Athletic Performance

The Only Thing That Separates Good From Great - The Power Of Concentration & FocusGreat athletes of our time (Carl Lewis, Joe Montana, and Michael Jordan) all had superhuman physical abilities (quickness, strength and stamina) and superb athletic performance.

But as the elite in the sports community, this group also displayed another trait, and that is what separated them from other very talented opponents also-to power to focus and concentrate and focus on the task at hand.Whether it is Carl Lewis winning a gold medal in the Olympic 100-meter dash or long jump, Joe Montana throwing a fourth-quarter touchdown pass, or Michael Jordan hit the game-winning shot with a few seconds left on the clock, these athletes always perform at the highest- pressure situations.

World class athletes are so mentally tough their force always allow them to separate themselves from other top athletes.Athletic performance is an integration of the physical skill and the mental ability (things such as discipline, determination, confidence, focus, etc.). Many athletes in high school, college or even professional level spend too much time on their physical aspects of the game (dumbbells treadmill, weight training, sport-specific training, team practices, endurance work, etc., instead they should work on their mental part of the game also. This way, athletes and coaches can achieve higher levels of success for themselves and their teams and separate themselves from the competition.

High levels of focus and concentration can allow athletes to- outperform opponents who may have superior better physical talent then them- persistently perform at higher level - succeed what matters most ( hit a game wining home run in baseball, game winning shootout shot in hockey, or game winning basket in basketball)- When your mind is consciously so focused that everything outside of you just gets blacked out, you achieve the utmost. Athletes are so good at this at blocking out external distractions (the actions or words of an opponent, crowd noise, feelings of self-doubt, etc.).

Have you ever heard the phrase "paralysis by analysis"? It literally means that when you think or analyze something so much, your mind gets in the way, and it does not allow you to perform the norms you normally would have behave.When athletes perform at the highest level, you often hear the term that they are in a "zone". This is a classic description of being focus in a moment. So how can a coach or athlete teach or improve the mental part of the game? Here are some proven methods that will help you perform better when it matters most:Visualization-have the mental images inside your head - Athletes always visualize themselves over and over again before a game (and even during the off-season).

If you visualize yourself performing well over and over again, your mind will start to become more familiar with being successful, and you feel a lot more comfortable. Furthermore, because you keep visualize all the time, when the game time comes you are more prone to know where is the next step and process you should do on a court in order to be successful since your mind already visualize these and many other processes thousands of times. Try to practice in pressure situations - Like anything else you will be achieving in your life, the more you do then the better you become.

So always try to force yourself to perform under pressure. Try to play against an opponent who is better than you. The opponents should be faster, better, and taller and stronger. This way, you will also feel the need to perform at a higher level. Try to play in the leaguer during the summer time that mimic the atmosphere of your regular school tournament, so that you will feel a lot like a regular season game and puts pressure on you to perform. The more you practice performing well under high-pressure situations, and the more you perform well in these situations, the more accustomed you will be to performing under pressure.Have a great confidence. - Another things between top athletes and all the other athletes they have such unwavering confidence in their abilities that the little things that throw most of us off track don't faze them.

For average athletes, missing out few shots may get off to a bad start or can lead us to feel of having a bad day or make ourselves the excuse of "today is just not may day"!!

Top athletes regroup, re-focus and get back on the winning track more quickly and more consistently than those who waver in their confidence levels. Elite athletes walk onto the court knowing it is their games, it is their time to shine and it is their time to dominate. If you walk onto the court feel intimidated, you will most likely get beat or by someone who has unflinching certainty about their ability to succeed, even if you have better skills and talent.Great athletes have to focus and perform at their peak even under the most stressful events.

Practice performing under pressures, visualize yourself, and approach your game with unwavering confidence. Thus, then you will feel like a winning player, instead of a loser.