THE SIX APPLIED SPORTS SITUATIONS
Old theories of psychology hold that a person who is, for example - shy - is shy in most or in all situations. Modern theories of personality, and the Mental Skills Model upon which the MSA and MSD are based, hold that it is important to measure a person in multiple situations because a person does not behave consistently from situation to situation. For example, on the MSA, Task Confidence varies considerably from situation to situation. This especially matters when making decisions about corrective actions.
The six situations included in the MSA were selected because athletes, coaches, parents, sports psychologists, and the research literature all indicate that an athlete's mental skills vary across these situations - and success in these situations is critical to an athlete's overall success.
APPLIED SITUATIONS
Most assessments measure an athlete in one dimension. The MSA goes further.
Modern psychology tells us that people don't behave the same way in every situation — and athletes are no different. Confidence, focus, and composure can look very different depending on where and when an athlete is competing.
That's why the MSA measures all nine mental skills across six key situations that athletes, coaches, parents, and researchers all agree matter most to performance.
Why It Matters
Knowing that an athlete struggles with confidence in general isn't very useful. Knowing they struggle with confidence, specifically during competition — but not in practice — tells you exactly where to focus.
The goal is consistent mastery across all six situations. The MSA shows you precisely where the gaps are.
For most athletes, mastery of each of the 9 mental skills is greater in some situations than in others. The athlete should strive to achieve greater mastery of these skills consistently across the six applied performance situations.
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