AWCON: Absence of psychologist cause of Black Queens 'ordinary' performance

The Absence of a sports psychologist with the Black Queens, is the cause of their ordinary performance in the ongoing Africa Women's Cup of Nations (AWCON), Prof Joseph Mintah, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology Education, at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has said.

He has therefore, underscored the need for every sports team in the country to have a sports psychologist as part of its management.

He said currently various sporting teams in the country did not have sport psychologist to prepare the minds of competitors which had resulted in the ordinary performances of competitors in most local and international competitions.

“Unfortunately, training programmes in Ghana place emphasis on the physical, technical and tactical elements with little or no place for the psychological aspect”, he said

He was launching the Maiden Ghana Society of Sport and Exercise Psychology at UCC on Friday, November 23, 2018.

The programme which was organised by the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department of the University of Cape Coast in collaboration with the International Society of Sports Psychology, on the theme: “Embracing Sport and Exercise Psychology Application for Optimal Performance and General Well-Being in Ghana”.

Habit

Prof Mintah, who is also a Former Sport Psychologist with the National Football team (Black Stars), said sporting teams must cultivate the habit of incorporating those psychologists at the beginning of their training seasons rather than waiting till it was too late.

He said management of sporting clubs and teams need not wait till they were in crisis before engaging the services of sport psychologist to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on the competitors.

“We must learn to start engaging the services of sports psychologist from the grassroot level so that as sports men and women climb up the ladder in their various fields they would be mentally and emotionally prepared”, he stated.

Benefits

The sports psychologist said psychology would help performers identify their personality types and managing issues associated with the various personality types.

He said it would also help in managing athletes and players arousal and anxiety levels using psychological intervention techniques and also help individuals and groups to function efficiently in a team.

Commitment

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to work with various stakeholders to ensure the success of the Ghana’s sport sector.

He said government was committed to empowering the masses through training and development in all career related fields to grow the economy of the nation.

Mr Asiamah commended the institution for the setting up of the society and urged them to work to ensure that psychology was applied in the sports sector to improve achievement motivation towards optimal performance.

The Head of Department, Health, Physical Education and Recreation, UCC, Dr Daniel Apaak, said main aim of the society was to provide a platform for all stakeholders in Ghana to come together to ensure that all sports personalities in the country were given the best psychological support necessary to excel in their chosen sport.

He said to achieve the aim it was imperative that sports psychology experts adapt their consultation to meet the cultural needs of the Ghanaian sports man.

ISSP

The Vice President of the International Society of Sports and Psychology, Prof Tatiana Ryba applauded the university for the setting up of the society.

She said it would help put African sports psychologist on the international front as the representation of Africa in the International Society of Sports Psychology was appalling.