New paradigm in modern sports psychology

Abstract

The article is a critical review of the main stages of the development of sports psychology in Russia and the rationale for new ways, new approaches for the psychological support of athletes. Also in this article a new paradigm of sports psychology is proposed. The essence of this approach consists in the transition from the process of correction and regulation of the athlete’s mental states to the formation of psychological entities that can provide a state of confidence and stability in the process of the athlete’s performance in competitions. In this regard, the key tasks of sports psychology should be the study of the possibility of forming the basic personal attitudes and characteristics of the athletes at each stage of the sports career, which include viability, initiative, confidence, self-control, self-regulation. In addition, the important direction of work should be the creation and development psychological techniques that determine the formation of basic attitudes and personal characteristics of the athlete, the definition of the role and place of the coach, psychologist, as well as of the athlete himself in the formation of the subject of sports activities. The article notes that the new paradigm of the development of sports psychology does not exclude the existing approaches in sports psychology, but on the contrary relies on its achievements.