Abstract

In this article, we strive to define concepts and classifications from the field of sports psychology. We start by presenting the concept of the “athlete’s self-skills” as an alternative to the inaccurately named psychological skills. We then provide a succinct definition of mind as process and we suggest a functional classification of these skills, namely (the athlete’s) self-knowledge based on the interpretation of interoceptive information, proprioceptive information, affective bonds, evaluation of the environment and personal reflection. Finally, we associate the athlete’s self-skills with the intervention of the coach and the sports psychologist based on the performance state model, with a review of the competences needed to achieve this state. In the conclusions, we provide a representation of the interaction among the different sources of self-knowledge.