Psychwrite #16:
Date: 1 pt
Copy Question: 1 pt
Answer in 3-5 lines: 3 pts
What distractions are most likely
to challenge you in your sport/area?
Psychwrite #18:
Date: 1 pt
Copy Question: 1 pt
Answer in 3-5 lines: 3 pts
Have you ever been “in the zone?” If so,
describe your experience. If not,
describe what you think this means.
FOCUS Factors
Controlling Distractions
 Being able to minimize
distractions is an
important skill for you to
remain focused.
“March on. Do not tarry.
To go forward is to move
toward perfection.
March on, and fear not
the thorns, or the sharp
stones on life’s path.”
Khalil Gibrain,
Lebanense artist, poet, & writer
What is a distraction?
 What happens when you get distracted and begin to
play poorly? Do you lose your talent and skill?
 No, of course not!
 You play poorly because you have lost your FOCUS.
 Anytime your focus strays from the HERE & NOW you
are in a state of distraction.
What is a distraction?
 Something is only a distraction if YOU let it distract
you!
 You can’t always control what happens around you, but
you CAN always control YOUR REACTION to it.
You need to learn to control
distractions in order to:
 Maintain your internal focus
 Quickly regain your focus in the case you do become
distracted
 Perform consistently at your desired level
 Stick to your game plan
 Get adequate rest
2 categories of potential distractions:
1) internal & 2) external
Some common internal distractions:
Thinking about…
 Winning
 Losing
 What other people expect of you
 A boyfriend or a girlfriend
 About the score
 About a past mistake
 Worrying about a future mistake
Some common external distractions:

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





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Other teammates
Your coach’s behavior
Your opponent’s behavior
A bad call by the officials
The official being in your way
The media
Getting tired
The crowd
A special person in the crowd (parent, boy/girlfriend)
Getting injured, or a teammate or opponent getting injured
Tips for controlling distractions:
 Make a commitment before hand that you will stay
positive NO MATTER WHAT. Write it down & read
it often.
 Make a conscious effort to look for advantages in
everything.
 Remind yourself that you are in CONTROL of your
own mind.
 Remind yourself that you are in control of how
YOU REACT to events.
Tips for controlling distractions:
 Go into the big competitions/performances expecting

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conditions to be different.
Use simulation training to practice overcoming your
biggest distractions.
For distractions that are difficult or impossible to
simulate in practice, VISUALIZE them and how you
will overcome them when they happen.
Focus on doing everything within your control and let
go of what is not in your control.
Trust your training.
Tips for controlling distractions:
 Don’t think too much! Put your mind in the HERE and
NOW. Let your body lead.
 Shift your focus from what is going around you to your own
performance (for external distractions).
 Shift your focus from your thoughts to what is happening
around you (for internal distractions).
 Use a simple word, focal point, or image (cue statement)
to bring your attention back to the here and now.
“Be here now”
Tips for controlling distractions:
 Make a RE-FOCUS plan beforehand and stick to it
when you become distracted.
 Assignment: Look at your psychwrite: What
distractions are most likely to challenge you in your
sport?
 Now, write down what you will do to re-focus if/when
each thing happens.
ANSWER TRUE OR FALSE:
1.
2.
3.
4.
I spend time planning how I will reach my
goals.
I 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.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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.
9.
10.
11.
12.
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.
I can raise my energy level when necessary.
14. When I need to, I can psych myself up for
important situations.
15. I have a specific method of preparing
before important tasks.
16. If I encounter a setback, I can rebound and
still perform effectively
13.
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

GETTING INTO THE ZONE
“I’M IN THE ZONE” NBA
WHAT IS “THE ZONE?”
The Holy Grail
A symbol of man’s quest for the UTLIMATE GOAL
Being “in the zone” is
the “Holy Grail” of Sports Psychology
BEING IN “THE ZONE”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1bsRiEPgls
WHAT IS “THE ZONE?”

Athletes feel:
 invincible
 the
game slows down
 the crowd noise goes silent
 an incredible focus on their mission
For the Love of the Game (23:00 – 25:00)
“Clear the mechanism” –Billy Chapel/Detroit Tigers
WHAT IS THE ZONE?

Sport Psychologists

Ideal Performance State (IPS)
OR

Peak Performance State (PPS)
Being in that mental state where your very best
performance is possible
WHAT IS “THE ZONE?”

Positive Psychology
 Flow
 Mihaly
Csíkszentmihályi
 Like
the feeling of being moved down a river by the
current, a positive groove
 Your
body, your mind, your opponents, and everything
else flow together and are connected
FLOW: 6 COMPONENTS
intense and focused concentration on the
present moment
 merging of action and awareness (Tunnel
vision: completely absorbed in the activity)
 a loss of reflective self-consciousness
 a sense of personal control over the situation
or activity
 one's subjective experience of time is altered
 experience of the activity as intrinsically
rewarding

FLOW

What makes my life worth living?
WHAT IS “THE ZONE?”

Zen Zone (Zen Buddhism)

A state in which your mind becomes connected through
meditation with everything around you

You become one with the essence of the universe

Captures the feeling of “the zone.”
IN A NUTSHELL …
Being
“In the Zone” is when you
seem to play perfectly and
without effort, everything just
clicks and you perform at your
peak potential
BEING IN THE ZONE
Donyell Marshall (former Jazzman),
12 3 pointers in 1 game
(tied Kobe Bryant, Raptors/76’s 2005)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRkXajkibRI
HOW CAN I ENTER THE ZONE?

If you try to force it, it won’t happen!! Yikes.

BUT, you can do some things that will create
the state of mind which is most conducive to
the zone … IT WILL COME TO YOU…
WHAT MOST ATHLETES DO/ARE DOING WHEN
THEY ENTER A STATE OF FLOW:
High self-confidence
 You believe your skill is good enough for the
competition
 Your focus is in the here and now
 Distractions are controlled
 You are relaxed
 You are thinking positively
 You are there for the experience
 You have used effective visualization
 You have used effective goal-setting techniques

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.
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.
WHAT SHOULD I AVOID?
Focusing on winning, losing, or the score
 Trying to show off
 Trying to scare or intimidate your opponent
 Just “playing defense” or just reacting to your
opponent without taking initiative
 Trying so hard to force yourself into the zone
that you distract yourself
