Racing Mental Game Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is the “mental game” of racing?
Dr. E.M. Kolasinski: The mental game is everything that goes on in your head before, while, and after you race.

Q. Mental game?! Bah! This is racing! Racing is only about going fast, and everyone knows that going fast is only about how much money you spend.
Racing is a very complex sport involving many aspects, including racing skill, crew competence, team interaction, equipment quality, and, of course, the car itself – it’s easy to see why the importance of racing’s mental aspect is underestimated or ignored completely. Although there is truth in the idea that “speed costs money,” focusing only on money is short-sighted for two reasons.
First, the race to spend the most money is a race that can never be won. No matter how much money you or your team spends on the car and equipment, another racer or team can always spend more.
Second, even the best car doesn’t drive itself during the race. The heart of racing is the driver, and whenever a human is involved, the human will be a factor in performance. Racing skill, although very important, is not enough by itself to guarantee success at an elite level. If you want to be competitive at an elite level, a solid mental game is an asset; but if you want to be consistently successful at an elite level, a fully developed strong mental game is a requirement.

Q. Do you only work with drivers or can you help other members of the racing team too?
My area of expertise – Human Factors Psychology, also called “Engineering Psychology,” “Ergonomics,” and “Cognitive Engineering” – can be applied to many aspects of racing. I can work with the entire team on information processing, driver communication, team coordination and communication, performance under extreme heat and other environmental stressors, leadership, team morale and motivation, and ergonomic and usability issues associated with the car and equipment.

Q. I’m pretty relaxed, I can usually control my emotions, and I have a fairly positive attitude. Isn’t that all it takes to have a strong mental game?
Staying relaxed, controlling your emotions, and having a positive attitude are important elements of the mental game, so it’s great if you are already strong in these areas. However, there is much more to the mental game. A fully developed strong mental game also involves skill at – among other things – planning, goal-setting, focus, concentration, effective problem-solving and decision-making, self-assessment, training, and analysis and management of information. More information about the mental game topics I can teach is provided at the end of this FAQ.

Q. My schedule is already ridiculously overloaded. Do you really expect me to make time just to work on my mental game?
Elite performance requires determination, perseverance, discipline, sacrifice, and a great deal of hard work. There is no way around this. There is no reward without effort, and nobody reaches an elite level in any domain without meeting these five requirements. Unfortunately, very few racers are willing to meet these requirements to the degree that elite performance demands – that is why there are so few elite racers. When the best in the sport come together to compete, a racer must have some sort of edge to be victorious over such talented and capable competition. Because developing and strengthening the mental aspect of your racing can give you that edge, it is well worth making the time for in your schedule.

Q. Racing costs a lot of money. I can’t afford to work on my mental game.
At some point, you can’t afford not to. Money and natural talent will only get you so far. If you are no longer making progress at your current level or if you are trying to move up to a higher level, you will have to do something different from what you are currently doing. Developing and strengthening the mental game can be exactly what is needed to get to the next level.
Although working on your mental game is a lifelong process, it does not have to be a lifelong expense and it does not have to mean a lifetime commitment of weekly, monthly, or even yearly sessions. Those are options, but I can also work entirely on an as-needed basis. In fact, some clients have only one session, especially if they only need help with a specific mental game issue or if they just want to learn a new perspective on the mental game. More information about my services is provided at the end of this FAQ.

Q. If I get help for my mental game, does it mean I have some sort of “problem” or that I am “psycho” or “mentally deficient” or that there is something “wrong” with me somehow?
Absolutely not! Western society has had a negative stigma against the field of Psychology for a very long time, so I can understand why you might be concerned about this. I encourage you, however, to break free from dark ages thinking about Psychology and consider all that the scientific field of modern Psychology can offer you and your racing. Mental health is the same as physical health. If you were injured on the track, would you be willing to receive help from a medical professional? I’m sure you would. Receiving help from a Psychology professional to improve the mental aspect of your racing performance is exactly the same thing.

Q. If I just keep racing for the next 5, 10, or 15 years, won’t I eventually figure out on my own how to have a strong mental game?
If you continue to race for the next 5, 10, or 15 years, then, yes, you probably will learn some things on your own about the mental game – but it will have taken you 5, 10, or 15 years to figure them out. Note that this assumes you are able to keep your ride for 5, 10, or 15 years, which you may not be able to do if you do not have the strong mental game that is needed for consistent success. If, instead, you take time now to focus on developing and strengthening your mental game, you can build a solid foundation that will set you up for success – and you can spend the next 5, 10, or 15 years enjoying the benefits of your strong mental game.

Q. Isn’t the mental game just “common sense”?
If it is, then “common sense” must not be very common, judging from the number of racers and other athletes who fail to reach their full potential because they do not have a strong mental game.

Q. Do you hypnotize people, sell magic trinkets, or shock people?
With a BS in Mathematics, MS in Statistics, and PhD in Human Factors Psychology, I have a very solid quantitative science background. (You can find out more information about my background by reading my Biography.) All of the techniques I use and teach have a scientific basis in the research of psychology, human factors, sport psychology, human performance, or another scientific area. I do not hypnotize people, sell magic trinkets, or shock people.

Q. Who are some of your clients?
Like other Psychology professionals, the ethics of my profession as set forth by the American Psychological Association usually prevent me from identifying my clients by name – that is why I emphasize that my client list is confidential. My clients, of course, are free to let people know that I work with them, but it must be their choice to do so. I can tell you, however, that I have bowling clients on all three Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) tours – the Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour and the PBA Regional and Senior Tours – as well as on the Loschetter Tournament, a scratch tour for Florida’s youth bowlers. I also have golf clients at the amateur level.

Q. Do you compete in any sports?
I played tennis on my high school team, and I used to bowl and golf. Except for maintaining physical fitness through weightlifting and a variety of aerobic activities, I have given up other sports for right now in order to focus my time and my money on my area of elite performance, namely, my business of being an Elite Performance Consultant.

Q. If you don’t race, how can you possibly help me?
Suppose you fracture a rib in a crash and must be treated by an orthopedic doctor. Would you only allow an Orthopedist who had similarly broken one of his or her ribs to treat you? I doubt it. When you go to medical professionals for treatment, you recognize and respect their expertise, regardless of whether or not they have personally experienced the medical issues they treat. As a PhD-level Psychology professional, I have the expertise to help elite performers with the psychological aspect of their performance just as an MD-level medical professional has the expertise to help patients with the medical aspects.

Q. Can’t I just get the information I need about the mental game from a book? Why do I need to work with someone?
Potentially, yes, you can get the information you need from a book. There are plenty of books available about the mental game written for many sports, especially golf, and the underlying principles apply to any domain of human performance, including racing. During one visit to the bookstore, I counted 18 books related to the golf mental game. That’s a lot of information to read, absorb, and figure out how to apply to racing and your personal mental game.
If you enjoy reading and have found books that help you, I encourage you to continue reading. It can be difficult, however, to make sense of and organize all of the available material, and it can be very difficult to determine how to apply it to racing and your personal mental game. That is why it is so beneficial to work with a Psychology professional. Because I already have the expertise, I can focus on identifying and prioritizing the areas in which you need improvement, and then I can determine an appropriate course of action. This frees you up to focus on other aspects of your racing rather than trying to become a Psychology professional yourself. Of course, you ultimately have to be the one to use the mental game principles and techniques, but I can remind you of what needs to be done, guide you through the process, and encourage you along the way.

Q. Do you have a specific approach to teaching the mental game?
I believe that a strong mental game is built on five overarching principles, which I call “pillars.” I believe that everything related to the mental game either affects one or more of the pillars or is a by-product of one or more of the pillars. My 5 Pillars of a Strong Mental Game are
Pillar 1: Take responsibility for your performance
Pillar 2: Control your emotions
Pillar 3: Control your thinking
Pillar 4: Focus on the present
Pillar 5: Commit yourself to constant learning

Q. What mental game topics do you teach?
The topics covered in all of my services reflect a combination of stated mental game needs as well as my assessment of mental game needs and may include the 5 Pillars of a Strong Mental Game, relaxation, visualization, imagery, attitude, mindset, focus, concentration, self-perception, self-talk, confidence, emotion control, self-assessment, effective practice and training, planning, goal-setting, preparing for and handling competition, pre- and during-race routines, analysis of information, problem-solving, decision-making, coping with the demands of celebrity, and other mental game topics as needed or desired. I can also work with the entire racing team on information processing, driver communication, team coordination and communication, performance under extreme heat and other environmental stressors, leadership, team morale and motivation, and ergonomic and usability issues associated with the car and equipment.

Q. What services do you offer for individuals?
My primary service is individual consultation consisting of one-on-one sessions. These sessions can be conducted on an as-needed basis for racers who only need occasional help or on a retainer basis for racers who want to work on their mental games over an extended period of time such as a racing season. Packages of sessions are also available. In-person sessions can be conducted at my office in the Tampa area, at a track, or at any other location convenient for the client. I can also work with clients entirely by phone. For clients with a minimum of two prior sessions, assistance can be provided during races if radio communication is available.
Some clients – especially those who only need help with a specific mental game issue or who just want to learn another perspective on the mental game – only have a single session, and this is perfectly acceptable. Even if you only meet with me for one session, you will leave that session with techniques that you can immediately apply to your racing.
You can also learn about the mental game through my complimentary e-newsletter, each issue of which contains a useful mental game tip. You can subscribe to my e-newsletter here. Don't worry – I do not send spam or sell or show my distribution list.

Q. What services do you offer for groups and racing teams?
I can provide instruction to groups of racers in a small group setting of 2 to 4 or 5 racers, and I can also provide instruction to the entire race team. I can provide instruction in a large group setting at a clinic, camp, or other instructional event, and such instruction can involve any combination of classroom instruction, individual consultations, on-track, or in-car activities. I am also available for half-day and full-day corporate workshops, as well as for speaking at corporate events.

Copyright 2007, 2008, 2009 by E.M. Kolasinski. All rights reserved.