Some of us will run, some will walk, some will meander, some of us will just sit, and some will run in circles. We all share a common thread as human beings. We are purpose driven. At first we were driven to attain what Maslow deemed some of the basic tenants of life; including food, shelter and reproduction.
Obviously we have moved well beyond this as we look at how this relates to Sports and Success in Life. This is where things get interesting.
So we know we are driven and destined for something. Some may know by the age of 5 years old. While others are 60 years old and are still on their journey home. The point here is that it is ours, yours, everyone's due diligence even your DUTY to be seeking, listening, and smelling out the true Vision, Destiny or Dharma of our/your path. To not be listening for this and trying to understand or make our Vision more clean is at the Crux of all anxiety, negativity, and ill will.
In Sports Vision is Crucial and it is the center point for which all success and or failure hinges. Those with a True Vision of where they are going or what they want no matter how big or seemingly impossible it is have the most peace, direction, happiness, love and success. Yes sure there will be failures and pitfalls along the way, but resiliency in these matters is what actually creates the happiness and success behind it all.
So how do we find our Vision if it is not apparent. Like searching for Precious minerals or metals (gold), we don't frenetically dig around randomly, and we don't rush. We intentionally set a mind to this aspect of finding our Vision by creating TIME and SPACE to explore that which drives us, that which creates that exciting feeling buried deeper within us and bubbles up as we dream and invite our Vision to fuller expression.
As an individual athlete we dream big beyond what our physical world and external environment tells us. We erase all the constrictions and boundaries; not big enough, too slow, it's too much, small town. whatever the road block may be we begin to whittle it down until we get closer to the right fit. This is the way of Vision.
For a team we come together to create a shared vision and we commit to this shared vision with full intention. Without a full commitment to this shared vision we are very vulnerable to it quickly falling apart. We are weak at the seams. One misplaced piece disrupts the FLOW of the team's vision. We are committed in our time frame, our process and determination. We are committed to helping those individuals on the team who have lost their way NO MATTER what.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Mental Resetting in Sports
In Sport, failure to execute, making simple mistakes, and lack of focus occur frequently and are common in even the most elite athlete, but what separates elite from good is the ability to RESET.
Upon entering any competition most athletes are proficient in preparing their bodies; Right nutrition, warming up the body/muscles, pre-game skills, etc.; however the pre-game mental warm up and preparation is often lacking or not nearly paid attention to enough. Beach volleyball is unique in the mental aspect and demands upon a player. As you go through a game small errors can lead to rhythm changes, momentum shifts, and possible compounding errors which can quickly lead to a loss that could have been prevented with a couple of quick, in the moment mental adjustments. These quick adjustments which I call “Resets” actually start before you even step on the court or into competition.
To be able to quickly make a mental adjustment in the middle of a match you must first enter the match with a “quiet mind” (clean, blank slate if you will), and deeper sense of self awareness. Much like a computer our brains work on neural pathways and connections. When your computer/brain is bogged down with too many applications (distracting thoughts) running at once, your efficiency to perform tasks (motor planning and executive functioning) become compromised. We know this in the computer world because we start to see error messages. Loading information is slow (buffering), and eventually a crash can happen. When your computer is rebooted and Reset everything runs smoother and more efficiently.
Amazingly, we are able to perform this same action with our brains.
Competition can trigger a fear response mechanism which can be translated into fight or flight reaction, which I translate into a pendulum effect of anxiety in the competition world. This anxiety rests upon the “inverted U Hypothesis”, which states that one must have the optimal anxiety level to perform in the flow state or the zone. This basically translates into the competitor needing to modulate ones anxiety level so it’s not too high and not too low. The other key ingredient to a strong mental game is FOCUS. So, how do we attain these two key mental aspects Optimal Anxiety and Focus to RESET? I will list the ingredients much like a recipe:
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: in through the nose for a 6-10 count and back down 6-10 count 5-6 minutes. Clear the mind, relax the nervous system. Close to competition 1 hour or less. In competition. This is 1 or 2 deep belly breaths, while incorporating your Reset or Cue word (step There is much more to diaphragmatic breathing, but here is a start.
2. Introduce Visualization: how do you see yourself playing? Set your intention and focus here, zero in on how you will play and what you will do. In the moment see the serve, pass, or shot the way you practice it.
3. Cue Words/Self Talk: Establish your cue words that you will use in the moment to reset and get you back in the game. Short, specific, direct and impactful statements or words: pass the ball, move your feet, Right Now, Be Aggressive, attack, dig deep, let it go or simply RESET. To make this effective knowing yourself and having Inner Awareness is key.
4. Posture: project winning positive posture, head up, chest out, NOT deflated or head down. Focused on getting the next point, NOT what is going wrong or not happening or future outcome focused.
5. In Moment Process Focused: Do NOT think outcome focused--how many points you’re down, were going to win, we are too far down, we can’t come back. INSTEAD, what do I (we) need to do RIGHT NOW.
6. Deep Breath: The impact of 1-2 deep breaths can do wonders in saving your game and Resetting.
7. Intensity level: Understand the moment and energy going on with your team or yourself. Here you are modulating your anxiety and intensity level. Either it needs to go up or down. You will use SELF TALK to adjust this---yelling, screaming, “Let’s go”, or lower it—“Nice and easy”, “one point at a time.” Sometimes it just takes ONE BIG PLAY. A big, hit, dig, ace. USE it to carry you through and shift the momentum.
Let’s recap, It starts with your breath (1 to 2 deep belly breaths), assess the situation, and pull from your grab of above listed strategies. Use 1, 2 or all of them. Feel what you need. Then implement. You may ask “how do you have time for all this before the other team goes back to serve?” Let’s remember the brain is fast “HOW fast”? Well research has shown that the brain processes 20 Million Billion bits of information every second and can process an image in just 13 milliseconds. SO yes you have time between serves to visualize, breathe and RESET before the serve. The important thing to take away is that RESETING takes practice in your mental preparation well before you even step on the court. It’s important to incorporate these strategies consistently and make them apart of your game so it’s an unconscious reaction.
Upon entering any competition most athletes are proficient in preparing their bodies; Right nutrition, warming up the body/muscles, pre-game skills, etc.; however the pre-game mental warm up and preparation is often lacking or not nearly paid attention to enough. Beach volleyball is unique in the mental aspect and demands upon a player. As you go through a game small errors can lead to rhythm changes, momentum shifts, and possible compounding errors which can quickly lead to a loss that could have been prevented with a couple of quick, in the moment mental adjustments. These quick adjustments which I call “Resets” actually start before you even step on the court or into competition.
To be able to quickly make a mental adjustment in the middle of a match you must first enter the match with a “quiet mind” (clean, blank slate if you will), and deeper sense of self awareness. Much like a computer our brains work on neural pathways and connections. When your computer/brain is bogged down with too many applications (distracting thoughts) running at once, your efficiency to perform tasks (motor planning and executive functioning) become compromised. We know this in the computer world because we start to see error messages. Loading information is slow (buffering), and eventually a crash can happen. When your computer is rebooted and Reset everything runs smoother and more efficiently.
Amazingly, we are able to perform this same action with our brains.
Competition can trigger a fear response mechanism which can be translated into fight or flight reaction, which I translate into a pendulum effect of anxiety in the competition world. This anxiety rests upon the “inverted U Hypothesis”, which states that one must have the optimal anxiety level to perform in the flow state or the zone. This basically translates into the competitor needing to modulate ones anxiety level so it’s not too high and not too low. The other key ingredient to a strong mental game is FOCUS. So, how do we attain these two key mental aspects Optimal Anxiety and Focus to RESET? I will list the ingredients much like a recipe:
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing: in through the nose for a 6-10 count and back down 6-10 count 5-6 minutes. Clear the mind, relax the nervous system. Close to competition 1 hour or less. In competition. This is 1 or 2 deep belly breaths, while incorporating your Reset or Cue word (step There is much more to diaphragmatic breathing, but here is a start.
2. Introduce Visualization: how do you see yourself playing? Set your intention and focus here, zero in on how you will play and what you will do. In the moment see the serve, pass, or shot the way you practice it.
3. Cue Words/Self Talk: Establish your cue words that you will use in the moment to reset and get you back in the game. Short, specific, direct and impactful statements or words: pass the ball, move your feet, Right Now, Be Aggressive, attack, dig deep, let it go or simply RESET. To make this effective knowing yourself and having Inner Awareness is key.
4. Posture: project winning positive posture, head up, chest out, NOT deflated or head down. Focused on getting the next point, NOT what is going wrong or not happening or future outcome focused.
5. In Moment Process Focused: Do NOT think outcome focused--how many points you’re down, were going to win, we are too far down, we can’t come back. INSTEAD, what do I (we) need to do RIGHT NOW.
6. Deep Breath: The impact of 1-2 deep breaths can do wonders in saving your game and Resetting.
7. Intensity level: Understand the moment and energy going on with your team or yourself. Here you are modulating your anxiety and intensity level. Either it needs to go up or down. You will use SELF TALK to adjust this---yelling, screaming, “Let’s go”, or lower it—“Nice and easy”, “one point at a time.” Sometimes it just takes ONE BIG PLAY. A big, hit, dig, ace. USE it to carry you through and shift the momentum.
Let’s recap, It starts with your breath (1 to 2 deep belly breaths), assess the situation, and pull from your grab of above listed strategies. Use 1, 2 or all of them. Feel what you need. Then implement. You may ask “how do you have time for all this before the other team goes back to serve?” Let’s remember the brain is fast “HOW fast”? Well research has shown that the brain processes 20 Million Billion bits of information every second and can process an image in just 13 milliseconds. SO yes you have time between serves to visualize, breathe and RESET before the serve. The important thing to take away is that RESETING takes practice in your mental preparation well before you even step on the court. It’s important to incorporate these strategies consistently and make them apart of your game so it’s an unconscious reaction.
Sunday, November 15, 2015
Knowing yourself towards Excellence
Most of us are trying to move somewhere. For me in particular it's in the realm of helping athletes maximize their potential by accessing and overcoming mental blocks in performance. Sure I have my own goals to maximize my potential, climb a mountain or two or surf bigger waves, haha, but for the purposes of this blog it's about how to help YOU not ME.
If you want to get somewhere, achieve, finish higher, win more, you Must first deal with YOU. You can not get to where you want to go until you first figure who you are and what you are about. Do you get scared and freeze up when the game is tight or the stakes are high? Or perhaps you indulge in the moment too much and you're too loose and overconfident. Both of which have an impact on focus and take you out of the moment.
It's important to do a self inventory of your strengths and weaknesses and understand what your mental tendencies are in relation to your sport and your performance. This way you can move forward on strengthening this aspect just as you would with improving your sport specific strength and skills training. The mental aspect is often over looked and undervalued. Yes people talk about it and say things like "sports are SO MENTAL", but often is the case that a training regime or a dedicated practice is not put in place.
Attached is an article I have written that takes this aspect a bit further.
If you want to get somewhere, achieve, finish higher, win more, you Must first deal with YOU. You can not get to where you want to go until you first figure who you are and what you are about. Do you get scared and freeze up when the game is tight or the stakes are high? Or perhaps you indulge in the moment too much and you're too loose and overconfident. Both of which have an impact on focus and take you out of the moment.
It's important to do a self inventory of your strengths and weaknesses and understand what your mental tendencies are in relation to your sport and your performance. This way you can move forward on strengthening this aspect just as you would with improving your sport specific strength and skills training. The mental aspect is often over looked and undervalued. Yes people talk about it and say things like "sports are SO MENTAL", but often is the case that a training regime or a dedicated practice is not put in place.
Attached is an article I have written that takes this aspect a bit further.
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