Focus inward - Focus outward

http://baseballbytheyard.blogspot.com/2011/09/focus-inward-focus-outward.html
   

In any sport, athletes are always trying to create and edge for themselves.  Athletes always want to be one step ahead of the other players. In simplest terms, they just want to be more prepared.  When I came across this blog post I thought it took a complex idea and put it into words, which many people struggle to do.  One of the most important parts of  sports is the mental game.  Your mental state before and while you compete can change the entire outcome of a competition.  Whether it be outside influences, or the athlete getting in their own head, mental focus is crucial to a strong performance.  Outside distractions consist of fans, coaches, and anything externally which causes the player to direct their focus anywhere but the game.  Many players develop a calming strategy to keep their heads in the game.  An example of this is Evan Longoria, a baseball player for the Tampa Bay Rays.  When up to bat, Longoria will undo his batting gloves and then strap them on again to create a fresh start.  He also fixes his eyes on the leftfield foul pole to calm himself.  Considering that Evan Longoria is an extremely talented and successful baseball player, he is proof that these techniques can be used at any level.  Longoria is a huge supporter of mental focus strategies, and feels they are necessary for a team to capitalize on all their strengths.

  The other type of distraction is internal, or “getting in your own head.”  These are often more dangerous than the external ones.  When you are putting more pressure on yourself, and doubting your ability, the player is setting themselves up for failure.  Not only does this idea relate to athletes, but it is something that everyone can benefit from.  Being mentally prepared and focused for any situation is beneficial to everybody.  The way this article is written is, it uses baseball as an analogy to explain and important idea.  Mental preparation is most commonly associated with athletics, but people fail to realize how important it is to everyday life.  I feel that everyone who reads this post can benefit from the information, whether it is using these new techniques to allow yourself to be the most prepared in any given situation, or if you do mentally prepare yourself already, this information will put into perspective how much affect these mental focus strategies can have on a person.

For me personally, I love coming across mental preparation information because it develops an entire new aspect of sports for players.  It is an important part of competition, and it can be game changing when your team is struggling, and the level of play needs to be turned up.  My experience so far in college athletics has been short, but in this small amount of time I have developed a deep respect for the mental aspect of sports, and life in general.  Open you mind to these ideas, and watch your performance exceed what you even believed was possible.

(For more on the information of mental training I highly recommend watching this video on Evan Longoria’s mental approach. http://vimeo.com/6153913 )

-Ariana Darcy