UNC ATHLETICS
MENTAL PERFORMANCE
& LIFE SKILLS
TRAINING PROGRAM
Brett Manning
Lyndsie Coleman, M.S.
15 Seconds of Focus
Session 3
Mental Performance Skills:
• Focus Enhancement
• Power of Routines
Life Skills:
• Relaxation
• Identity Control
Focus Enhancement
Goal: Create clear lines of communication in your mind
Focus Enhancement
What does being focused actually mean?
• In the present moment
- Not thinking about the future or the past
- “Be Here, Now”
• High awareness…
- Of the game/competition
- Of your own emotions
- Of small details
- Of competitor’s and teammates’ movement
Focus Enhancement
Ways to raise your focus level:
• Become in tune with your breath
• Determine the exact task at hand (simplify the process)
• Integrate all of your senses
- Pay more attention to sounds, touch, smells, seeing
small details
•
Train your mind to have a high level of focus outside of
sport
PROCESS
FOCUS
details
Focus Enhancement
What things can hinder your focus level?
• Fans
• Teammates/Competitor’s play
• Coach
• Officials
• General Life
• Pain
• Failure
• Success
• Level of tiredness
Focus Enhancement
Focus Breaks
• Cannot focus 100% of the time
• Develop a “Focus Tool” to help you get into high focus mode
• Examples:
• Que word(s)- “Be Here Now”; “Go Time”
• Circle of focus
• Quirks- Clap hands, etc,
Focus Enhancement
4 Questions From the Athletic Coping Skills Inventory (ACSI)
(Smith et al., 1994).
Scale: 0- Almost Never 1- Sometimes
2- Often 3- Almost Always
1. I handle unexpected situations in my sport very well.
2. When I am playing sports, I can focus my attention and
block out distractions.
3. It is easy for me to keep distracting thoughts form
interfering with something I am watching or listening to.
4. It is easy for me to direct my attention and focus on a
single object or person.
Focus Enhancement
Application Activity:
100 Numbers
Focus Enhancement
• Simple
• Clear
• Task at Hand
• Aware of surroundings
• Able to Predict
• In Control
• Attention to detail
Routines
Routines
Why are routines important?
• Improve consistency
• Increase comfort
• Ease anxiety
Types:
• Daily
• Pre-Practice/Competition
• Pre-Shot/Pitch/Serve, etc.
• Post-Shot/Pitch/Serve, etc.
• Post-Practice/Competition
Routines
Routines
Routines
Application Activity
Partner up and discuss your physical & mental routines:
• Pre-game/competition
• Pre-shot/pitch/serve
• Post-shot/pitch/serve
• Post-game/competition
Relaxation
Ways to relax yourself:
• Slow, deliberate breath focus (meditation)
• Body scanning
• Progressive muscle relaxation
• Stretching/Yoga
• Exercise
• Listen to soothing music
Relaxation
Benefits of relaxation techniques:
• Increased chance of playing in flow
• Slows heart rate and blood pressure
• Lowers stress/anxiety level
• Increases present moment focus (clarity of mind)
• Increases blood flow to major muscle groups
•
Reduces anger/frustration
• Sleep: Easier to fall asleep and stay asleep
• Increases grey matter in brain and improves overall brain
performance
Relaxation
When to use it?
How to practice it?
How do you relax?
Relaxation
Application Relaxation Activity
Identity Control
Who are you?
•
Private Identity- How we see ourselves
•
Public Identity- How we think others see us
•
Identity Foreclosure- I’m only an athlete!
•
Multi-Dimensional Self- I’m a lot of different things!
Identity Control
Problems associated with identity foreclosure:
•
Over-commitment
•
Over training (can lead to physical exhaustion, burnout and
anxiety when not training)
•
Use of performance-enhancing drugs
•
Social isolation
•
Post-injury depression
•
Post-athletic career transition identity crisis/depression
Identity Control
Application Exercise:
Defining your multi-dimensional self.
1. List all parts of your life (including sport) that you engage in on
a yearly basis.
2. Rate the different parts of your life on importance to you 1-10
1= Little Importance  10= Extremely High Importance
3. Write down: “I know that I am not an athlete only and that my
performance as an athlete doesn’t define me as a person. It is
only a reflection of part of my life.”
4. Partner share
Next Session
Date: Tuesday, December 3 (2 Weeks From Today)
Mental Performance Skills:
• Dealing With Anxiety & Pressure
• Peak performances
Life Skills:
• Time Management (revisited)
Stay Connected
Resources to Keep Learning About The Mental Game:
• Website: www.unc-mental-training.weebly.com
• Facebook Page
• Twitter
• Mass Texts
• Email: uncmentaltraining@gmail.com
• 1:1 Consultation
Questions?