Nowadays in sport we can see the desire to introduce mental preparation into various teams. This trend is progressing not only in individual, but also in team sports. However we must admit that the high quality of mental preparation in Slovakia is exception rather than the rule.

In this area, our subsidiary SportMind HDTS successfully operates in the domestic market. Several projects have been implemented in various sports, for example - active cooperation with the Slovakia U18 hockey team in the 2016/2017 season, which was provided under the guidance of the mental trainer Slavomira Gazdikova.

Therefore in women’s basketball team MBK Ruzomberok decided to apply the team mental preparation. The whole process began with the diagnosis of mental abilities in cooperation with SportMindHDTS. Zuzana Psenakova entered the coaching staff as a mental trainer for the women's team.

Despite the fact that they reached the semi-finals with a less advantageous third position in the table, they passed to the finals without problems and on the shortest path - after winning the series 3-0 in the semifinals.

Head Coach Juraj Sui describes the merits in the victory and mental preparation of the team. "We have a newly created and multicultural team. I felt the need for a single mental attitude, as well as more effective teamwork. We see positive shifts on the mental side of each player. We believe that thanks to these processes we managed to achieve the main objective of the season - to reach the final of the Extraliga. However, we perceive this fact as a great positive, but not an ultimate goal."

The purpose of the cooperation was clear from the very beginning - to interrupt the three-year non-participation in the final of the Slovak extra-league. Today it is already obvious that it has been carried out. So, after three bronze seasons, we will again see the fight for the title in the coming days.

"After the winter break, there was a small change of personnel, several players left and, on the the other hand, new players from abroad came. Success in team sports is associated with the interaction of individuals, which sometimes could not be immediately ideal. Our common goal was primarily to strengthen the team spirit and unite it in the crucial part of the season - the playoffs. Because of the high probability of meeting Piestany in the semifinal series, and also because of the unfavorable statistics of Ruzomberok with this opponent in previous games, it was necessary to work with individual players and the whole team. They needed to believe that they can play not only as individuals, but also as a team, "explained Zuzana Psenakova.

"Mental preparation helped us to increase team self-confidence. We realized that success in sports goes hand in hand with good psychological preparation, "said team captain Tajja Campbell. The training process enriched team meetings and individual consultations in which players, as well as coaches, discussed topics such as How to concentrate, What are my strengths, What we like, Why communication is important, How effectively work "or" Creation of individual and common goals".

"During the mental preparation we learned to trust each other and support each other, because it is very important in collective sport. We managed to further strengthen our team, which we managed to transfer to the field, "says Miroslava Mistinova.

In professional leagues, details often decide results. The ability to hold a match with an empty head can be a key difference between the winner and the loser. In team sports also comes the desire to see the team in the first place. Athletes should understand that the sign of the team on the heart is more important than the name on the back. Only this way it can be successful in team sports.