Posts Tagged "routines"
Jun2

What To Do With David Ortiz – An Analysis of a MEGA-Slump (Part 2)

Posted at 2:37 PM • No Comments
Thanks for coming back! I appreciate your viewing.

I finished the first post on this topic by stating that part two of this post will explore how to take a break when you are part of a team.  This is a significant issue because it is not as easy just going away.  There is accountability to the other players and coaches.  (At the pro level there is accountability and financial concerns with management.)  So as a player in a slump so bad that time off is needed, there are some important components to handling this appropriately.

If time off away from this team is going to occur there initially needs to be some clear guidelines that both the player and the team should follow.  It is important to remember that this is the responsibility of both parties, not simply the player or just the team.  This is an big step to take during a slump.  The guidelines will shape both the time off, as well as the player’s return.

For the player:

  • Understand what this short time of is.  It is to clear your head, relax, and get away from the sport.  It is not a time to train harder, work on a side project, or party.
  • You may be anxious to get back to your sport but don’t rush it.  Rushing only potentially exacerbates the situation.
  • Take time to set some new goals for when you come back.  Start fresh.  Treat your comeback like a new season.
  • This is not the time to fix mechanics.  You will do this when you come back.

For the team:

  • It needs to be made clear that this is NOT a punishment.  It is for the players benefit.  Yet it should be emphasized that it is not a “spring break” type of vacation, it is a relax and take it easy vacation.
  • The player should not feel as if there place on the team is threatened.  If they were batting 3rd in the lineup when they left, they bat 3rd when they come back.  Otherwise the player will be resistant to the break and/or more stress will be added.
  • Regular contact should be made to check in but the player should have some space.  Again, the goal is to allow the player to get away from the sport.

After the short time away the player should start slow.  Set small goals (for example, just make solid contact during a few at bats, then look for hits) and focus on the basics.  Treat it like a new season with no expectations.  You cannot change the past (and it may be too much to completely make up for), so focus on the present. Slumps are difficult to manage but with some patience and an attention to your mental skills any player can work through it.

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

May25

A Few Thoughts on Preparation

Posted at 10:48 AM • No Comments

I know it’s been a little while since my last post. I’ve been really busy but I wanted to share some thoughts on a common theme I am seeing with many of the athletes I work with. Preparation before competition is a difficult thing to figure out. Having a routine that allows you to feel comfortable, ready, focused, and confident is not as simple as just doing what your coach says or reading up on a routine in a book. In an earlier post I wrote about what your expectations should be of a pre-competition routine and now I want remind you of the pitfalls of not doing your routine or having one that does not help you.

Many of my athletes discuss how it is easy to do their routines and feel ready during “home” competitions but then either forget to or rush through their routine when they are “away”. The common cause for this falls under a few different reasons: complexity, time, reminders, and usefulness.  (*The following causes are not exclusive being at away events; the key is that not doing your pre-competition routines can lead to a lack of focus, higher stress, and not being physically ready.)

  • If your routine is too complex then you run the risk of either worrying too much about completing it or in some situations you will not be able to complete it.
  • The time you give yourself before a competition is also critical to completing your routines. Too much time and you may get cold or find yourself standing around. Too little time you won’t be able to get ready and be prepared.
  • Reminders are also important because under pressure it becomes difficult to remember our routines. Even if you go through your routine, if you feel pressured or stressed you may skip over important steps.
  • Lastly, is your routine useful? So many times I talk with athletes who have no idea if there routine actually gets them ready. You should feel physical and mentally ready, focused, confident, and comfortable.

Take time to review your routine and make sure you are getting the most out of it and feeling prepared.

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

Mar26

Rethinking Anger: Anger Doesn’t Equal Intensity

Posted at 4:01 PM • No Comments

 

Are You Angry or Intense? There's A Difference.

Are You Angry or Intense? There's A Difference.

Getting pumped up, excited, intense, or focused are all great qualities for an athlete. Being angry isn’t one. Often athletes (and coaches) equate anger and aggressiveness with intensity. Intensity is a positive attribute, anger is a negative attribute. Intensity is based on being focused and in control; anger comes from frustration and losing control. Anger almost always has negative effect on performance. Anger causes a shift in attention, the focus becomes on what you’re angry about and not what is happening in the moment. This break in concentration causes your performance to suffer. This experience is similar to the effects of stress.

 

For example, if a basketball player thinks he/she got fouled but doesn’t get a call from the referee the focus may be on the non-call. Their focus becomes the non-call and not the current situation causing performance levels to drop. The use of concentration techniques would be helpful in breaking the cycle of anger and poor performance.

The most effective ways to do this are:

• Cue Words or Phrases (Self-talk)
Cue words/phrases can be used to trigger a particular competitive response. They help athletes narrow their focus when necessary. Cue words/phrases can be either instructional (i.e.; follow-through, relax, watch the ball) or motivational (explode, do it now, strong) to help focus on the task at hand.
• Take a personal time out
As soon as you can take a few seconds and remove yourself from the situation. Take a second to take a deep breath and think objectively about the situation that just occurred. Once that is over take another deep breath and think about what you need to do next.
• Use Performance Routines
Use pre-competition or pre-situation routines help you get focused and prepared for what is about to happen. Using routines when concentration breaks will help athletes refocus and performance will improve.

For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.

Mar23

Before The Event (Elitetrack.com Post)

Posted at 9:54 PM • One Comment
Using A Routine Will Helps Performance

Using A Routine Will Helps Performance

In my last post I wrote about the importance of stress reduction.  One area of importance I mentioned was how you prepare for your competition. The time leading up to an event is arguably the most important part of the act of competing. This time can be stressful and potentially problematic. Athletes who experience anxiety may exacerbate the situation through:

· Remembering poor performances

· Doubting one’s ability

· Pressure to perform from coaches, teammates, or self

· Not having a routine

While all of these affect your performance, by addressing the last point, routines, you can combat all of the other mental hang-ups. During your physical warm-up and preparation you can begin to install a mental preparation that will keep you focused and confident. Leading up to the event your preparation should include the following in some form:

1. Feedback/evaluation – the use of video to critique past performance, coach’s evaluation, etc allow for better and more objective feedback. It forces you to be honest with yourself and not be too negative.

2. Create and use a competition plan – use visualization to experience goals and outcomes, have expectations besides winning.

3. Create and use a pre-competition routine – have a plan of how you will get ready, review your goals and expectations, go through focus exercises, and relax.

4. Control for unnecessary distractions – find time to be by yourself, listen to music, or go through some extra relaxation techniques to calm your mind.

While you cannot control everything you can work on making sure you are prepared for competition. There are many different mental skills to use it is recommended that you package them as listed above. This will allow you to control as much as possible and not be affected by uncontrollable circumstances such as: event time schedule changes, transportation problems, and illness. An athlete who is prepared will have a better chance to handle changes, distractions, or setbacks prior to or during competition.

The key to all of this is practice. You need to practices these steps and practice your mental skills regularly. Just as with any physical skill you need to practice and use these skills every time you compete.


For more information about mental performance as well as overall athletic performance enhancement check out our websites. The links are on the right of the page.