We all make mistakes. When we do, it is easy for those mistakes to steal attention and focus. We become fixated on them. We get stuck. We want to evaluate, analyze, and fix our mistakes right away. However, I argue that it is best to save analysis until later.
When our minds become focused on worries, doubts and fears, we become anxious. Anxiety (or nervousness) sets our bodies’ stress responses in motion. This natural reaction, designed to facilitate an optimal response to life’s demands, can carry with it adverse effects. Specifically, an increase in muscle tension can interfere with an athlete’s performance.
One of the first evaluations made of an athlete is whether or not he or she is coachable. Many coaches will select a less talented player who is coachable over a more talented player who isn’t coachable. What is it that prevents an athlete from being coachable in the first place?
When emotions take over, it gets ugly. Golfers throw clubs. Football players back their teams up 15 yards. Basketball players swing elbows. If only everyone could keep cool.
No one likes to lose. And yet, in the 64 team bracket that makes up the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament known affectionately as March Madness, 63 teams go home defeated. Or do they?
While conversing with my father-in-law as the Wichita State Shockers took on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the round of 16, I was reminded of a truth I’ve encountered many times in sport: sometimes you lose and sometimes you get beaten. Casey Stengel, a big leaguer, said, “most ball games are lost, not won.” Let’s take a deeper look at that statement.
In competition, athletes often get distracted by thoughts, fears and forecasts. This creates added stress and takes focus and concentration away from the current play. Performance plummets, mistakes are made and the player struggles to get his or her head back in the game. What if you could help athletes stay focused in the present?
Championships are won on the practice field. Yet not all teams practice like champions practice. The truth is, practice doesn’t make perfect. The way in which we practice makes all the difference. So, how can you increase the quality of practice?
When it comes to performing your best, confidence is king. Most of us know, inherently, that confidence is critical to optimal performance. What we are less familiar with is how to build it in ourselves and our teams.
Confidence is essential for becoming and remaining a high performer. You have to believe in yourself and your abilities, as well as in your team. Often our approach to maintaining confidence is to focus on all the things we do right, recalling our successes and building ourselves up. With such a focus, is there a danger that confidence will turn to overconfidence? How do we keep from crossing the line?
I’ve said before that optimism can be your secret weapon. It’s definitely a secret weapon for me. When trying out for the all-star team in little league baseball, I thought I had as good a shot as anyone. When I applied to graduate school, I knew I would have to convince them to take a risk, but why wouldn’t they? When applying for a highly competitive new job, surely I’d have a shot. Some may have doubted, thought I wouldn’t come out on top in these situations. But I did.
