Counseling Brazilian athletes during the Olympic Games in Athens 2004: Important issues and intervention techniques

Abstract

During the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, a sports psychologist was brought in by the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) to provide psychological counseling. The main purposes of this counseling were to develop mental and emotional control skills and to offer psychological support to both athletes and coaches. The Brazilian sport psychologists in the Olympic Village offered interventions to individuals and teams. The following issues were uncovered by psychological tests and structured interviews: competitive anxiety, symptoms of psychosomatic stress, psychological pressure for winning, concentration difficulties, emotional instability, and difficulties in controlling pain. In order to prepare themselves for competition, some athletes developed their own psychological routines, aiming to maintain emotional control and a certain concentration level during the execution of technical‐tactical gestures. A total of 50 sessions of psychological support and supervision took place throughout the entire event, among which relaxation, concentration techniques, anxiety and stress management, and psychological routines for competition were practiced. Future steps for the Olympic games in 2008 are a long‐term preparation program, an interdisciplinary cooperation involving mental preparation (mainly for young athletes), and the development of a coach's education program