Manhattan High School hosted a mental skills workshop last weekend for athletes, led by Darryl Phillips and his team from the University of Kansas’ sports psychology program. The program was organized by cross-country head coach Susan Melgares. 

The workshop offered a range of strategies and tools designed to help athletes harness the mental side of their sport, with the overarching goal of improving both performance and enjoyment.

Phillips, a certified mental performance consultant with the Association of Applied Sports Psychology, was joined by PhD students Taylor Sharp, Livia Xu, and other coaches and mental skills consultants. The session focused on “psychoeducation,” emphasizing mental skills training over psychotherapy.

“Sports psychology is about learning about yourself — how you think, feel and behave — and how that influences your sport participation,” Phillips said. “We’re not psychotherapists. Think of us as mental skills coaches. Our goal is to help athletes understand themselves better, perform better, and enjoy their sport more.”

Turning Stress into a Superpower

Each presenter tackled a specific theme, from stress management to confidence building. Phillips kicked off the workshop by highlighting how athletes can reframe stress as a positive mindset.

“My theme focused on learning how to use stress as a beneficial mindset,” Phillips said. “Stress doesn’t have to be a negative — it can help you rise to the occasion if you know how to use it.”

Sharp, a third-year PhD student, introduced infographics developed by their lab. These visual tools broke down mental and life skills into actionable steps athletes could use during training or competition.

“My presentation focused on infographics that presented different mental and life skills,” Sharp said. “These can be applied on training day, game day, or meet day.”

Xu focused on relaxation techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation and how visualization can enhance performance. 

“My presentation was about using imagery and relaxation techniques,” Xu said. “These are things athletes can apply directly to their performance.”

Building Team Cohesion and Confidence

Beyond individual skills, the workshop also emphasized team-building exercises. Sharp discussed how fostering team cohesion can help athletes support each other, both mentally and physically.

“We talked about activities that promote team building and team cohesion,” Sharp said. “I also introduced the ‘stop technique,’ which is used to help athletes get out of a bad frame of mind quickly and refocus.”

Another tool introduced was the confidence journal, which local coach Michael Jamison described as a way to “recognize your strengths, manage weaknesses, and grow.”

“My focus was on helping athletes know their strengths, manage weaknesses, and grow their mindset,” Jamison said. “A confidence journal can be a great tool for that.”

Interactive Activities Bring Lessons to Life

The workshop was hands-on, with participants practicing many of the techniques in real time. From progressive muscle relaxation to team-building exercises, each activity reinforced the key themes discussed by the presenters.

“Some of the things we did were small sample versions of what we talked about,” Phillips said. “For example, Livia led progressive muscle relaxation, Taylor discussed team-building activities, and Michael encouraged participants to reflect on who they are and who they want to be. We wanted athletes to leave with practical skills they could use right away. Mental training is just like physical training — it’s a process, and it takes practice.”

Resources for Athletes

For athletes interested in exploring mental skills further, Phillips recommended reaching out to local universities, the Association of Applied Sports Psychology, or the American Psychological Association’s Division 47, which focuses on sports psychology.

“A great resource is our national organization’s website: appliedsportpsych.org,” Phillips said. “It has user-friendly resources, articles, and videos to help athletes understand how mental skills coaching works.”

He also encouraged athletes to reach out to local mental skills consultants. 

“There’s a search engine on the AASP website where you can find certified consultants to help you learn more or even work with you,” Phillips said.

The workshop concluded with advice for athletes to enhance their mental skills and enjoy their sport more fully.

 “Pressure and anxiety can take the fun out of competing,” Phillips said. “Our goal is to help athletes feel confident, perform their best, and, most importantly, have fun.”