1. UNIT II Routines and the ZONE
Sports Psychology
UNIT II
Routines and the ZONE

2. Routines

3. “All we are is a result of our thoughts”
- Buddhist Saying

4. The POWER of ROUTINES
Having a consistent and solid pre-competition routine will help you treat every competition “the same way”.
Routines allow you to:
Focus your attention
Reduce anxiety
Trigger your minds competitive state

5. What is a Routine
A Routine is a procedure or ritual that you do before performing an action.
Ex. Shooting a foul shot
It has been proven that athletes who have a consistent pattern of actions perform better.
Routines have a profoundly positive impact on mental abilities.

6. Routines and Performance
Routines help monitor your level of emotions
If you are too hyped your will lose you focus
If you are not excited enough you will not be at your peak performance ability
Two Reasons why routines help improve your performance:
Classical Conditioning
Increased Focus

7. Classical Conditioning and Performance
Ivan Pavlov
Pavlov’s Dog
Learned reactions through association
Classical Conditioning can create a “trigger” for your body to unconsciously react.
Ex. Listening to the same song before competition.
After a number of times your body will associate that song with competition and then your body will react.
Mentally conditioning yourself will give you a powerful psychological advantage that you would never have.

9. Increased Focus
By having a constant routine before each competition you train your mind to focus on the here and now.
A good routine has been proven to give athletes a feeling of confidence and control.

10. Effective Routines
You should start your routine 24 – 48 hours before competition.
Your routine should go from very general to specific
at first not everything will be exactly the same, but as competition gets closer the more in-depth and identical your routine should become.
You should have a mini-routine before each play/event.
These should be exactly the same (as best you can)
Your routines should be the same for every competition (Big or Small)
No matter the “magnitude” of the game your treat each one the same way.
This will help control your nerves (hype up or calm down)

11. What Should be included in your Routine
Every athletes routine is a little bit different, however you need to include aspect from both the physical and mental realms.
Physical:
What you eat
Wade Boggs would eat chicken before every
game (162 meals of chicken each year
What you watch / listen to
When you go to bed / get up
When you take a nap (if any)
Warm-Up routine
What shots you take, location, plays or drills
you run stretching (when and order)
Sport Specific element
before each race or bat
Mental:
Visualize yourself in action doing
Pre-Image Success
Incorporate a focal point or cue

12. The Zone

13. I spend time planning how I will reach my goals.
regularly evaluate whether I have made progress in reaching my goals.
Before I perform a task, I imagine being successful.
I visualize successfully dealing with things that might go wrong on a project.

14. I keep my thoughts positive when I am performing or presenting in an important situation.
I talk positively to myself to get the most out of my performance.
I practice using relaxation techniques so I can stay calm under pressure.
I am able to relax if I get too nervous.

15. During important tasks, I use reminders to tell myself what I should be concentrating on
I perform effortlessly in evaluative situations without consciously thinking about it.
I am able to refocus effectively if I get upset during a project.
During an important project I quickly clear emotions that interfere with my performance.

16. I can raise my energy level when necessary.
When I need to, I can psych myself up for important situations.
I have a specific method of preparing before important tasks.
If I encounter a setback, I can rebound and still perform effectively

17. Questions 1 and 2 - Action Focus
Questions 3 and 4 - Creative Thinking
Questions 5 and 6 – Positive Thinking
Questions 7 and 8 - Composure
Questions 9 and 10 - Concentration
Questions 11 and 12 - Emotional Power
Questions 13 and 14 - Energizing
Questions 15 and 16 - Routines

18. THE ZONE The “ZONE” is the ultimate goal of any athlete.
It is like the “Holy Grail” of Athletics.
The Zone is a Zen like attitude between your performance and your actions.

19. What is THE ZONE? Aka: Peak Performance State (PPS)
Most people agree that “The ZONE” is simply FLOW.
This is when everything seems to flow inwards and outwards and are inner-connected.
Being in the ZONE is:
When you seem to play perfectly and without effort, everything just clicks and you perform at your peak potential.

20. Features of the Zone Your body is free and relaxed
You are surprised at your speed and strength
You feel NO fear
You are not thinking… you just play (autopilot)
Your attention is only focus on the here and now
Your movements seem effortless
Time seems to stand still… In the moment
You are connected with your sport (Zen)
Everything seams to go right… Confidence

21. Entering the ZONE
The first thing to remember to entering the ZONE is to not force yourself into it.
Let the ZONE come to you.
If you think about entering the ZONE then your mind is in a state of distraction from the Here and Now.
Utilize Entering the ZONE with these Eight Mental Skills

22. 8 Mental Skills for Entering the ZONE
Action Focus:
It means setting achievable goals as a stepping stone to ultimate success.
Creative Thinking:
This is the skill of using your imagination to achieve your goals and solve problems.
Positive Thinking:
We all have an inner voice, but if we talk to ourselves negatively we perform poorly. Positive thinking helps us stay confident. It also helps us identify weaknesses and find ways to improve.
Composure:
The skill of Composure allows you to deal with anxiety and prevent panic. Top athletes recognize that they will be nervous before big competitions. They practice skills such as deep breathing and muscle relaxation so they can calm down when the pressure's on.

23. 8 Mental Skills for Entering the ZONE
Concentration:
Elite athletes learn to focus their concentration so that they pay attention only to the things which will help them succeed. As a result, their performance flows smoothly.
Emotional Power:
Strong emotions are a natural part of sports. The best performers use their emotions constructively.
Energizing:
The skill of Energizing enables you to keep going when you feel like quitting. You need Energizing if you frequently feel tired and worn out.
Routines:
Sport psychologists have found that the best athletes prepare very carefully for every performance. They set routines that they follow exactly.

24. Factors to Avoid Focus on Winning or Losing Trying to show off
Being scared or intimidated
Reacting to your opponents play
Trying to force yourself into the ZONE
YOU NEED TO BE:
1) Confident
2) Focused
3) Relaxed
4) Live in the Moment
5) let the ZONE come to you.