How Coaches Can Use a Mental-Skills Assessment

SportsConfidence editorial team · Published 9 October 2026

Start with the question, not the questionnaire

A mental-skills assessment is most useful when it addresses something the athlete wants to understand. Perhaps training feels confident but competition feels uncertain. Perhaps a mistake disrupts the next few minutes, or preparation varies from week to week. Begin by describing the situation together.

Ask what happens, when it happens and what the athlete would like to do differently. This gives the feedback session a purpose and makes it easier to decide which parts of the SPQ20 report deserve attention.

Prepare a conversation rather than a verdict

Before completion, explain how the report will be used, who will see it and how it will support development. Encourage answers about the athlete’s usual approach rather than the person they think a coach wants them to be.

Read the complete report before the session. Note possible strengths, combinations of findings and questions that need context. Avoid preparing a long list of weaknesses. A profile is an invitation to explore the athlete’s perspective, not a finished explanation of their performance.

Let the athlete speak first

Open with “What stood out to you?” or “Which part best describes your experience?” This helps reveal what matters to the athlete before the coach’s interpretation takes over.

For a finding that seems relevant, ask for one recent example and one occasion when things were different. An athlete who reports difficulty managing pressure may cope well in some events but struggle when selection is at stake. That distinction can shape a much more useful plan than a general instruction to relax.

Explore combinations without assuming causes

The SPQ20 covers motivation, confidence, emotional management, relationships and specific mental techniques. Looking across these areas can produce useful questions. Strong achievement drive alongside fear of failure might prompt discussion of expectations and reactions to mistakes. Conscientious preparation alongside adaptability might prompt discussion of what happens when the plan changes.

These are possibilities to test with the athlete. Neither a score nor a combination proves why a difficulty occurs. Compare the discussion with training observations, footage and the demands of the sport.

An illustrative feedback conversation

A tennis player says that one missed shot leads to increasingly cautious play. Rather than describing them as lacking confidence, ask what they notice between points, what they say to themselves and which decision becomes harder.

Discuss relevant Self-Talk, Managing Pressure and Self-Efficacy feedback. The player may identify a useful priority: completing a brief reset and committing to the next tactical choice. The coach can then help practise that response during scored drills.

Finish with an agreed action

Write down the situation, the action to practise, where it will be rehearsed and the review date. Ask the athlete to explain the plan in their own words. If it feels unrealistic or unhelpful, revise it before leaving the session.

A short coaching record should capture the athlete’s view as well as the coach’s observations. At review, ask what was tried, when it was useful and what made it difficult. A disappointing result does not automatically mean the routine failed.

Use AI to organise preparation

With appropriate permission and privacy arrangements, ChatGPT can help draft open questions or organise a session agenda from the report. Ask it to use the scale definitions, distinguish findings from suggestions and identify missing context. Check the output before using it.

Try: “Help me prepare a feedback session around this athlete’s stated goal. Suggest open questions grounded in the report, including questions that could challenge my initial interpretation.” The AI page and guide explain a fuller approach.

Explore SPQ20 coaching applications · Read the evidence overview · All articles