an internal
dialogue between a result-oriented side debating with a process-oriented, or a negative aspect
debating with a positive aspect. Learning to control this internal dialogue towards supportive and
motivational aspects is essential to perform at your best and learn.
Self-confidence
The ability to believe in your self in critical situations in both training and competition can affect
your performance and your learning in a positive direction. Confidence can be built through a series
of methods that can be learned.
Arousal Regulation
Finding the right balance between activation, energy, tension and relaxation is essential to perform
optimally. Athletes differ on how high arousal level must be to perform at your best, but by
increasing awareness of your best performances, you can learn what the optimal level is and how to
find this level in competitions.
Visualisation
Visualisation is where we use our senses to create mental images. You use as many senses as
possible to create an experience "that is as close to reality as possible". Research has shown that
nerve and muscle fibres activated by the mental image as similar to if we performed these acts in
reality. Athletes can use mental visualisation to train and prepare themselves for competition and
training situations.
Competition Strategies
Competitive Strategies is about to have clear, practical and mental strategies and routines in the lead
up to the competition, during competition and after competition. It creates calm and focus, and
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helps one to find the right mental state.
External influences
Outside the triangle are various external factors which may affect the athlete. It is not possible to
understand an athlete without understanding the whole of his / hers environment and the
relationships with people in this environment. This includes both the sporting environment and the
non-sporting environment. In addition, the model also includes the specific situation that the athlete
finds themselves currently in.
In the sports environment, it is important to deal with both training and competition environment,
which include key people such as the coach, team mates and competitors.
Family, partners, friends, are key people in the environment outside of sport, where education, jobs
and social life play an important role.
All internal and external forces shape any specific situation currently experienced by the athlete.
Level 5: Sports Psychological services and methods
Until now we described the background and content of Team Denmark's sports psychology work.
Here, finally, is a brief overview of Team Denmark's sports psychological services.
Courses for coaches
As part of the ambition to create a common "mental language" in Danish elite sport, and in
recognition of the importance the trainer in the daily work of creating a "mental culture", trainer
courses are an important tool in the sport psychology model.
Team Denmark sport psychology services include several coaching courses. The purpose of the
coach series is that coaches will be introduced to sports psychology and learn to integrate the
training of mental abilities as regular part of the daily training. Courses include:
Basic Course in Sports Psychology, with the following themes:
 Training Environments
 Team Psychology
 Training of mental skills
Advanced Course in Sports Psychology - training workshop
 Integrating the training of mental abilities with other aspects of elite sports training
 Creating training environments with quality and optimal group dynamics
‘Coaching’ Education in elite sport
 Coaching for development talks
 Coaching in team development conversations
 Coaching of individuals in the ‘field’
 Coaching of teams / groups in the ‘field’
Personal leadership, with the following themes:
 Personality profiles, strengths and development areas
 Creating change and working with opposition
 Strong / motivational talks
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Working with problems
Personal vision and personal values
Breaking their own habits
Stress and burnout
Communication (body language, etc..)
Courses for Athletes
All Team Denmark athletes are offered a basic course in sports psychology. The course introduces
the key aspects from Team Denmark’s sports psychology model, including:
 Life as elite exercise & Life skills.
 Identity, commitment, planning, team work, sport-life balance and career stages
 Training of mental skills
The course is practical in its focus. Athletes will firstly learn simple tools to optimize training and
competition, as this course provides a good foundation for subsequent individual proceedings.
Sport Specific courses
Sport-specific courses and concepts will be developed in collaboration with the individual sport
federations. The action may involve the mental development of athletes, supervision of coaches and
the sports psychologist attending training and competitions. The specific focus of the service may
be from different parts of the sports psychology model.
Objectives will often include developing the knowledge and skills of Team Denmark coaches
within the sport psychology area in order to increase the use of planned mental training with Team
Denmark elite athletes.
Individual development
Sports Psychological work with individual athletes may involve long-term proactive work and more
acute interventions in non clinical crises such career transition, injuries, motivation crises etc.
Service delivery may involve interviews, observation, testing, etc.
The focus of this work would be from different areas of Team Denmark’s sports psychology model
as required by the specific needs of the individual.
This type of scenario is not limited to individual athletes, but can be implemented in relation to both
coaches and teams.
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