Focus Like A Champion
A Page from Dr. D. Coffey’s Mental Performance Playbook

Building your ability to focus and strengthening your mental toughness is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort and analysis of your progress. Peak performance is not achieved without constant assessment of competition execution and adjustments to your thought processes and mental concentration. Attaining zone-like focus is an ongoing development achieved in small steps, such as the execution of a plan, assessment of progress, and revisiting the plan to meet the current need.

Many athletes are stressed by the assessment element of gaining mental toughness. They sometimes view analysis as criticism or judgment directed at them. Understanding that a mental game coach must assess and offer correction is simply part of a process, not an attack or activity to weaken confidence. For this reason, coaches must understand how to provide analysis and constructive criticism so their athletes find encouragement and mental strength throughout the process.

Focus assessments are critical in a post-performance evaluation of an athlete’s mental game. Was the athlete able to retain consistent concentration throughout the entire athletic performance? Was the athlete able to refocus during times of difficulty? Was the pre-game routine followed correctly and implemented as planned? These are all critical questions in mental assessment and reaching a zone-like focus.

It also remains vital to utilize objectivity and logic during the assessment process. This is not an emotional or character judgment. An effective mental game coach removes emotion from the process and looks at mental goals objectively. The athlete’s performance is analyzed almost as a checklist, not allowing for explanations or excuses. If they achieve their goal, then the plan continues. However, if their performance or mental performance falls short of expectations, a strategy is developed for improvement. Keeping mental assessment logical and concise decreases the athlete’s stress during the process. As a result, the athlete should anticipate post-performance analysis to view positive aspects that create success and develop other areas for improvement.

A strong plan for assessing and strengthening mental focus should also be concise. An athlete must be able to fully concentrate on a few aspects of their mental game and not a long list, which weakens their progress. Choose the highest priority aspect of concentration needs, which is required most for the athlete to reach their full potential.

An effective mental game coach improves an athlete’s performance by strengthening focus and mental toughness, producing improved athletic accomplishment results. Assessment of focus and performance are crucial for improving achievement and reaching peak performance. Consistent assessment drives the implementation of process goals and mental focus throughout practice and game situations. As a result of the constant effort toward improvement, mental toughness increases, and zone-like focus is achieved.

ACTION PLAN FOR SUCCESS

On the list below, Assessing Your Focus Ability, check all the statements that apply to you.
On a sheet of paper, write down the top 10 statements that apply to you and put them in the order you want to work on them.
On another sheet of paper, develop a SMART plan for each statement.

Assessing Your Focus Ability
Check off all statements that apply to you.

 You do not have well-defined goals or goal specificity. You lack direction.
 You perform better in practice than during competition.
 You are so self-conscious; you worry about what others think about your game.
 You maintain many self-doubts about your sport before or during games.
 You worry about letting others down by not performing up to other’s expectations.
 You are too self-conscious and worried about how others may perceive you.
 You suffer from anxiety, worry, or excess tension when in competition.
 Pre-game jitters do not go away after the first few minutes into the competition.
 You are motivated by fear of failure, which affects your performance in competition.
 You have a fear of success and sabotage yourself when you are winning.
 You are not sure why you play your sport or let others be your source of motivation.
 You are motivated by external rewards, accolades, recognition, or praise.
 You attach your self-worth to how well you perform in sports.
 You lose focus or have mental lapses during critical times of the game.
 Your routines are not well defined or lack mental focus in routine.
 You go through the motions physically without mental focus or intensity.
 You are not excited enough or are too excited to perform your best in competition.
 You are distracted by things that go on around you in your environment.
 You have doubts or negative thoughts before, during, or after competition.
 Post-injury you cannot perform the way you did pre-injury even when 100% physically.
 When performing well you may sabotage your performance with a comfort zone (protect your lead) or expectations that limit your ability to press forward.
 You become easily frustrated because of high expectations.
 You cannot perform with freedom or trust in times of adversity or pressure.
 You work on your mechanics or technique even when competing.
 You do not concentrate in the here and now or focus only on execution.
 You think too much about consequences of your performance, good or bad.
 You overanalyze mistakes (technique) and thus think too much about technique.
 You suffer from low self-confidence or self-esteem.
 You limit your performance with negative self-labels such as “I am a choker.”
 You have trouble forgetting or letting go of bad past performances.
 Your anger or frustration gets in the way of peak performance.
 You are frequently disappointed with your performance and wish it was better.
 You have a burning desire to be the best ever at your sport or just want to know how to improve your mental game.

All The Best!
Dr. Delice Coffey
Psychologist & Mental Game Coach

IG – instagram.com/drdcoffey FB- facebook.com/drdcoffey
Website – MindsetSportsPsychology.com
YouTube – YouTube.com/c/DrDeliceCoffey

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