a group of people playing football on a field

Sport

Rugby isn't all tackles and tries...

By CameronBlogger 08 Mar 2018

Rugby is mainly a game of mental strength.

This why studying psychology helps me better my game. My degree has taught me about mental toughness and motivation so, being able to control these traits can help anyone improve their ability in sport!

In every sport, having a grasp of mental toughness can really help training and performance. To put it simply (and slightly cliche) 'when the going gets tough, the tough get going'. My degree has helped me understand how to be mentally tough and anyone can do that by going out of their comfort zone and throwing themselves into unnerving situations.

Obviously, motivation benefits us all whether it be in sport, work, or just in general everyday life. Set the wrong goals and your motivation to improve in a sport will dwindle, but good goals are SMART goals:

Specific goals that relate directly to your sport.
Measurable goals that allow for monitoring
Achievable goals that are realistic.
Relevant goals help the performer to improve in skills that will help in their sport.
Time-limited goals allow the performer to stage their progress towards a long-term goal.

Studying psychology at Glasgow University has helped me gain a solid grasp of mental toughness and motivation within rugby and hopefully, I will develop an even greater understanding in the future.