The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes after the SFA appoint a sports psychologist, to work with their referees, for the 2008-09 season.
Football: SFA - Sports Psychology for Referees
So the Scottish Football Association are to appoint a sports psychologist, to work with their referees, for the next season. John Mathers, from the University of Stirling, will do both group work and individual sessions, with the refs.
This is a good move by the governing body. Referees, need to be mentally tough and very well prepared, to handle the demands of modern football. So what sort of work would they do with a sports psychologist?
Well, there are a number of obvious areas. There is how a referee would mentally prepare for a game. From his visualisation work, of his own strengths and successes, to game management scenarios. That is, thinking through all possible game scenarios that can develop, and how he will handle them.
Then there is how he develops his emotions, so that he is not affected in his decision-making, either by players or fans. Being able to trust their eye and instinct in making quick correct decisions, is critical for the man in the middle.
Plus, how he reacts after making a refereeing mistake, is also important. Being able to quickly move on, after an error, is the sign of a good referee. These are all areas the sports psychologist, can support the referee in.
A referee has to have total confidence in his own ability. If that personal confidence becomes undermined, then the players no longer have confidence in the referee, and he can lose control of a match. Building and developing confidence, is a vital area for the sports psychologist to work on.
The critical remarks of Dundee United's Craig Levein, after the officiating of his teams game at Ibrox, last season, should, hopefully, be a thing of the past. For with the help of John Mathers, the Scottish referees, should now have the mental and emotional strength to raise their game.
They may not be perfect. But, if the referees feel more at ease and confident in themselves, the players will naturally feel more comfortable with the referees. Which, in turn, will lead to better ref/player relationships. And, hopefully, better quality football.
