Three Ways to Destroy
Your Ability To Compete-Quickly!
by: Dr. Leif H. Smith
If you want to become the kind of athlete that people always talk about
in terms of “potential” rather than results, following the
following formula:
1. Focus on that which you are scared of
In the world outside of sports, a common principle is that we get results
according to that which we decide to focus on. The same is true in the
sports world. In any given moment, your emotions are directly linked to
that which you are deciding to think about (or, focus on). Take two examples:
You are a wrestler, and you are about to have a match with a guy that
you have never beaten before, having been pinned every time. During your
warmup, you focus on the fact that you have been training hard all season
long for this match. You tell yourself that you deserve to beat this guy,
as you have learned from your previous mistakes. You also realize that
everybody is “beatable,” including your opponent. You feel
ready, have a plan of attack, are in great condition, and feel ready to
“get it on.”
You are a wrestler, and you are about to have a match with a guy that
you have never beaten before, having been pinned every time. During your
warmup, you focus on the fact that this guy has pinned you, and quite
easily. You remember how embarrassed you were, and how you don’t
want to be embarrassed again. You focus on how to avoid getting pinned-maybe
you will take less shots, stay away from him more. That way he can’t
pin you. You feel tense, worried, and tight. You are cautious when the
match begins.
Which scenario would equate to a better match for this wrestler? Obviously
scenario A. This wrestler focuses on everything that will help him compete.
He focuses on his long hours of training, he uses positive self-talk to
stay confident, and he feels ready for the fight. The wrestler in scenario
B does the opposite. He focuses on what he DOESN”T want to happen.
He doesn’t want to get pinned, so he comes up with a plan to avoid
doing that. He recalls feelings of embarrassment, and as a result, is
tight during his match. He will, of course, most likely get pinned. Why?
Because if you focus on that which you don’t want, you will get
it!
2. Engage in problem-focused thinking (instead of solution-focused thinking)
Mediocre competitors spend most of their time focusing on the problem
instead of the solution. They focus on everything that is going wrong,
or how they can never seem to win, or how they can never seem to score
points on this certain wrestler, etc...The result is that they become
entangled in their problems and fears, never to escape and find a solution.
They become so caught up in their issues that they never stop and solve
that which caused it!
Top competitors, on the other hand, still make mistakes. However, they
try to learn from their mistakes so that they will not repeat them. They
still get pinned, lose big matches, miss key free throws, miss wide open
shots on goal, etc. However, they bounce back quicker, and stronger, as
they put their energy into finding a solution to their problem. They focus
on ways to get in better condition, how to get out from bottom quicker
as a wrestler, how to concentrate better when shooting free throws, how
to relax when put in big game situations, etc...
3. Hesitate
Hesitation destroys our ability to compete. This is particularly true
with fast-paced sports, such as football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse,
wrestling, etc, where there is less down-time. A common theme among sport
psychologists is that hesitation equals “paralyzation by analyzation.”
If you try to stop and think about how you are going to block that 240
lb linebacker, you will soon see the world from on your back. If you stop
and think about where you want to shoot on the goalie in hockey or lacrosse,
the defense will soon be upon you, and you’ll never get that shot
off. And if you do, it will be a hesitant, unconfident shot. Get the picture?
The time to think is when play is stopped, not during. Those times are
different for different sports:
Football-between plays,
quarters, halftime, etc
basketball-play stoppages,
timeouts, foul shots, etc
lacrosse-play stoppages,
between quarters, etc
tennis-between points,
changeovers
golf-before and after
taking your shot, while walking to your next shot, etc
wrestling-before your
match, between periods
baseball-prior to
your at-bat, between pitches, between innings.
You get the picture. The time to think in sports is when play is prior
to competition and during play stoppages. Come up with a game plan, then
execute. If it doesn’t prove effective, change your plan, and execute.
Try this exercise: sign your name on a piece of paper. Now, I want you
to duplicate it exactly. EXACTLY. Try it. What happens? Most people slow
down and think about it when they are duplicating their signature. The
result is a signature that is not close to being similar. You’re
better served by not thinking and just signing. And this is merely one
small example of the way that your mind can interfere with performance,
if you let it. Don’t be one of those athletes.
Copyright (2004) Leif H. Smith, Psy.D. All rights reserved.
About The Author
Dr. Leif H. Smith is the president of Personal Best Consulting, a performance
consulting firm located in Columbus, OH. He has worked with hundreds of
athletes, coaches, teams, and executives to improve performance and increase
on-the-job effectiveness.
Copyright (2004) Leif H. Smith. All rights reserved.
http://personalbestconsulting.com
Leif@personalbestconsulting.com
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