Unit of competency Outline

Date retreived
23/07/2026 3:41 AM AWST

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Support athletes to adopt principles of sports psychology

Support athletes to adopt principles of sports psychology

Unit of competency
National Code
SISSSCO308
State Code
WG022
TGA Status
Replaced
DTWD Status
Replaced
Current Release Number
1.00
Current Release Date
06/03/2013
View on TGA
State Implementation and Classification
Approved Date
14/10/2014
Field of Education
092103 - Sports Coaching, Officiating And Instruction
Original Release Date
14/10/2014
Nominal Hours
40
Description
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to enable coaches to support their athletes to apply the principles of sports psychology to their specific sporting activity. It focuses on assisting athletes to implement and evaluate psychological approaches to optimise their sporting performance.
Notes
Elements and Performance Criteria
1. Analyse information.
  • 1.1 Access and analyse relevant and current information from a range of sources on the application of principles of sports psychology for peak sporting performance.
  • 1.2 Identify support personnel and resources available to assist athletes with sport psychology issues.
  • 1.3 Assess athlete’s information needs in relation to psychological approaches to enhance peak performance in relevant sporting activity.
  • 1.4 Maintain and update information on psychological approaches for peak performance.
2. Liaise with sports psychology support personnel.
  • 2.1. Select appropriate support personnel to assist athletes.
  • 2.2. Consult with support personnel to identify specific psychological approaches for peak performance in the sporting activity.
3. Provide information to athletes.
  • 3.1 Assess individual psychological needs and preference of athletes in relation to the sporting activity according to organisational policies and procedures.
  • 3.2 Explain psychological approaches for peak performance in the relevant sporting activity to athletes.
  • 3.3 Present information to athletes in a style appropriate to the needs of the athletes and the coaching setting.
  • 3.4 Check understanding of athletes regarding psychological approaches for peak sporting performance using appropriate approaches and encourage athletes to clarify information.
  • 3.5 Clarify with the athletes, the role of the support personnel, including personnel who are experts in the field of sports psychology.
  • 3.6 Encourage athletes to seek advice and support from selected sport psychology support personnel.
4. Assist athletes to implement psychological approaches.
  • 4.1 Select implementation strategies to enhance peak performance in the activity in consultation with the athlete and sport psychology support personnel.
  • 4.2 Support athletes to implement selected strategies in training and competition according to organisational policies and procedures.
  • 4.3 Monitor implementation of psychological approaches during training or competition according to organisational policies and procedures.
  • 4.4 Identify possible psychological characteristics that act as barriers to enhanced performance and refer athletes to psychology support personnel for treatment.
5. Evaluate the effect of psychological approaches.
  • 5.1 Analyse the performance of athletes in competition situations against expected performance.
  • 5.2 Evaluate the effect of psychological approaches on performance in the activity in consultation with the athlete and psychology support personnel.
  • 5.3 Adjust psychological approaches to better assist athletes to achieve peak performance in the activity in consultation with the athlete and psychology support personnel.
The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.
Principles of sports psychology for peak sporting performance may include:
establishing mental routines
motivation
stress management.
Support personnel may include:
psychologist
classifiers
disability specific
sport administrators
team managers
other coaches
sports physician
sports doctor
parents or guardian
physiotherapist
accredited exercise physiologist
sports scientist
remedial massage therapist
accredited sports dietician.
Resources may include:
audiovisual
multimedia
information kits.
Psychological approaches to enhance peak performancemay include:
performance planning
pre-performance and performance routines
mental rehearsal
goal setting
self control, arousal and anxiety techniques
relaxation techniques
visualisation
self-talk
stress management
time management
intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
self-reflection
concentration.
Approaches may include:
discussions
open questions.
Psychological characteristics may include:
loss of concentration
loss of motivation
consistent under performance
aggressiveness.
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.
Overview of assessment

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit
Evidence of the following is essential:
acquires, selects and adapts information in relation to sports psychology principles and approaches for optimal performance to develop and maintain professional knowledge for own sporting area
works with support personnel to identify sport-specific psychological approaches for peak performance and selects and adopts communication strategies appropriate to the information needs of athletes
consults with athletes and support personnel to develop, implement and review psychological approaches to support them in a coaching setting
monitors psychological approaches of athletes and refers psychological barriers to appropriate support personnel
develops a rapport with athletes and encourages them to clarify information and access supporting resources.
Context of and specific resources for assessment
Assessment must ensure participation in multiple interactions with athletes and support personnel that involve the provision and discussion of information and the implementation, monitoring and review of psychological approaches to enable optimal performance to demonstrate competency and consistency of performance.
Assessment must also ensure access to:
a sport-specific training or competition setting
athletes and sports psychology support personnel
sources of information about sports psychology principles and approaches for peak performance
current organisational policies and procedures that impact on the implementation of psychological approaches for peak performance.
Method of assessment
A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:
observation of interaction with athletes and sport psychology support personnel including discussions and implementation of psychological approaches for peak performance
observation of consultation with athletes to review strategies to support them to apply psychological approaches to achieve peak performance
oral or written questioning to assess knowledge of the principles of sports psychology
third party reports from coaches or other support staff detailing examples of interactions and discussions with athletes and support personnel such as the implementation of strategies to support athletes with sports psychology.
Guidance information for assessment
Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended.
relevant sport specific coaching units of competency.
Replaces
State Code National Code Title Type
D6554 SISSCGP310A Support athletes to adopt principles of sports psychology Unit of competency
Replaced By
State Code National Code Title Type
OBE16 SISSSCO007 Apply sport psychology principles Unit of competency