Mental training services launch highlights growing focus on athlete psychology in Northeast sports

A professional mental training company has launched comprehensive services for athletes and high performers, highlighting the growing recognition of psychological support in sports a trend increasingly evident across Northeast England, including at Sunderland AFC where sports psychology has become integral to player development.

MentalMed Group GmbH has announced a range of mental training services including sports mental training and autogenic training, designed to help athletes reduce stress, pressure, and psychological blockages to achieve peak performance. The launch reflects broader trends in sports psychology that are transforming athletic development across the region.

"We are the portal for athletes and high performers," explained a spokesperson for MentalMed Group. "From a certain level, success is not determined by skill, knowledge, or body but by the mind. Stress and pressure often play crucial roles, but internal blockages can also influence performance."

Northeast England's Sports Psychology Development

The Swiss company's approach mirrors developments already taking place across Tyne and Wear, where organizations like Sunderland AFC have embraced comprehensive sports psychology programs. The club employs Greg Irvin as lead academy sports psychologist, who heads up sport psychology programs delivered to all stakeholders associated with the Academy.

Sunderland AFC's Luke O'Nien has been particularly vocal about mental health challenges in football, launching the Inner Game Academy with Rob Blackburne to provide young players with psychological tools and support that are often missing from traditional football development.

"The aim is to develop the individual through high-level coaching, focusing not just on technique and decision-making but psychological skills such as resilience," explains the Foundation of Light's Player Development Centre approach, reflecting the growing recognition of mental training importance.

The University of Sunderland also supports this trend through its Elite Athlete Scheme, which provides up to £1,000 worth of funding and support including sports psychology services alongside traditional physical training support.

Mental Training Techniques

MentalMed Group's services include three core areas that align with approaches being adopted across Northeast England sports programs:

Autogenic Training: Founded in 1932 by German physician Johannes H. Schultz, this form of self-hypnosis enables athletes to induce relaxation states. The technique addresses stress relief, anxiety management, sleep disorders, and concentration issues challenges commonly faced by athletes from grassroots to professional levels across Sunderland and wider Tyne and Wear.

Sports Mental Training: The program focuses on visualization techniques, mental anchoring, and positive suggestions to help athletes access their full performance potential at crucial moments. These methods recognize that the brain cannot distinguish between real actions and imagination, allowing mental rehearsal to activate the same brain regions as physical training.

Specialised Mental Training: Targeting specific areas including stress management, sleep problems, and performance anxiety issues that affect athletes across all levels in the Northeast region.

Regional Sports Psychology Growth

The emphasis on mental training reflects broader developments across Tyne and Wear's sports infrastructure. Tyne Metropolitan College offers sport coaching courses that increasingly incorporate psychological elements, while the region's Active Partnership, Tyne and Wear Sport, supports comprehensive athlete development programs.

Local sports psychology services have expanded, with practitioners like those listed on Psychology Today providing sport and performance psychology support to athletes, teams, coaches, and parents throughout the Sunderland area.

The Northeast's approach to athlete mental health has gained national attention, particularly through initiatives like Sunderland AFC's mental health discussions with Premier League community programs, demonstrating how psychological support is becoming mainstream in regional sports development.

Professional Sports Integration

Sunderland AFC's investment in sports psychology reflects broader professional sports trends. The club's academy employs specialized staff including Clinical Psychologist Suzanne Brown, who serves as Lead Psychologist, exploring important aspects of psychology in football development.

The club has also embraced innovative training methods, including partnerships with sports science companies like Okkulo, which uses specially lit training environments to improve players' visual-motor skills through neurological training approaches.

Wider Applications

Mental training services like those offered by MentalMed Group address needs extending beyond professional sports. The techniques benefit recreational athletes, students facing exam anxiety, and high performers in various fields populations well-represented across Sunderland's diverse community including university students and local business professionals.

The growing availability of such services, whether from international providers like MentalMed Group or local practitioners across Tyne and Wear, reflects increasing recognition that mental preparation is as crucial as physical training for achieving peak performance.

As sports psychology continues to evolve from specialized support to mainstream practice, athletes across the Northeast benefit from growing access to mental training techniques that can enhance both sporting performance and overall well-being.