SPORTS psychologist Noelle Smith says that she is pleased at the response of the participants of the first Titans Table Tennis Club (TTTC) ‘Mental Toughness’ seminar which wrapped up yesterday at the Red Cross building in Kingston.

It was the second session of the seminar which saw some 20 participants, males and females, ages ranging from eight to 18, engaging in mental exercises designed to help them cope with stressors, and build their mentality during and before games.

Smith pointed out that the mental aspect of sports is key to the development of any athlete in any discipline, especially at an early age.

“They have so much going on in their everyday lives, school, the usual parents’ stress, lessons and sports; this (mental aspect) is something that is sorely missing in Guyana’s sports arena. I would recommend that seminars such as this one that we just completed are implemented on a regular basis, as often as possible.”

She also revealed: “they (children) were very enthusiastic, they responded well and I think we made progress. I got some insights into their mental state and capacity; we will definitely continue to work together.”

Meanwhile, Titans president and coach, Dwain Dick, told Chronicle Sport that he intends on having mental health seminars more regularly; “From what I’ve seen, this is something that is of tremendous value to these student-athletes, over the two sessions. Ms. Smith has really engaged and interacted with the participants progressively and we (Titans) intend to have these seminars quarterly.”

He also extended an open invitation to athletes of other sports to participate in any future ‘Mental Toughness’ seminars; “We had athletes from badminton, hockey and of course table tennis. However, in the future we’d like to see more athletes from the other disciplines attend; I’m even thinking about having the coaches sit in with the athletes for a session.”

At the completion of the seminar, participants were presented with certificates. The seminar was organized by the Titans Table Tennis Club and supported by Beacon’s Café and Guyana Beverage Inc.