Coaching

 ​Where is your location in the Haagse Sport Centrale?

​Navigate to Michealisstraat 5. When you enter the entrance of the Haagse Sport Centrale there, you immediately go up the stairs to the second floor. Take a seat at the big table and we'll pick you up there.

 ​How long does a coaching trajectory take?

​That differs enormously! One athlete is completely ready to pop again with 2 appointments, the other prefers guidance for a whole season. By far, we see most athletes about 6 to 8 times for the first trajectory. After that, many athletes occasionally come back to us if, for example, they have a question, or are working towards a major tournament, or have to make an important choice.

  I don't want my coach to know I'm coming here. Is that possible?

​Absolutely. Even though we encourage openness, sometimes you just don't want to discuss something openly. What you discuss with us stays between us. We have a duty of professional secrecy and without your explicit consent to share information, we will never share anything about your guidance.

 Will the meetings be in person or digitally?

B​oth are possible. Although meeting in person is often preferable, because then we can get more involved in the action. Digital is certainly also possible, we are constantly looking for the right balance.

​ How do I know that I need to see a sports psychologist?

​You never have to. But if you want to work on your mindset, we are here for you. Sometimes you are referred by your coach or your physio and you may have no idea what you are going to do with a sports psychologist. That is exactly what our intake is intended for: clarifying your question to us and determining together how we are going to work on it. Actually, that always means: DOING a lot and tailored to YOU.

 Which Sports psychologist should i choose?

​A good match with your sports psychologist is often important for how much you will get out of it. We therefore always advise you to read our personal pieces on the website. Then you will automatically notice with whom you have the best click. Some athletes like it if we are known in their sport, others prefer someone who is completely outside of it. Choose who feels right for you. Can't choose? Sign up via the contact form and we will match you with one of us.

 What is the difference between a mental coach and a sport psychologist?

Goede ​Good question! Which cannot be answered very quickly. It mainly comes down to diplomas, a quality register and a complaints procedure. All our sports psychologists are registered as a SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST VSPN®. This is the only quality mark in the Netherlands and guarantees the quality of your guidance. Everyone can call themselves a mental coach, only a few dozen in the Netherlands can call themselves a SPORT PSYCHOLOGIST VSPN®. We work hard every year to keep our quality high, to continue to develop ourselves and to gain a lot of experience in the sport in order to maintain that quality mark.

 ​I don't sport at a high level), can I also contact you?

Of course! We guide people in training their mindset, based on our knowledge of what athletes do to achieve peak performance. This mindset is of course applicable in many more things than just the sport. And it's not just about performing as an athlete, but also 'just' about being happy as a person. Do you feel that you can also learn something from top athletes, or do you have too much of a result-oriented mindset: Tough Minds is your place to be.

 Teams: met wat voor vragen komen teams bij jullie?

​A selection of frequently asked questions by teams:
– In the training sessions we show much better game than in the matches.
– We would like a little more team spirit in the team. How do we train that?
– There is a clear division of roles in the team.
– We don't always communicate well when we are under pressure, how can we tighten that up?
– We notice that cliques are forming in the team and we want to get everyone on the same page again.
We can work on goal setting, focus, team spirit, leadership, communication, team roles, match preparation, mental routines, etc. A combination of workshops, observations and coach the coach.

 ​Coaches: what kind of questions do coaches come to you with?

A selection of frequently asked questions by coaches:
– How can I improve my communication towards/in my team?
– I notice that I don't make the right decisions during matches when I'm under pressure. How do I change that?
– I am fed up with mistakes for a long time or I am very critical of myself.
– I notice that something is needed in the team process and I want help with this.
– My team needs to learn to focus better, how do I teach them that?
– Who shall I choose as captain of my team?
– How do I deal with parents of athletes?
– Can I also use mental training for myself?
The Coach the Coach sessions can be completed as you wish. If you want to focus more on your team, that is possible, but if you want to see how you as a coach can create the right sports mindset for yourself, that is also possible.

 ​Can I refer athletes to you?

​Yes, sure you can. Make sure that you include the athlete in this. Indicate what is the reason for you to refer him/her to us and check whether they are open to it. In the case of young athletes, include the parents as well. If you first want to ask something, or discuss what is useful: Please call us for consultation.
Please be aware that everything we discuss with the athletes remains between us. It is up to the athlete what he/she wants to share. When substantive things need to be shared, the athlete (or his/her parents) will always have to give permission for this. Keep in mind that our goal is always to make the athlete as independent as possible. So not dependent on us, but to be able to apply what we have learned in practice ourselves.

 Can I come to the appointment too?

​Yes, you can come along. We always invite parents of underage athletes to come along for the intake. Not only because of the administration, but we also want you to be involved in the intake. Once the picture is complete and the goal for the mental training has been formulated, we will get to work 1-on-1. Especially with the young athletes, we ask the parents at the end of the appointment to join them, so that you are also aware of what they are going to train/practice and how you can help with that.

 From what age?

​We see most athletes from secondary school age, because their sport then moves to talent level. However, there are quite a few exceptions, which often make the mental part more important. Consider, for example, gymnastics, where the average age is considerably lower. We often see these athletes from the age of 10. As training becomes more serious, the mental part also becomes more important.

 What can I do at home?

​Help your kids especially by asking what they like that you do. Some children are so independent that they hardly need you, but most children like it if you want to remind them of the assignments they are working on. Or, for example, make agreements about when you talk about sports and when you don't. And always give the floor to your child before you come up with an analysis yourself. Encourage them to talk about what they are doing, without directing it.

 Do you need to have a problem to start with mental skills training?

​No definitely not. Mental training is just as much part of your training schedule as, for example, strength and technique training. For this reason it is always of added value to also train mentally. It is (unfortunately?) true that most athletes we coach have started with mental training because they encountered an obstacle (such as: low self-confidence, high competition tension, motivation problem, etc.), but of course we prefer to prevent this by always already mentally trained. We often do this at club or RTC level.