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201ClassOne-ConcentrationConfidenceControlCommitmentNew Material
The Seven Deadly Virtues of the Legionnaire
Virtuous Assessment (Analysis)
Virtuous Intent (Aggression/Will)
The 4C's Concentration, confidence, control and commitment (the 4C's) are generally considered the main mental qualities that are important for successful performance in most sports.
The techniques of relaxation, centering and mental imagery can assist an athlete to achieve the 4C's.
Concentration This is the mental quality to focus on the task in hand. If the athlete lacks concentration then their athletic abilities will not be effectively or efficiently applied to the task. Research has identified the following types of attention focus:
The demand for concentration varies with the sport:
Common distractions are: anxiety, mistakes, fatigue, weather, public announcements, coach, manager, opponent, negative thoughts etc.
Strategies to improve concentration are very personal. One way to maintain focus is to set process goals for each session or competition. The athlete will have an overall goal for which the athlete will identify a number of process goals that help focus on specific aspects of the task. For each of these goals the athlete can use a trigger word (a word which instantly refocuses the athlete's concentration to the goal) e.g. sprinting technique requires the athlete to focus on being tall, relaxed, smooth and to drive with the elbows - trigger word could be "technique"
Athletes will develop a routine for competition that may include the night before, the morning, pre competition, competition and post competition routines. If these routines are appropriately structured then they can prove a useful aid to concentration.
How can I stay focused? I expect you have seen an athlete become angry at their performance (throw a tantrum, throw the racket on the floor, argue with the judge etc.). The problem here is that the athlete is focusing on the mistake (the past), something than cannot be changed, and not on the future (the next point). In young athletes, this can be hard to overcome not only because they are inexperienced but also because of peer pressure or the fear of losing.
In sports psychology "pattern breaking" routines are used to help prevent the athlete falling into this negative attitude. A "pattern breaker" can be a word or phrase shouted within the brain (not vocally) or something physical (pinging an elastic band on the wrist). The coach can use the "pattern breaker" in training or competition to refocus the athlete. This approach may not be suitable for a young athlete as it is specialised and will take time for them to master.
Many young athletes have their idol (role model) who they would like to emulate. You may see the athlete attempt to assume the identity and hallmarks of the role model when they perform. This is beneficial provided the role model is a suitable one. Watching the role model in action (video, television, live) will help the athlete see how their idol stays focused and how they react to their mistakes. The role model's name could become the "pattern breaker" phrase for the coach to use when their young protégée falls into the negative thoughts trap. On hearing their role model's name the athlete will shift their focus to how their role model would react and assume a positive (calm, composed and motivated) approach.
What are the Benefits?
Mental Imagery itself can be useful in a number of circumstances including:
The "Quick Set" Routine
Psychologist Jeff Simons developed a routine that would allow an athlete to achieve an appropriate mental arousal in the last 30 seconds before a competition. The "Quick Set" routine, which involves physical, emotional and focus cues, can also be used as a means of refocusing quickly following a distraction. An example of this routine for a sprinter could be:
Close your eyes, clear your mind and maintain deep rhythmical breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth (physical cue) Imagine a previous race win, see yourself crossing the line in first place and recreate those emotional feelings of success (emotional cue) Return your focus to the sprint start, think of blasting off on the 'B' of the bang with the appropriate limb action (focus cue)
"You only achieve what you believe" I use this quotation when I hear an athlete make a negative statement about their ability. I also use it to focus the athlete's attention when assisting them to develop mental imagery skills.
Here are 10 specific ways of improving attention control and going into a “focus trance” more often: 1. Avoid negative thoughts and feelings, as these are needless distractions that rob you of limited focus capacity. 2. Remain focused on the present, attending to what is immediately important and blocking out past and future concerns and points. After a mistake, briefly note any changes necessary then move decisively to the next point. 3. Recite key words or phrases to yourself prior to the point to remind yourself to concentrate (e.g., "focus," "control," "good contact"). 4. Be task- rather than outcome-oriented. Thinking about the score or how you look are common distractions. The outcome only improves when you ignore it and attend to the task at hand. 5. Slightly relax between points while avoiding external distractions. Some players achieve this by staring at an object (e.g., racket strings) and visualizing the next point. 6. Keep to yourself and avoid talking to your opponent or spectators during changeovers. This is your time to recharge energies, sip water, and calmly regain your focus for the next game. 7. Add a ritual, or consistent routine, to your game (e.g., adjust footwork, bounce ball) to help fight off needless distractions and keep your mind from wandering. 8. Be particularly vigilant when fatigued. Players often lose their focus when tired. 9. Attention and energy levels are closely related. Avoid becoming overly excited while remaining focused on executing shots and implementing your strategy. Breathing and/or relaxation exercises can help lower arousal. 10. Coaches should make practices fun by frequently allowing players to choose which skills to practice and varying the routine. This increases motivation and leads to improved focus. http://www.tennis.com/yourgame/sportsscience/sportsscience.aspx?id=37508
17 Ways to Improve Your Concentration and Explode Your Productivity Rodger Constandse : Time Management, Goal Setting, Productivity : By John Fike Being able to concentrate is one of the keys to increasing your productivity. It doesn’t matter what you’re working on, whether it’s a report related to work or a hobby project out in your garage, if you can’t focus on the task at hand, it will either not get done or not get done right.
Researchers have been able to show pretty conclusively that an inability to concentrate results in errors and mistakes and generally slows productivity in any environment. Whether you’re being distracted by employers, coworkers, phone calls, family members or random thoughts and worries, every time we restart a task we have to spend time getting back up to speed or back to our frame of mind.
This can take anywhere from a few seconds to a half hour or longer, depending on the complexity of the project and the length of the interruption. This can cause a project to drag out longer than it has to or result in shoddy, inconsistent work.
Sometimes we are working on multiple tasks at a time, such as writing a report in between meetings and phone calls, with the belief that we are being more productive. This is commonly referred to as ‘multi-tasking’. However, it’s really a series of planned interruptions or distractions and it has the same negative effect on your work as any other sort of distraction.
However, research has shown that if you can set aside blocks of time to concentrate on a task or project, or learn to avoid distractions, you can usually complete it in less time with more consistency and fewer errors.
To help you increase your productivity through better concentration and focus, here are a few suggestions for building concentration skills and eliminating distractions:
1. Practice Concentrating An athlete doesn’t just engage his sport during competitions. He practices various aspect of his sport when failure and success don’t matter. Likewise, practice concentrating when you don’t have to so that you’ll perform better when you do. The next two suggestions are exercises to help you practice.
2. Candle Watching As an exercise, light a candle and practice concentrating on the flame. Just notice its colors and movement. Don’t analyze anything about the flame, just watch it and notice it. If your mind starts to wander, bring your attention back to the flame. Set a timer and practice for 5 minutes at a time.
3. Observe Breathing and Heart Beat This exercise is similar to candle watching, but you’re going to focus on feeling your breath and heart beat. Since no external device is required, this can be done anywhere.
4. Separate Yourself from Your Environment When reading or working at the computer, imagine sound-proof walls coming up around you and separating you from your surroundings. This is particularly useful if you have to work in a noisy or busy environment.
5. Set Goals Having something to shoot for can help you focus on your work. The goal can be something you’ll receive by finishing the project, a time limit or a reward you’ll give yourself when the task is done.
6. Limit Focus Time When you have to focus intensely, don’t do so for more than 60 to 90 minutes at a time. Just as your body needs a rest from time to time, so does your mind and the harder it’s working the more often it needs a break.
7. Avoid Stimulants Stimulants, like caffeine and sugar, may energize, but they can also make it difficult to concentrate.
8. Allow Time for Mental Wandering Your mind is kind of like a closet. If you just keep throwing things in, it becomes cluttered and disorganized. Once in a while you have to pull everything out to see what’s there and put it back in orderly fashion so that you have more room and can find things more easily. Allowing your mind to wander from time to time increases its capacity to handle periods of concentration.
9. Write Down To-do List & Distracting Thoughts Write down things you need to remember and thoughts that are distracting so that you can come back to them later and free your mind to concentrate now.
10. Use a Do-Not-Disturb Sign and Turn Off TV, Radio, Telephone, E-mail, and Internet Let others know that you don’t want to be disturbed and eliminate as many avenues of interruption as possible. Sometimes this may mean working in an unusual location. Occasionally I’ll take my notebook computer to the basement to work because nobody disturbs me there.
11. Eliminate Distractions Ahead of Time If you know something is likely to come up during your focus time, try to deal with it before you get started. This includes getting a snack or drink if you are likely to get hungry or thirsty while working.
12. Notice Distracting Thoughts and Cut Them Off If you catch your thoughts wandering, bring them back to focus. If you can’t do it just mentally, try the next suggestion:
13. Do Something Physical to Re-establish Focus Sometimes we need a physical cue to re-establish focus. Writing or typing anything or picking up a tool can help you get your mind back to the task. Or use the ‘Tunnel Vision’ method and cup your hands around your eyes like blinders on a horse and aim your vision at the work to be done.
14. Develop an Interest in Your Task It’s easier to focus on something you’re interested in. Think about any aspect of the task that makes it interesting. If the subject doesn’t interest you, maybe you can find interest in how the task will benefit you or someone else.
15. Recognize Conditions that Promote Concentration When do you find it easiest to concentrate? When the light is bright or dim? When there’s silence or when there’s background noise? Do you concentrate better in a cleared space or do you focus better surrounded by clutter? Can you concentrate better when you’re alert or when you’re calm and maybe a little tired? Plan your concentration periods for when circumstances are best.
16. Create a Space for Working and Concentrating Once you know what conditions promote your ability to concentrate, set up your workspace to implement as many of them as possible or find a location that facilitates concentration.
17. Practice the 5 More Rule To increase the length of time in which you can comfortably concentrate, every time you feel like taking a break force yourself to go five minutes more and then take your break. Or, if you are working on a series of tasks or items like assembly or database entries, force yourself to do five more before taking a break. This will extend your concentration endurance. http://www.goalstoaction.com/blog/39/17-ways-to-improve-concentration
Improving Your Concentration Skills (National Adult Literacy ...
Global, broad and narrow focus
Before any meaningful discussion about focus can occur, we first need to consider the three types of focus that a person needs to be able to utilize. The first would be a global focus where you are not focused on any specific person or thing; rather you are in an alert mode, ready to focus on anything as required. This type of focus should rarely, if ever, be used during training or competition. The second type is a broad focus, which is significantly more intense than the previous type and involves outside stimuli that you must be aware of in order successfully complete a task. One of the best examples of this would be driving a car; while the other cars and traffic laws are not under your control you need to be aware of what is going on and react accordingly. Finally, there is the narrow focus, where you focus on only one particular item or action. This focus is so intense that individual will often miss stimuli external to their focus. A classic example is someone who is so focused on a particular television show that they do not respond the first couple of times someone calls their name.
Often we hear athletes speaking of being in the zone but rarely do we take time to think about what this actually means. Watch most professional athletes and you will see the physical cues they go through in order to enter the zone. Everything from the baseball player tapping their cleats to a golfer walking on the tee box from the same side every time to the hockey player who has to be the last one off the ice - these athletes are using their physical cues to get focused on the task at hand. For most of these athletes, the cues have been reinforced, in practice and in competition, over their entire career. One of the largest benefits of these cues is that they help an athlete switch from a broad to a narrow focus.
Your focus as a triathlete
As a triathlete, your physical cues are going to be very different from those that appear in other sports. Where most athletes need to worry about switching to a narrow focus for a very short period of time, the triathlete is more concerned with maintaining a narrow focus over a long period of time. As such, your cues will be used to bring your focus back when you start to lose your concentration. These cues will be developed and used in your training and they need to be something that you can do while completing the sport. For example, a cue that could be used on the bike could be checking to see that your helmet is still fastened and pushing up your glasses. Every time that you lose focus during your workout, check the helmet strap and glasses while changing your focus. If you do this consistently during your training, you will find that this will help you regain your composure and concentration. Another cue that you could use would be to check your physical performance after you notice that you have started to lose focus. For example, you could check your cadence while running to ensure that you are maintaining 90rpm. If you know that you are someone who is easily distracted from a narrow focus, you could set the timer on your watch to signal at a given interval and check your cadence at that point. Focusing on this specific physical indicator will help you regain your lost focus. Ultimately, it does not matter what cues you use to bring your focus back from the broad to the narrow, just that you are able to do it.
Although being able to maintain a narrow focus is very important, so is the ability to switch quickly between narrow and broad focus. For example, while on the cycle leg an athlete would have to be aware of the distance behind other riders, traffic, road conditions, traffic signs, cadence, speed, exertion level and fueling to name a few. As a rider moves up on another they first need to be aware of overtaking the other rider (broad), gauge whether or not they will be able to pass (narrow), check traffic (broad), increase cadence/shift gears(narrow), ensure they pass in the allotted time (broad) and decrease cadence/shift gears (narrow). Since all of these things must happen within a very short period of time, the athlete’s ability to switch between broad and narrow focus will improve how well they are able to pass another rider.
Practice switching focus
The good news is that a great deal of these skills are practiced everyday in training: while swimming you need to be aware of the other swimmers in your lane, on the bike and run you are constantly aware of vehicles, stop signs, traffic lights and changes in road conditions. Trying to get meaningful training in while facing these distractions will help hone your ability to switch between narrow and broad focus. However, there are drills you can do in order to help improve these skills even further. The first is to read while sitting in front of the television (this works best if you are not especially interested in the reading material but you are interested in the show) and read for as long as you can without becoming distracted. After reading a given amount, maybe a page, switch your focus to the television show for a minute and then go back to reading. Once you become proficient at this, you can up the stakes by reading smaller amounts (paragraphs or even sentences), watch T.V. for a few seconds and then try to go back to reading at the exact spot you left off. Another exercise that I have found to work well with my athletes is to have them watch a sporting event (the sport is not really important but it should be something relatively fast – basketball, hockey, volleyball, etc) and have them vary focus between narrow (the athlete controlling the play) and broad (what all the athletes are doing). Although I have mainly used this to help athletes read and react to what other players are doing on the floor, it has also helped them with their ability to focus. The best thing about these drills is that they will not take you away from your family, increase your chance of injury or be cancelled due to weather conditions.
The ability to concentrate at the task at hand can help athletes move their performances to the next level. With very little effort, narrow and broad focus can easily be incorporated into your existing training, allowing you to move even closer to your next PB!
References
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=394
Confidence Confidence results from the comparison an athlete makes between the goal and their ability. The athlete will haveself-confidence if they believe they can achieve their goal. (Comes back to a quote of mine - "You only achieve what you believe").
When an athlete has self confidence they will tend to: persevere even when things are not going to plan, show enthusiasm, be positive in their approach and take their share of the responsibility in success and fail.
To improve their self confidence, an athlete can use mental imagery to:
Mental Imagery
Mental imagery involves the athletes imagining themselves in a specific environment or performing a specific activity. The images should have the athlete performing these items very well and successfully. They should see themselves enjoying the activity and feeling satisfied with their performance. They should attempt to enter fully into the image with all their senses. Sight, hear, feel, touch, smell and perform, as they would like to perform in real life.
When an athlete is in a fully relaxed state, he/she is particularly receptive to mental imagery. The next stage is then to learn how to develop and apply mental imagery skills.
What can Mental Imagery be used for?
Mental Imagery can be used:
Mental imagery should not focus on the outcome but on the actions to achieve the desired outcome.
How do I Apply Mental Imagery?
Golfing great Jack Nicklaus used mental imagery. In describing how he images his performance, he wrote: "I never hit a shot even in practice without having a sharp in-focus picture of it in my head. It's like a colour movie. First, I "see" the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I "see" the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there's a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality only at the end of this short private Hollywood spectacular do I select a club and step up to the ball."
When should mental imagery be used?
To become highly proficient at the constructive use of imagery, you have to use it ever day, on your way to training, during training, after training, and in the evenings before sleeping. If you want to perfect and use mental imagery to your fullest advantage, you can start by doing two things. In every training session, before you execute any skill or combination of skills, first do it in imagery as perfectly and precisely as possible. See, feel, and experience yourself moving through the actions in your mind, as you would like them actually to unfold. In competitions, before the event starts, mentally recall the event focus plan, significant plays, skills, movements, reactions, or feelings that you want to carry into the event.
Control
Identifying when an athlete feels a particular emotion and understanding the reason for the feelings is an important stage of helping an athlete gain emotional control. An athlete's ability to maintain control of their emotions in the face of adversity and remain positive is essential to successful performance. Two emotions that are often associated with poor performance are anxiety and anger.
Anxiety comes in two forms - Physical (butterflies, sweating, nausea, needing the toilet) and Mental (worry, negative thoughts, confusion, lack of concentration). Relaxation is a technique that can be used to reduce anxiety.
When an athlete becomes angry, the cause of the anger often becomes the focus of attention. This then leads to a lack of concentration on the task, performance deteriorates and confidence in ability is lost which fuels the anger - a slippery slope to failure.
Relaxation Relaxation itself can be useful in a number of circumstances including:
Mental Imagery
When combined with positive mental imagery it is useful in:
How do I achieve relaxed muscles?
Progressive muscular relaxation involves the active contracting and relaxing of muscles. When a muscle is tightened for 4-6 seconds and then relaxed, the muscle returns to a more relaxed state. This process should be performed for the following parts of the body in turn - feet, legs, thighs, buttocks, stomach, back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, jaw, face and eyes.
How will relaxed muscles feel?
J.H. Schultz in the 1930's noticed that patients in a relaxed state experienced one of two sensations: the feeling of warmth or the feeling of heaviness in completely relaxed limbs.
During the relaxation process, concentration should be focused on one of these sensations. For the first few sessions, the athlete should alternate the focus between sessions to determine which one they prefer.
Can Relaxation have a Negative Effect?
In a competition situation an athlete will either be:
If we were to use relaxation procedures with an over excited athlete, we might be able to reduce his/her arousal level to that of the optimally excited athlete. This would have a positive effect on his/her performance. However if we asked an under-excited athlete to use relaxation procedures it would only make it harder for him/her to "get-up" for the competition. The coach therefore has to know his/her athletes and how they react in competitive situations.
Relaxation Training
There are a number of relaxation techniques that have the following characteristics:
Regardless of which technique is used, the following two conditions need to exist if the technique is to be learned:
Centering
The Centering technique was developed by the Tibetan Monks over 2000 years ago. Centering requires you to focus your attention on the centre of your body, the area just behind your naval button. The technique has a calming and controlling effect, providing an effective way to manage anxiety.
Self Hypnosis
This is one of the most popular self-hypnosis techniques employed by athletes. It aims to help you distance your mind from the here and now and place you in a setting that you associate with relaxation and inner calm. This script could be recorded as an MP3 file - where there are 3 full stops (...) leave a pause for a few seconds and remember to speak clearly and slowly. The following script is an adaptation of a script published by the London College of Clinical Hypnosis.
Firstly you need to relax, put on some very relaxing music or sounds of nature, sit or lie down in a position that you find comfortable in a place where you are unlikely to be disturbed.
Look up at your eyebrows and begin to concentrate on the sounds around you... maybe the distant sound of a car driving by or the hustle and bustle outside on the street... then concentrate on the sounds of the music, feel it flowing over you as if it were the tide going in and out, in and out... now begin to pay attention to the sound of your thoughts... concentrate on your breathing. Take deep breaths in and out... in and out... listen to your heart beat... become aware of your eyelids and feel them blinking quickly and notice that you have a strong desire to close your eyes... allow your eyes to close and feel a deep sensation of relaxation. In a few seconds, you will imagine your favourite place of relaxation... maybe somewhere you have been before, a beautiful garden, a deserted beach, a summer meadow or somewhere you can imagine you would feel relaxed... and now... just imagine that you are standing on a balcony... and there is a long set of stairs in front of you... leading down from this balcony... there are strong stairs... with wide steps... and a handrail on each side... the stairs are well lit... and you can see them clearly... In a few seconds' time... you can count down from 10 to one... and with each descending number between 10 and one... you will take a single step down the stairs... and with each descending number you will become more and more calm, more and more relaxed... each step down from the balcony will take you deeper and deeper... into your wonderful state of relaxation... and as you slowly descend these stairs... you are going to experience a sense of ever-deepening relaxation... throughout your entire body... You will feel the stairs under your feet and when you eventually reach step one, you can pause and wonder where you might go next... again you feel very tranquil and this tranquility is accompanied by a sense of anticipation... you will then step off... and when you do so... you will find yourself in your favourite place of relaxation... and enjoy... this beautiful place... Provide yourself with only positive and beneficial suggestions. For example, relating to increasing your self-confidence, attaining peak performance in an upcoming competition, or mastering a specific sports skill that has perhaps proved elusive to you. If, at any time, for any reason, for example in case of emergency or any situation where full attention is required, by opening your eyes, you will be fully alert. To take yourself out of your relaxing place in a gradual manner, simply count up slowly from one to ten, on reaching the number eight, open your eyes, and at the number 10 you will be fully awake and alert. As you stand up, have a stretch and notice how good you feel.
Meditation for Relaxation
A number of people involved in sports psychology believe that meditation can be useful in getting maximum performance from an athlete (Syer & Connolly, 1984). Engaging in meditation helps reduce stress before an event and with experience the athlete can learn to relax different muscle groups and appreciate subtle differences in muscle tension. The technique includes the following steps:
Try to practice a relaxation technique once a day.
Relaxation Techniques This page contains a program to help you relax. Each session should begin with "Getting Loose" and then followed with "Breathing Easy". It is best to use the relaxation program prior to commencing the warm up and then to use the warm up to achieve optimal level of arousal.
Getting Loose
Begin each session as follows:
Now begin the "Getting Loose" exercise for each part of your body, as follows
Legs
Buttocks and thighs
Stomach
Back and Neck
Arms and Shoulders
Jaw
Face
Eyes
Entire body
Breathing Easy
Having completed the "Getting Loose" exercises remain lying on your back. Carry out the "Breathing Easy" exercise for 10 minutes, as follows:
Inhale
Exhale
Now do as follows:
Additional Information
Associated Pages
The following Sports Coach pages should be read in conjunction with this page:
Associated Books
The following books provide more information related to this topic:
RELAXATION TECHNIQUES: CAN THEY MAKE YOU A BETTER ATHLETE? by Michael Bohnstengel
Relaxation is of great importance to any athlete striving for peak performance. Relaxation skills can help athletes reduce mental (self-doubts, worry, etc.) and physical anxiety (nausea, shaking, etc.), while increasing concentration and performance. Relaxation techniques can be used prior to competition or, if practiced enough, during competition. There are many techniques for keeping cool prior to and during competition. Breath controlled relaxation, mantra meditation, and blank meditation tools are used for controlling nervousness/anxiety.
Breath controlled relaxation is a technique that requires practice to learn properly. It can help with both mental and physical anxiety. Begin by practicing once a day for 15-20 minutes at a time. Assume a lying or sitting position in a quiet place that is free from distractions. Practice involves four steps and approximately 17-20 minutes to complete the entire technique. The four steps include:
Breath controlled relaxation obviously takes some time to learn, but with practice, one deep breath during competition will trigger the relaxed feeling. It is a great way to relax and refocus during downtime in sport. A good example would be during a free-throw attempt in basketball. Just one deep breath, at the line, can relax tension in the arms and shoulders and contribute to a feeling of control before the shot.
Mantra meditation is a method that can help athletes who have high levels of mental anxiety. The first step involves getting into a comfortable position, such as lying down or sitting (Hardy, 1996). Next, close your eyes; take 20 minutes and breathe normally while internally repeating a "mantra.". A mantra is any calming word or sound that has no meaning such as "mmmm."
Mantra meditation should be practiced daily for a total feeling of calmness and control. It can be useful for pre-game jitters or anxiety during competition. The ultimate goal is to repeat a "mantra" and reach a calming state within seconds. It can be used immediately prior to competition, or even during competition to regain composure and focus.
Blank meditation is another example of a meditation procedure to help ease pre-game jitters and increase concentration. Once again, assume a comfortable position such as sitting in a chair or lying in a bed.
Then, close your eyes and try to clear all thoughts from your head. The goal is to clear your mind of all thoughts and "blank-out" one's mind. A "blank" is considered to be when you think of nothing at all and see nothing but darkness. At the beginning level most will reach the "blank" level for a second or two, but will break it immediately by thinking "wow" or "I've got it." Reaching the "blank" is more difficult at the beginning stages but, with practice, it can be held for several minutes.
So, practice daily and then use it prior to competition. With practice, the "blank" stage can be reached in a matter of seconds and can calm an athlete down between the time of the coach's pep talk and the start of the first or second half of competition.
The key to any relaxation technique is practice. Each technique discussed will take several weeks of practice before an athlete will be able to achieve a beneficial level of control prior to and during competition. However, the benefits realized from being able to relax justify the time spent.
References:
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/articles/sports/relaxtech.html
Commitment
Sports performance depends on the athlete being fully committed to numerous goals over many years. In competition with these goals the athlete will have many aspects of daily life to manage. The many competing interests and commitments include work, studies, family/partner, friends, social life and other hobbies/sports
Within the athlete's sport, commitment can be undermined by:
Setting goals with the athlete will raise their feelings of value, give them joint ownership of the goals and therefore become more committed to achieving them. All goals should be SMARTER.
Many people (coach, medical support team, manager, friends, etc) can contribute to an athlete's levels of commitment with appropriate levels of support and positive feedback, especially during times of injury, illness and poor performance.
Successful emotional states
The following are emotional states experienced with successful performance:
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