If I could mange distractions during my sports performance, I’d be able to achieve my peak potential! Distraction and losing focus are very common experiences that athletes find challenging to manage. For example: A tennis player lost the last four games and, during the changeover, he starts having uncontrollable negative thoughts. Elizabeth is bound to shoot her best round of golf and, as she is about to tee off, she pays too much attention to …
Sports injuries can be devastated for any athlete. Hopes and dreams to achieve big goals can disappear in just a second. Immediately after the injury, some athletes may fall in a negative thinking spiral that affects not only any hope to coming back, but also a psychological damage that further delays the healing process. It is right after injury takes place that immediate psychological support can provide a huge favorable outcome. Research has found that …
This past weekend, we witnessed an unprecedented come from behind win by the U.S Women’s golf team as they defeated the European side despite the huge odds against them. Needing to win 8 ½ points out of 12 being disputed, they faced the highly favorite European team with total focus and determination. In the early morning on the last day of play, Sunday, an unfortunate sportsmanship incident prevented the U.S. team from possibly earning a …
This past Saturday, Serena experienced a loss that will be remembered as one of the major defeats in the history of Gran Slam tennis championship. Roberta Vinci, an unseeded Italian player with limited success in prior Gran Slam matches, shocked everyone after coming victorious in a thrilling semi-final 3-set match. Vinci overcame the 300-1 odds to defeat the 21-Grand Slam Champion who was pursuing history as a win in the US Open would have placed …
We have seen top athletes achieving fantastic goals while others who possess equal physical and technical talents fall short of becoming successful. Is it nature or nurture? This is a million dollar question whose answer will be forever debated. What most coaches agree on, however, is that elite athletes have developed a rigorous process that helps them remain focused at the time when they need to perform. One of the main characteristics elite athletes share …
I have been writing numerous blogs hoping to help athletes find ways to improve their performance when it matters. I am fully aware that competition brings nervous feelings as you are expecting to perform to your best abilities and, that alone, can become quite nerve wracking. It is not easy to feel perfectly calm, and in fact, the great majority of the times, you will feel nervous regardless of how well you thought you were …
Is it possible not to get angry, at all? Well, we all get angry. It is a acceptable human experience that is part of our repertoire of emotions. So, the answer is no. But, why do we feel anger and what can we do about it? There are many reasons we get angry, but I believe that placing a lot of attention at the final outcome of a shot or performance eventually robs the athlete …
It may sound like a silly question and some of you may be wondering, what is the benefit of using a routine? Top athletes use systematic routines to help them regain focus on the task at hand; hence, if they use them, there must also be beneficial to all level athletes who are considering performing more consistently. Routines are pre-arranged tasks organized for the purpose of gaining focus. Once used systematically, it helps to push …
In a recent interview with Jack Nicklaus, he was asked if athletes are born having mental toughness. His immediate response was that athletes do not know their fullest potential until they put themselves in situations where they are demanded to perform outside their comfort zone. Athletes are continually asked to take one step further to improve their performance. A thorough preparation leading to perform to one’s best is the only guarantee to building confidence in …
A pre performance routine is the “sequence of task, relevant thoughts and actions which an athlete systematically engages prior to his or her performance of a specific sport skill” (Moran 1996, p177). The objective of executing a pre-performance routine is to assist the athlete to gain full focus of the task at hand. Just prior to starting the performance, it is quite common that noises, people moving around, intrusive thoughts, and emotions become a distraction. …