Mental Preparation to Improve Focus in Big Games
Have you ever had one of those make it or break it moments in your athletic career?
The big moment, where the season all comes down to one play or one event, is one of the greatest pressure moments you will ever experience.
Think of what an athlete experiences in that one big moment…
You spent preseason working on your endurance, speed and technique.
Your early training sessions left you physically worn out and tired.
Throughout the season, you had to work through mistakes, bad technique, falls, long training sessions, subpar performances, etc.
You questioned if you would achieve your goals.
Doubts and frustrations were commonplace.
Many days you wondered if all the training was worth it.
You had to muddle through injuries and battle sickness.
You felt mentally exhausted but all your efforts and energies were paying off.
Your goal is in sight but there is another hurdle to overcome.
This is the biggest challenge of the season.
It all comes down to this…
Can you relate to this experience?
For some athletes, a big moment seems too big…
These athletes feel the pressure. Intense emotions course through their veins and negative thoughts swirl in their minds.
The big moment seems overwhelming and they just freeze when they need to be at their best.
Other athletes rise to the occasion… This big moment is why they compete.
These athletes have replayed this big moment over and over in their minds throughout the season.
They have trained and practiced for hundreds of hours preparing for this moment and they are excited to realize their dream.
The Philadelphia Eagles faced this big moment in the NFC Divisional Round playoff game.
The Eagles had the best record during the season but were without many key players due to injury.
Now, advancing to the NFC title game would come down to one moment…
The Eagles were winning 15-10 in sub-freezing temperatures with 1:05 remaining in the game and the Falcons had the ball, 4th down, on the Eagles’ two yard line.
The big moment wasn’t too big for the Eagles as the defense broke up a pass in the end zone to make the play of the game and push the team to victory.
Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins described talked about the big moment and the team’s mindset in that moment.
JENKINS: “The biggest thing I wanted everyone to realize was this is it. This is the season. I wanted guys to feel that moment. The crowd is going crazy. It’s fourth-and-2…. It’s one of those things that you dream about. Literally, where you make a play, you move on. You don’t, you go home. Everything we worked for since last April is coming down to one play, and we got to be ready.”
Performing BIG in the BIG moment requires that you prepared for the BIG moment. With mental preparation comes confidence and, with confidence, you can perform well in any occasion.
Performing BIG in the BIG Moment:
Anticipate and visualize performing in “big moment” during the course of the season.
How will you react when it’s time?
Feel that sense of preparedness and meet the challenge head on. Remind yourself that the game is still the same–nothing has changed but your perception of the importance of the game.
Mentally rehearse yourself performing well in those key moments of the game instead of folding under the pressure.
Learn how to improve your focus in big moments with The Focused Athlete program:
Related Sports Psychology Articles
- How to Compete Well in Pressure Moments
- How to Perform Big in Pressure Moments
- Is Pressure Your Friend or Foe?
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The Focused Athlete
It’s probably no secret that you have many opportunities to become distracted in sports. Athletes are bombarded with both internal and external distractions everyday in practice and competition. Focused athletes are able to get the most from their skills because they are more efficient with practice and more concentrated in competition. Athletes who lack focus let distractions run wild through their mind and don’t know how to adjust or refocus.
The Focused Athlete was developed for any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve concentration…
“The Focused Athlete” is a complete system to teach you how to focus like a champion and harness the power of a zone focus every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course in practice and games!