The Effects of Self-Talk on Psychological Skill of Ice Hockey Players

Mental aspects of athlete are recognized as important factors for achieve optimal performance in sport. The effectiveness of mental training differs based on individual difference among players and the characteristics of a sport. Therefore, developing a customized mental training program is important in the field of ice hockey. The purpose of this study was examine the effectiveness of self-talk on the competition performance of ice hockey players. The participants were eight university male ice hockey players. Participants were randomly assigned into two groups: self-talk group (n = 4) and control group (n = 4). The self-talk group completed a self-talk intervention for two months. The self-talk group participated in a mental training workshop including mental training (30-40minutes), a training session (15-30minutes) (once per week), and voluntary self-talk training using positive self-talk consciously in every practice and game. As the result of self-talk interventions, the self-talk group improved positive self-talk scores, and performance. Furthermore, the self-talk group felt that they played more aggressively play after the intervention. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that the use of positive self-talk improved the psychological skill and enhanced the performance of ice hockey players.