Goals and Expectations

Chapter III: Outcome and Evaluation Goals and Expectations

A. The goal is that college and pro scouts will be able to consistently identify physical qualities AND key emotional/psychological skills that athletes need to achieve optimum success on the playing field 75% of the time.

Expected Outcomes

A. College and pro scouts will identify key emotional/psychological skills in athletes across various sports 75% of the time.

1. Within a three year period from the start of consistent psychological assessment use, college and pro scouts will be proficiently trained on how to utilize psychological assessment tools to select and train athletes.
2. Colleges and pro scouts will recognize the need to analyze and assess athlete’s psychological skills prior to player selection and as a vital part of ongoing player enhancement programs through various mandated training and education meetings by professionals in the field.
3. Colleges and pro teams will financially support psychological testing as part of the recruiting and selection of new players and current players on an annual basis.

B. A minimum of three psychological assessment tools and/or new assessment tests that identify psychological skills pertinent to athletic sports will be used by college scouts and faculty (inclusive to coaches, athletic directors etc. ) and by pro scouts (team coaches, owners, and other staff) in conjunction with current physical quality testing and observations. 1. 95% of college and pro scouts will use the Competitive State

Anxiety Inventory CSAI-2 test to identify debilitating and facilitating psychological characteristics and the frequency of these characteristics. 2. 95% of college and pro scouts will use the Athletic Motivation Inventory (AMI) to measure the following psychological constructs: drive, self-confidence, aggressiveness, coachability, emotional control conscience development, trust, responsibility, leadership and mental toughness. 3. 95% of college and pro scouts will use one or more of the following psychological assessments (or new proven assessments as they become available):

1. Test of Attentional Interpersonal Style (TAIS) a test formulated to predict athletic performance based on the constructs of affiliation and conformity.
2. Profile of Mood Sates (POMS) which measures six facets of emotion: tension, depression, fatigue, confusion, anger and vigor.
3. Dr. Kuchenbecker’s study identifying 64 psychological and 64 physical traits needed for optimum athletic performance.

C. Athletes will consistently perform better and understand how manage their game based on their physical and psychological skills.

1. In conjunction with scouts, coaches and other personnel/staff, players will receive education about how their personal psychological constructs affect their game by attending at least 30 hours of training by sports psychologists.
2. Athletes will become familiar with key psychological characteristics that influence and athlete’s winning potential as a part of their routine athletic training programs.
3. Athletes will identify their enhancing and limiting psychological characteristics on an annual basis through approved psychological assessment tests and tools, or as otherwise needed, to maximize and stay “on top” of his/her game.

D. Current scouting and coaching practices will modify and improve based on current research and literature that points to the high impact psychological qualities have on athletic success.

1. 100% of college and pro scouts will use psychological assessments as an integral part of the scouting process.
2. Coaches will become familiar with players superlative physical qualities and psychological qualities and coach players in a way that takes into account both sets of characteristics.

Measurements of Outcomes

A. Athletes pre and post performance scores, individual observations and coach/staff evaluations will be compared.

B. In team sports, both individual performance scores/observations will also be compared in conjunction with overall team performance and evaluations.

C. Wins versus losses.

D. Results will be presented in graph and table form.

Analysis of Results

A. A chi square will be used.

B. Interview responses will be evaluated using qualitative methods and a Likert Scale.