MENTAL PLANS: Developing Mental Toughness Thru Systematic Planning Matt Vaartstra University of Idaho Edited from Damon Burton

What is mental toughness?

DEFINING MENTAL TOUGHNESS  Playing your best in any situation, even when you encounter problems, hassles, adversity, or failure.

When is mental toughness at a premium?

SITUATIONS DEMANDING MENTAL TOUGHNESS  Playing on the road in front of a hostile crowd  Fighting illness or injuries  Suffering through a slump or losing streak  Confronting adverse playing conditions  Against difficult opponents  During really important competitions  When the situation is critical or the game is on the line

What are the benefits of Mental Plans?

BENEFITS OF MENTAL PLANS Create a Flow mindset Enhance performance quality Increase performance consistency Promote mental toughness to deal with adversity

CREATING & MAINTAINING THE IDEAL MINDSET In-the-Zone  confident  focus intently on key process cues  keep thoughts positive and limited  maintain poise and control arousal  execute automatically and “let it happen” Choking  diffident, stressed, and anxious  distracted or focused on outcome and product  let thoughts get negative and intrusive  lose poise and get overaroused  try to control performance and “make it happen”

THE FLOW MINDSET  Unshakably confident  Totally focused on key performance cues  Optimally aroused or “psyched up”  Motivated to push your limits  Poised with a positive mental attitude  Performing automatically

How do we create the Flow Mindset in practice and competition necessary to promote mental toughness?

CREATING MENTAL TOUGHNESS  Develop mental plans to deal with any situation  Work your plans to perform your best under any circumstances

MENTAL PLANS  Systematic mental strategies to help athletes perform their best by attaining, maintaining, and regaining a Flow Mindset.

TYPES OF MENTAL PLANS  Mental Preparation Plans  Mental Performance Plans  Mental Recovery Plans

Mental Preparation Plans attain Flow mindset Optimal Performance Mental Performance Plans maintain Flow mindset Mental Recovery Plans regain Flow mindset

PRIMARY MENTAL PLAN STRATEGY  One plan for both practice and competition  Make practice more like competition  Make competition more like practice

MENTAL PLAN OBJECTIVES  Attain a Flow Mindset (FM)  Maintain that FM during practice and competition  Regain your FM if you lose composure

What are... Mental Preparation Plans and how do they work?

PURPOSE OF MENTAL PREPARATION PLANS  To promote optimal performance by utilizing a structured personal mental warm-up routine that creates a Flow Mindset

MENTAL PREPARATION PLANS

What are... Mental Performance Plans and how do they work?

PURPOSE OF MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLANS  To promote optimal performance by helping athletes maintain their Flow Mindset throughout practice and competition to achieve their goals.

PERFORMANCE PLAN ALTERNATIVES  Standard plans  Backup plans

STANDARD MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLANS  Goals you want to accomplish if everything goes perfectly  Action plans for focusing on and achieving goals

BACKUP MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLANS  Plan for dealing with obstacles and roadblocks to stay in a FM and remain focused on achieving your goals  Plan for performing well by overcoming problems or things that go wrong.

3 TYPES OF MENTAL PERFORMANCE PLANS  Competitive plans or routines  Pre-performance or between- performance routines  Interactive sports

STANDARD RACE PLAN FOR 1500 METER RUNNER  Chunk 1500-meter race into 3-7 meaningful parts (e.g., start, first 400 meters, middle part of race, & last 400 meters)  Develop goals and action plans for achieving them during each race segment  Identify cue words that trigger correct focus during each race segment (e.g., race start-- “explode & push,” “let it flow!”)

400 METERS RACE PLAN

PURPOSE OF PRE-PERFORMANCE ROUTINES  Pre-performance routines (PPR’s) create consistent, high-level performance on repetitive, self-paced tasks such as free throw shooting, serving in tennis or volleyball, kicking in football, or all shots in golf, archery and shooting.  PPRs promote FM, particularly focus, confidence, and trust so performance becomes better and more consistent.  Consistent pre-performance routines are effective because they allow athletes to trust their bodies and execute with greater automaticity.

PRE-PERFORMANCE ROUTINE COMPONENTS  Relax your body and remove unwanted tension  Adjust your arousal to its optimal level  Utilize a “confidence cue”  Create a positive, stress-free and productive mental attitude using a “thought cue”  Use multisensory imagery to experience successful performance  Execute automatically using “feeling cues”

TOM AMBERRY FREE THROW PRESHOT ROUTINE  Step 1 – relax your arms and legs by taking several deep knee bends while clinching fists and shaking them out and set feet square to the free throw line.  Step 2 – bounce the ball 3 times using the inflation hole as a focus cue while bouncing the ball deliberately.  Step 3 – put your thumb in the channel with your index finger pointing at the inflation hole while boosting confidence by imagining the perfect shot.

TOM AMBERRY FREE THROW PRESHOT ROUTINE  Step 4 – elbow in the shot pocket while imagining perfect touch and feel throughout the shot.  Step 5 – use an initiation cue such as cocking your wrist to automatically initiate the shot by bending your knees while keeping your eyes on the target.  Step 6 – repeat cue word “nothing but net.”  Step 7 – execute automatically, following thru completely with “your hand in the cookie jar.”

BETWEEN-PERFORMANCE ROUTINES  For sports where there are regular breaks in the action (e.g., tennis, volleyball, football, shooting, archery, field events in track, etc).  Goal is to employ a 3-step process to ensure that the down time between plays, points or trials is used productively deal with previous performance and effectively prepare for upcoming performance.

3 STEPS FOR BETWEEN- PERFORMANCE ROUTINES  Step 1: React – develop a composed reaction to previous good or bad performance to remain emotionally stable.  Step 2: Relax and Reflect – learn from previous performance without dwelling on mistakes.  Step 3: Refocus and Ready – cue a pre- performance routine to refocus on the task at hand and get ready to perform automatically.

STANDARD INTERACTIVE SPORT PERFORMANCE PLAN  Beginning of each quarter or half  End of each quarter or half  Against the press (situational)  After a run of points

BACKUP INTERACTIVE SPORT PERFORMANCE PLAN  When officials make a bad call  When opposing fans become rowdy  Following a turnover or major mistake  When the coach yells at you  When opponents get a run of 3 or more baskets

What are... Mental Recovery Plans and how do they work?

PURPOSE OF MENTAL RECOVERY PLANS  To help athletes regain their Flow Mindset during practice and competition when they totally lose their composure.

WHEN YOU MAY NEED MENTAL RECOVERY PLANS  Prevent hassles  Non-ideal conditions  One-sided and/or poor officiating  Physical or illegal play  Poor early performance or critical mistake  Subpar overall performance

MENTAL RECOVERY STRATEGIES  Initiation cue (e.g., clap your hands)  Relax physically  Identify new goals  Counter negative thoughts and develop a constructive perspective  Image new objectives  Trust body’s ability to execute automatically

IMPLEMENTING MENTAL PLANS 1. Write out each plan in as much detail as possible. 2. Use imagery to rehearse each plan. 3. Try out plan in practice and refine. 4. Employ plans in low-stress competition.

IMPLEMENTING MENTAL PLANS 5. Evaluate plans’ effectiveness to develop, maintain, and regain Flow Mindset before & during competition. 6. Refine and extend plans based on evaluation. 7. Continue using, evaluating and refining plans until satisfied.

EVALUATING MENTAL PLANS  Did you stay focused on your process and performance goals?  Did you develop and maintain a Flow Mindset? n “State in which you perform best rather than feel best or most comfortable”

ULTIMATE IMPACT OF FLOW MINDSET  Put mind on automatic pilot  DON’T THINK! -- JUST REACT!  Play In-The- Moment.