Mental strategies of football quarterbacks for training and competition.

Abstract

Orlick (1992) proposed a "Model of Human Excellence," which was comprised of seven mental skills, including commitment, belief, full focus, positive imagery, mental readiness, distraction control, and constructive evaluation. Twelve individuals who had played the quarterback position at a high caliber of competition participated in a standardized interview to determine if this model accounted for their mental strategies for training and competition. The sample was divided into university (n = 9) and professional (n = 3) sub-groups. Structural, qualitative analyses were conducted on each transcript. Individual differences with respect to the use of mental skills appeared to be related to the level of play, with the best players in both sub-groups having the most comprehensive mental approaches and practices. The most marginal mental skills for the university quarterbacks were positive imagery and constructive evaluation.