| Peak performance in athletics has become the subject of intensive investigation over the past two decades. As the demands placed on athletes increase, coaches and sport scientists are investigating methods which will further enhance the performance of athletes. Specific behaviors of the athlete (e.g. verbal/nonverbal behavior, arousal control, visual control) are considered critical in maintaining appropriate stimulus control over target behaviors, which can contribute to peak performance (Nideffer, 1984). This study investigated the effectiveness of a mental training program developed for the sport of racquetball.;The mental training program included three components: (1) a video tape The 10 second solution (Friesen, 1990) which described appropriate on-task behaviors between rallies, (2) instruction in visual imagery and relaxation training, and (3) a self-recording training diary.;It was hypothesized that the treatment intervention would result in a decrease in; off-task behaviors, unforced errors, and service faults. A single subject research design known as a multiple-baseline-across-subjects was used to investigate the research question. The effects of the training program were analyzed through visual inspection of performance data and social validation procedures. Improvements made by athletes in utilizing on-task behaviors during the time between rallies were observed using a multiple-baseline-across-subjects research design. Four members of the Manitoba provincial racquetball team were chosen as subjects for this study. Lori was 14 years old, Jeff was 16, Darrell and Dan were both 18 years old. Dan withdrew from the study due to time commitments.;The results of this study indicated that the training program was effective in reducing the frequency of off-task behaviors of participants during the time between rallies. Lori demonstrated a treatment effect for first serve faults as well as unforced errors. Jeff and Darrell did not show a strong treatment effect for frequency of first serve faults or unforced errors. |
