Last month, squash coaches from around the world gained valuable insights about the mental side of squash at a free webinar with sports psychologist Dr. Jenny Denyer.
The webinar was provided free of charge to all SPIN-registered squash coaches, who joined from all over the globe.
Describing the role of psychology in squash, Dr. Denyer, a former World No.8 squash pro and a current member of the WSF Coaching Commission, said: “I first got interested in psychology of coaching when I was a player as I was trying to become a better player.
“Squash is very psychologically demanding, with one winner and one loser with nowhere to hide. That gets you into the territory of looking in the mirror and really getting into ‘what are your worst fears’ and ‘how are you stopping yourself from being a better player?’
“When we think about that from a coaching perspective, it’s huge. And all coaches will be grappling with variations of that every day that they coach, whether it’s top level players or a beginner who’s coming into your club.
“It’s a sport that’s experienced in an intimidating way, either at the beginner end or elite. As coaches, we have to help the player to cope with those demands if we want to keep them in the sport or help them to be the best that they can be.”
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