Psychwrite Define intensity and what it looks like in your sport. Explain how much intensity you bring to your sport.

Intensity Unit III: Motivational factors

Steve Prefontaine

One of the most electrifying runners in history Known for his competitiveness and ferocious intensity Broke every American record from 2000 meters to 10,000 meters Died tragically in a car accident at the age of 24 His intensity was infectious…he got people running!

“Some people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts.”

“To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

What is intensity? It is a vitally important trait that everyone assumes they understand. You probably understand the importance of competing with intensity, but probably never really stopped to think about it before.

Intensity: how POWERFUL the energy of something is. Motivation FUELS intensity! In SCIENCE the formula for calculating intensity of a given phenomenon is: Energy Intensity=[Density of the energy] X [Velocity of the energy]

density How much energy is packed into each unit A lot of energy packed into a small volume is HIGH density of energy A little bit of energy spread over a large area is LOW density Flashlight (spread out) vs. Laser Beam (concentration)

Energy Intensity=[Density of the energy] X [Velocity of the energy] velocity How fast is the energy traveling Two cars hitting a brick wall: –One at 20 mph –One at 60 mph Which car will hit the wall with more intensity? 60 mph…greater velocity

Intensity in the Athlete Density = Focused Desire passion drive/desire to excel *The more tightly packed his/her passion, drive, desire are, the more “dense” the energy is.

Intensity in the Athlete Velocity = Aggressive Action fights hard to channel passion The harder he/she fights for it, the “faster” his/her energy velocity is.

Intensity equation for the athlete: Athletic Intensity=[Focused Desire/Passion] X [Aggressive Action]

W2L _______________________________ Low High Where is your intensity level?

How do you increase intensity? Intensity is an attitude and a commitment…so the answer lies in YOUR MIND. A conscious decision to approach every situation with intensity.

Draw on your passion and love for the sport as the fuel to burn. –Act on it! –Focus your energy into hard, aggressive, competitive play

In the GAME Fatigue can cripple intensity TIP 1: Shift your focus away from the fatigue and to some technical aspect of the performance (away from the “feeling” and on to the “doing”) TIP 1: Shift your focus away from the fatigue and to some technical aspect of the performance (away from the “feeling” and on to the “doing”) TIP 2: Take advantage of your self-talk. TIP 2: Take advantage of your self-talk. –“I’ve sacrificed too much to give up now!”

In TRAINING “You play the way you practice.” TRAIN with intensity –Set daily goals for yourself –Afterward, take time to reflect on how successful you were; set goals for the next day –Include the element of competition (turn a routine drill into a contest)