Focus Of Athletes

Focus. To perform at a high level, athletes must be fully focused. But what exactly does that word portend? “Focus, although not having an agreed upon definition in the sports psychology world, is used to describe how much attention one is paying, and can include the state of arousal which causes this attention. Focus includes only concentrating on the most important aspects of the game, and blocking out all other distractions”( Cashmore, 2008). Distractions are very common in athletic competitions especially at higher levels, as Kris Eiring, the Director of Clinical and Sports Psychology at the University of Wisconsin Madison acknowledges that “The focus of athletes sometimes strays in competition, Athletes may focus more on beating another …show more content…
Goal-Setting is a common technique suggested by coaches for athletes’ use everywhere. Cashmore (2008), defines a goal as “An aim, objective or result that a person plans for, or intends to achieve”. One of the three main goal types is an outcome goal, which is based on the final outcome; it could be to win state basketball, or place first in the next meet. The second type is a personal goal, something you strive individually to achieve, like getting 15 rebounds or not having any turnovers. Finally, a process goal magnifies the routine in which you perform a skill, for example, increasing your rotation of the ball when shooting, or becoming more accurate in which part of your foot you strike the ball with (Ohuruogu, Johnson & Ikechukwu, 2016). When setting goals, consider it as not only a motivational strategy, but one to change behavior and enhance performance. And according to According to T. Thrash and A. Elliott (2003), goals are either mastery, which focuses on near perfection of a task, or competition which is performance in regards to others. Mastery goals, which can be directed towards practice help prepare and athlete for a competition goal, occurring in the big moment. A final specific distinction of a goal by Cashmore (2008) is whether they are approach or avoidance. Approach being how one lines up to complete a task, avoidance being an attempt to elude a negative result. Typically, approach goals have distributed more success among athletes. As far as the format of goals, Browne & Mahoney (1984) suggest that success tends to occur more when specific, achievable, personal goals are set. In fact, according to Cashmore (2008), the most effective goals include one with a measurable level of performance, a plan for action and a timeframe. In this regard, goals should follow a checklist which