ABSTRACT
'Worry' is any form of thinking which undermines the athlete's belief or capability of undertaking a task. Inevitably it can take many forms and varies in severity. Negative thinking is a 'faulty' estimate of effectiveness and/or ability which leads to an anticipation of failure. The first step is to identify the negatives, doubts or worries. This necessitates listening to the athlete's thinking, achieved usually by asking him to deliberate on the some questions. The coach might need to listen carefully for hints, cues or key phrases which suggest the presence of negative thinking. Negative thinking is characterized by seven forms of expression. They are: don'ts, limitations, put downs, what ifs, self doubt, letting others down, and preoccupations. This chapter describes variety of methods in relation to the seven types of negative thinking. Keep a sense of proportion is a method for keeping the outcome in perspective, and diffusing the repercussions that failure is assumed to bring.
