19 November 2016
FBMA Sports Psychology Seminar for Athletes and Coaches
“Effective communication between athletes and coaches is key to developing the Nation’s elite athlete community”
The Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy prompts the development of the Nation’s athletes as showcased at dedicated seminar
On Wednesday, 16 November,female Emirati athletes were invited by Abu Dhabi’s leading women sports organization to attend a seminar on sports psychology, tailored specifically for elite and professional athletes, and their coaches.
The ‘Sports Psychology Seminar for Athletes and Coaches’ was the second of its kind to be hosted by the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Sports Academy, FBMA, and is a product of the Academy’s strategic plan to nurture the future generations of Emirati champions by supporting their development beyond technical skills.
Featuring a lecture that highlighted the importance of establishing effective communication channels between coaches and athletes, followed by a Q&A session, the seminar was attended by over 50 participants coming from Abu Dhabi’s sport clubs and the UAE’s sport federations to exchange insights and experiences on the pivotal subject of sports psychology.
Besides exploring the relationship between the trainer and the trainee, the seminar also looked into best practices ofperformance stress management, and encouraged athletes to build confidence and trust in their abilities to be able to perform at their maximum potential.
“Previous research, particularly during the FBMA Elite Athletes Program that was hosted earlier this year, has made it very clear that we need to provide female athletes with the support mechanisms required for them be able to overcome the personal and socio-cultural stress they face while pursuing a career in sports”, said Mariam Al Mansoori from FBMA’s Education and Research Department. “Initiatives such as the Sports Psychology seminar highlight FBMA’s role in educating the sportswomen of the UAE and serve the Academy’s vision of filling the educational gaps that exist around women sports in the country”, she added.
The seminar, which took place in the Academy’s offices in Abu Dhabi, was part of the annual series of monthly seminars that was launched by FBMA in September (for more information visit the FBMA website at www.fbma.ae or contact the FBMA Education & Research Department at education@fbma.ae). Finally, the seminar provided an opportunity to further FBMA’s research on the physical exercise culture of the UAE and the needs of Emirati female athletes moving forward.