Sport psychology is one of those cutting-edge disciplines poised on the edge of art and science. The mind game is one of the most important, yet often most elusive and ineffable elements in all of sport.

Having a strong mental game is the Make-It-Or-Break-It skill that separates the winners from the You-Came-So-Close crowd. The mental game is the ultimate X-factor, that hidden dimension of sport that winners possess and losers wish for.

I don't know if you are happy with your mental skills, but my guess is, you probably think you could improve your sport by improving your mind, and that's the reason you're reading this.

Perhaps you're a middle school or grade school athlete, competing in your chosen sport, yet you want that extra edge to help you make the school team, or to get your ranking higher, or to compete at a higher level. Maybe you are looking ahead to making the high school team soon.

Perhaps you're a high school athlete, frustrated with knowing that with just a little better mental approach to your sport, you could be great. Maybe you're struggling with controlling your mind, and with some specialized help, you believe you could really take things to the next level. Maybe even get that college scholarship.

Perhaps you're a college athlete, competing at a high level, yet your performances are inconsistent, and lack the deep focus required to succeed at such rarified stratas. You are looking for better mental preparation that will regularly catapult you into the zone. You want to reach your goals before you graduate. Maybe you're thinking about playing pro afterwards.

If you're a professional athlete, it's a slam-dunk that you need a solid mental game approach--every day, all day. Anything less, and you're sunk. Need we say more?

And of course, every athlete, at every level must have mental toughness.

Here is a quick overview of why people seek the services of a sport psychology coach. They typically want to:

1. Learn how to psych up for every practice, coaching session and competition.

2. Make mental toughness a strength in their sports performance.

3. Stop mentally beating themselves up and self-destructing when they perform below expectations.

4. Know how to get into the performance zone, naturally and easily, every time.

5. Handle the dreaded mind games opponents launch at critical times.

6. Harness the secrets of game momentum to win more.

7. Gain more satisfaction from their sport.

8. Reach new levels of performance.

9. Transfer lessons learned in sport to the rest of their life and business.

What are YOUR reasons for seeking sports psychology help?

This article covers only one small part of the mental game. A complete mental training program includes motivation and goal-setting, pre-event mental preparation, post-event review and analysis, mental strengthening, self-regulation training, breath control training, motor skill training, mental rehearsal, concentration training, pressure-proofing, communication training, confidence-building, breaking through mental barriers, slump prevention, mental toughness training, flow training, relaxation training, momentum training, psych-out proofing and media training.

For a comprehensive overview of your mental abilities you need an assessment instrument that identifies your complete mental strengths and weaknesses. For a free, easy-to-take 65-item sport psychology assessment tool you can score right on the spot, visit http://www.mentalgamecoach.com/Assessments/MentalGameOfSports.html. This assessment gives you a quick snapshot of your strengths and weaknesses in your mental game. You can use this as a guide in creating your own mental training program, or as the basis for a program you undertake with Bill Cole, MS, MA to improve your mental game. This assessment would be an excellent first step to help you get the big picture about your mental game.