Attention, Concentration, and Flow

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Attention, Concentration, and Flow
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Concentration

• Focusing attention on the RELEVANT cues in the
  environment
• Maintaining that attentional focus

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Concentration

• Attentional focus as a function of width and
  direction (Broad vs. narrow External vs.
  internal)
• Attentional preferences? Ideal depends on
• Person
• Sport
• Situation

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Improving Concentration

• Use cue words
• Establish routines
• Practice eye control (keeping eyes from wandering
  to irrelevant cues e.g., Todd)
• Stay focused in the present
• Learn thought-stopping techniques
• If an irrelevant (usually negative) thought pops
  in, let it go quickly, replacing it with a focus
  on the present. What do I need to do right
  NOW?

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Composure (Keeping focused)

•        Regaining focus after a mistake
  (quickly).
•        What happens to you is nowhere near as
  important as how you react to what happens to
  you, Jack Donohue
•        It does no good to punish yourself for
  previous mistakes.   
• Practice refocusing during drills!

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Composure

• Use self-talk to...
• return focus to specific skills
• calm self down
• combat fatigue
• counter negative/self-defeating thoughts, e.g.,
• This officiating sucks... well never win
• I hope I dont choke
• I should never have made that error

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Characteristics of flow

• Challenge / skill balance
• Automaticity / spontaneity
• Total concentration but without conscious effort
• Sense of being in control without trying to be in
  control
• Loss of self- time-awareness (becoming one with
  the activity)

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The Path to Flow in Sports

• 1. Keep it a game
• 2. Powerful Goal
• As you play the game, remind yourself of the
  process goals.
• 3. Relaxed Focus
• Release your mind from all distractions, from
  within or without. Focus your entire attention on
  the game/task.
• 4. Surrender to the Process
• Let go. Don't strive or strain to achieve your
  objective. Just enjoy the process.