1. Focus
Chapter 8
Maintaining good focus can be the difference between success and disaster

2. Confidence and Focus
Focus is everything, it’s the most important mental skill.
If you can master your focus you will avoid almost all of the potential psychological problems that athletes face.

3. POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING YOUR FOCUS INCLUDE
Choking
Performing below your ability level
Experiencing fear, panic, or anxiety
Getting “psyched out”
POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING YOUR FOCUS INCLUDE

4. What is Focus?
Focus is concentration, paying attention to one thing, and not being distracted

5. How Long Do You Need Focus
You need to stay focused for the duration of the competition
Basketball: 32 minutes
Football: 48 min
Bull riding: 8 seconds
Soccer: 32 min

6. Fatal Distractions Parents Crowd Relationship Disability Bad day
Drugs and alcohol.
Violence (anger)

7. Two Basic Components of Good Focus
The Right Time
The Right Place
These two components are like the latitude and longitude of focus. They allow you to “zero in”.

8. The Right Time
During competition your mind must only exist in the present
Totally forget your mistakes and focus fully on the next moment
Ignore the past and ignore the future
Focus on the present
If you are thinking about WINNING or LOSING you are too focused on future
“moment to moment focus”
Stay in the present
Stay in the moment
Stay in the now

9. The Right Place Keeping your mind in the right places requires you to:
Block out your fans, boyfriend/girlfriend, school, work, family
Control your eyes and ears
Know what easily distracts you
Plan a strategy
Stay in the HERE

10. Bottom Line Stay in the HERE and NOW!
Getting “psyched out” is a result of poor focus

11. Drills for Focusing in places other than your practice or competition
Listen to someone speaking
Work on holding your focus on something
Practice fully focusing when there are distractions
Focus on the last 3 words you wrote until they stand out
Focus on a specific positive thought, repeat it, stop thinking, then refocus on it

12. Drills for Focusing at practice or in a competition
Practice being totally connected to your moves
Relax, imagine the perfect execution of a skill, then do it
Recreate the mental and physical conditions that led to past success
When you feel stressed, slow everything down
When distracted clear them away by focusing on tiny technical aspects of your sport
After an error, take a deep breath, clear your mind, shift your focus to what you need to do next
Execute your position by instinct

13. Tips to regain focus Return to basics and follow the game plan
Focus only on the target, step, or move that is happening now
Reassure yourself that you are trained and ready for this
Remember that your goals are realistic
Focus on what is going right, not wrong
Embrace the joy of the activity

14. Focus Assignment
Name 2 negative consequences that you can avoid by having a good focus
Good focus means you are in the right mental ______________ and the right mental ______________
What are some things that cause you to lose focus in your sport?
What do you do to stay focused during competition?
What are some negative consequences you can avoid by having good focus?
Which new techniques that you learned today will you try?