FOCUS...THEN RE-FOCUS.

Recently, I had the pleasure of listening to a profound Mental Coach speak to a group of exceptional student-athletes. In that conversation, he talked about some of the mental challenges in being a student-athlete, as well as some of the tools and methods to overcoming those obstacles. Throughout the conversation, one thing that deeply resonated with me, and seems relevant to anyone that is currently or is looking to become a student-athlete, is the ability to focus, and then refocus after becoming distracted.

What is Focus?

In this context, focus is defined as “to concentrate attention or effort”. The goal in this case is to be able to focus on the present. In any moment, where should the attention be applied to achieve a successful result? When you’re in Science class, are you scrolling social media or paying attention to what’s going on in class? In a basketball game, down 1, shooting two free throws with :00 on the clock, are you consumed by the size of the crowd and the taunting that comes from the opposing side? Or do you hear the deafening silence from your own side?

Or…do you have a routine that locks you in mentally and physically? Have you developed the tools to block out distractions? Going further, have you developed tools to refocus once the intrusive thoughts get in the way?

As a group, these student-athletes have focused a bit on routines. However simple or quick, find a routine to help you center your attention on the task at hand. With a number of tools available, let’s put a comprehensive pattern together that will help us focus initially, and also assist in realigning that focus when necessary.

1. Prepare

a. If confidence comes from preparation, we should be prepared for what might happen. Imagine you have a Bigtime at-bat coming up…What’s the situation? What’s the objective? What can I expect from the pitcher? What sort of distractions can I expect in the moment? Better yet, have you simulated this situation before?

b. Visualize the event before it happens. Imagine yourself being successful in the biggest moments you can think of. Practice losing focus to some of the potential distractions, and then bring the attention back to the present task.

2. Engage

a. I know the objective and how I’m going to get it done. Distractions have crept in, and I’ve repeated the routine to realign my focus on the current job. The only thing left to do is execute.

3. Repeat

a. After the first pitch in the at-bat mentioned above, you may either have a ball or a strike. After the second pitch, the count changes again. And the third pitch, and so on. Each time the current pitch is over, we reset, re-prepare, and re-engage.

b. Run through your prep routine again. It might be two spits and a tap of the cleats…maybe drawing a cross in the dirt…or staring down the pitcher. Whatever it is, repeat it and get ready for the next pitch.

Prepare, Engage, Repeat. Easy….right?