1. Neuro-Plasticity and Performance
Maximizing Your Mental Fitness

2. Services Building self-confidence
Discovering and utilizing your strengths
Coping with adversity
Managing anxiety
Personal leadership
High performance strategies
Peaking under pressure
Mental toughness/GRIT
Going beyond perceived limitations
Team building

3. Experiential Activity
What brings you joy? 

4. Focused Attention
When we remember a joyful occasion we are more prone to be playful and creative in the present moment. We are also more likely to be courageous and in our wise-mind.

5. Can We Change our Brain?

6. Neuroplasticity
The mind -energy and information flow from the brain- is created by the brain.
Our brains learn mostly by what we attend to.
What we attend to – how we intentionally direct the flow of energy and information – alters our brains chemistry.
The brains energy/information flow therefore changes our mind…which changes our brain!

7. Neurons
As a result of any mental activity our neurons begin to make connections.
The longer we attend to a thought or an experience the deeper those connections become…and the more likely we are to experience them again.

8. Why is This Important? Sense of optimism and hope Performance!
We Can Impact the following…
Stress Levels
Kinesthetic Awareness
Personality Tendencies
Interpretations of what happens to us…or what is said to us
Sense of optimism and hope
Performance!

9. Mind-Body Integration
The more we can integrate the positive aspects of our experiences into our mental awareness the more frequently our neurons will fire positively…and the more likely they will fire positively in the future.

10. Mind-Body Integration
We can therefore better manage
Our stress level (emotional vs. calm)
How we move on the court, field, pool, rink, etc…
How we interpret obstacles
How we manage relationships
Our ability to focus
(distractible vs. mindful)

11. Success Strategies to Change Your Brain Personal Growth
Reinforce and internalize every positive experience, no matter how small
Growth Mindset
Gratitude
Label your feelings
Know your strengths!
Intentionally call up your strengths and focus on how good it feels to feel strong, confident, powerful, lighthearted, untouchable, etc…
Human touch – “Don’t text, touch!”

12. Success Strategies to Change Your Brain Peak Performance
Engage a powerful, relaxed muscle memory
Connect your nervous system to your competitive environment
Recall, vividly, the best performance you ever had. Connect your emotions to that memory.
Establish Your Presence
Set your intentions: place attention on the intention 
make “good enough” decisions

13. Connect!
Thoughts…intentions…emotions…arousal… with your movement…and your movement with your thoughts, intentions, emotions, & arousal
TOP Down/BOTTOM up approach
Belly Breath/Centering
Guided Imagery (paint can/hose/eraser/light
EMDR
Biofeedback
Act As If
Name the emotion
Mountain Meditation
Hypnosis (past/future)
Change your posture

14. Positive Psychology Experiential activity
You At Your Best
Imagine Your Best Possible Self
Three Good Things
Growth Mindset
Hypnosis (success imagery/ego-strength/anxiety)
Act As If
Carry Yourself Like a Champion (doorways)
Intentionally call up your Strengths
journal, visualize, verbalize

15. Consistency!
When done consistently over time you will literally change your brain and begin to feel more alive and centered resulting in greater feelings of fun, happiness, creativity, courage, and wisdom…which will manifest you at your best!
Discussion/Coaching Questions

16. ACSI-2: Survey of Athletic Experiences Smith, Schultz, Smoll, and Pitacek, (1995)
Coping with adversity
I maintain emotional control no matter how things are going for me
When things are going badly I tell myself to keep calm and this works for me
When I feel myself getting too tense I can quickly relax my body and calm myself
Peaking Under Pressure
To me pressure situations are challenges that I welcome
The more pressure there is during a competition the more I enjoy it
I tend to perform better under pressure because I think more clearly
Confidence and Achievement Motivation
I feel confident that I will perform well
I get the most out of my talent and skills

17. ACSI-2: Survey of the Athletic Experience Smith et al., (1995)
Goal Setting/Mental Preparation
On a daily or weekly basis I set very specific goals for myself that guide what I do
I set my own performance goals for each practice
I have my own game plan worked out in my head long before the competition begins
Concentration
I handle unexpected situations in my sport very well
When competing I can block out distractions
It is easy for me to direct my attention and focus
Managing Anxiety
I worry about making mistakes in competition
I put a lot of pressure on myself by worrying about how I will perform