12 Tips for Better Sports and Athletic Performance

John Ellsworth, MA • Protex Sports (www.protexsports.com)

12 Tips to Better
Performance in Sports

Regardless of the skill mastery required to succeed at a sport
there are methods you can use to keep the your mind crisp and perform at
your peak potential whether at home, at practice or in competition!

Copyright© 2011 by Protex Sports, LLC www.protexsports.com Page 1

1. De Stress The Easy Way - One Step at a Time

Did you know that most of the stress we feel on a daily basis has to do with worrying about
the future? For example, if we want to live healthier, we focus on dropping cholesterol,
improving as heart rate or losing weight. The, if the goal is set too high, we become
discouraged or frustrated. It is then, that stress sets in, and many people give up.

One of the easiest ways to eliminate stress, reach your goals AND boost confidence is to start
by ―focusing on the process‖ rather than the end result or outcome. Instead of focusing on the
need to lose weight, focus on incremental steps you might take to reach your goal. By focusing
on the incremental steps it is possible to achieve mini successes along the way and therefore
build confidence. Perhaps this might mean eating leaner meats, taking quality vitamin
supplements, exercising or watching the quantity of food eaten. When you stay in the present
moment by focusing on the process, you can achieve goals incrementally by letting go of
unhealthy beliefs or unrealistic expectations one step at a time.

2. Support a Healthy Belief System with Good Mental Habits

Did you know that one of the most important aspects to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is based
upon your beliefs and philosophies about your health habits? Beliefs, thoughts and attitudes--
whether in sports, health, exercise or eating patterns-- can make or break a person's ability to
follow-through with a task. Focusing on positive thoughts -- such as believing that you have the
will power to refuse unhealthy eating or fitness habits -- can boost your ability to reach your
objectives faster and maintain them over a long period of time. Since everyone is apt to miss a
workout, or give-in to a craving for a tasty, chocolate cake, keep a journal of your successes,
rather than fixating on failures. Focus your thoughts, beliefs and attitudes on what you have
accomplished and feed yourself a healthy dose of positive self-talk to keep you focused on your
objectives and more easily overcome those time-to-time temptations!


3. Expectations - # 1 Roadblock to Peak Performance

The mind's eye is a powerful tool. Think about it – we all have illusions about how we think we
should look or feel. We have expectations of dropping those 30 nagging pounds just 2 months
before our class reunion or tightening our tummies before participating in a wedding party.
And when the big day comes, we can't help but feel slightly disappointed because we didn't
quite meet our goal – we're a few pounds shy or our tummy's aren't as flat as we had hoped.
Whether in sports or in life, setting realistic expectations is how you achieve success. It's a
little known secret that setting goals that are too high, and thus unachievable, will most likely
lead to failure. So, the next time you have a big event—like those holiday parties where you
want to want to look your best—focus on goals you CAN achieve. Instead of losing 30 lbs,
strive for 5-10 lbs, and then the next 5-10, but first accomplish reaching the first goal. Instead
of focusing attention a waist-hugging outfit, think instead about a beautiful, richly colored
sweater or jacket that highlights your smile or the sparkle in your eyes. Remember,
expectations can make or break how you perceive your success. Establish a base of success by
first setting goal # 1, and then achieve it. Set goals wisely and be sure the expectation to
achieve success is not out of your reach and therefore success limiting.

4. Getting it Right - It's Ok Not Being Perfect

Oh, to be perfect. If only we could be so lucky. But, the reality is that we are all humans, and
imperfect at that. No matter how much we try, practice, or establish routines, we are still
doomed to make a mistake, be forgetful, become ill, be distracted, and the list goes on. Being
perfect is something that most strive to achieve, and some actually believe that anything less
than perfection equates to failure. One of the most challenging obstacles to overcome,
perfectionism is often masked by a strong work ethic, determination and persistence to do a
good perfect job. The reality is, however, that these tendencies often are symptoms of a
perfectionist who is unable to settle for anything less than perfection. Perfectionism often
stems from extremely high expectations, or fear of failure. To stop perfectionism in its tracks,
set expectations lower – think of more achievable performance objectives or mini goals --,
recognize that all humans make mistakes and you are likely going to make them yourself. Most
importantly, remember that being the perfect human means accepting your imperfections!


5. Bringing Flow into Performance & Life

Flow is the process state an individual or athlete experiences before they reach the infamous
and fleeting ―zone‖ experience. Flow in life is much more common to everyday performance
because it is based on the ―joy‖ one feels from being totally immersed in the process of an
activity or event. Flow can be experienced while doing simple tasks like ―gardening‖, or more
complex tasks like the surgeon executed on a complex operation. In essence ―flow‖ is what
happens when an individual is totally focused on the task at hand without interruption or
distraction. Flow is a zone state in limited form that comes from being totally absorbed. When
in the ―flow‖ moment we find ourselves pre-pared to enter the phenomenon of optimal
performance in a zone state. Anyone can introduce flow into their lives by simply finding an
activity that brings joy, and love that comes from participation. The message today is,
participate in life. Find the one thing you love to do and immerse yourself into it. Feel what it is
like to lose yourself into the activity. Everyone, young and old, novice or professional can
experience flow!

6. Quiet the Inner Critic

The old adage says "I'm my own best critic" and how true that can be! No matter what
happens most of think we can be exercising more often, practicing our sports routines with
greater frequency, eating a more balanced diet, getting better quality sleep, and so forth. Let’s
face it, busy lives lead to busy schedules and it is harder and harder to balance everything into a
short 24 hour period! The problem is, however, that our inner critic, that little, inner voice,
tells us that we aren't good enough, that we should be doing more, working harder, spending
more time taking care of our bodies and our families. That loud voice begins to eat away at our
self-esteem, and our belief in our abilities. Building strong mental toughness means drowning
out the inner critic by focusing on the good stuff – being appreciative of the great things you do
have, the talents you possess and embracing the skills you have refined. Once you start
believing in yourself, your attitude starts to change and soon your inner critic all but disappears!


7. Quiet Mind Equals Calmness under Pressure

Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed that everything seems to be going at a fast-
pace and that you can't seem to think clearly? Taking a moment to quiet your mind can lead to
great calmness even when under great pressure. Using relaxation techniques can help you to
focus our energy inward to limit the amount of external distractions. I like to think of my
breath, or focused exaggerated deep abdominal breathing as my silent partner. As you become
more focused on your breathing, your heartbeat, and even a specific movement you will find
that your mind becomes more relaxed and can easily reach a more calm state. The next time
you are facing pressure, instead of simply taking a deep releasing breath, try to let go of excess
thoughts and distractions while you exhale. Connect the distraction to the exhale by slowly
repeating three times on the exhale ―I am releasing this distraction from my mind‖. It is
important to release the distraction on the exhale. Exhale slowly and the distraction will slowly
move on into the atmosphere. You may be surprised at how calm you suddenly will become,
and how quickly you will master stressful situations.

8. Practice to Performance a Critical Transition

One of the most common problems I encounter in my practice as a mental game coach are
athletes that perform exceptionally well in practice, but perform poorly in competition. There
are numerous reasons why athletes "choke" in competition, but the most common include
issues around confidence, composure, fear of failure and concentration/focus problems. A
thread that bridges all of these issues is a single common denominator , the athlete's attitudes,
beliefs and thoughts are what powers their physical skills. To transition from practice to
performance requires changing the mindset to one that empowers and trusts in the learned
skills. Whether you’re a business person, a scientist, a teacher, parent, or athlete, to succeed
you must believe that you have refined your skills in practice (or in repetition) and are ready to
enter the "performance" or "competition" arena with complete trust and belief in these skills.
Once you can trust in the skills you have spent weeks, months or years refining, you are now
mentally empowered to make the transition from "practice" to "competition" with great ease!


9. Mind Reading and Performance Excellence (got ya!)

Second and third graders have a saying that goes something like this: "Paranoia will destroy ya!"
Of course, this isn't the nicest comment to make to each other, but they are kids and to quote
Art Linkletter, "Kids say the darnest things!" The reality is, however, that this childhood saying
is accurate. When you start mind reading, or believe thoughts that YOU can perceive how
OTHERS may (or may not) be thinking about you, the ability to perform with excellence is
drastically decreased. While many may claim to possess psychic abilities, most of us do not
have this super natural power. Becoming stressed or worried about what others may think
about our performance is only adding unnecessary pressure to an already volatile situation.
The reality is that few people rarely take the time to consider and dwell on mistakes, errors or
flaws, let alone actually even think about them. Give yourself the freedom to perform without
the make-believe restrictions of others thoughts. Letting go of the mind reading anchors may be
enough to watch your performances soar. After all, you and only you are the one in control of
your performance.

10. Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said "There is nothing to fear but fear itself." And how true that
statement is! While few of us are so fearful that we don't venture beyond our own doorstep,
many encounter fears that prohibit us from achieving our full potential. The two most common
fears are often the most difficult to recognize because they are often embedded into our core
belief systems. For example the fear of what others think, also known as the need for social
approval, can masquerade as wanting to be a team player. The fear of failure can often be
disguised as underperformance. For example, the athlete who is not willing to risk failure by
taking the final shot just before the buzzer, Fear of Failure can also surface in the form of an
―all or nothing mentality‖. Thoughts such as "I either perform well or I'm a loser" or "If I can't
exercise at least 30 minutes every day I'm a slacker" are examples of all or nothing thinking. To
overcome fears, start by taking baby steps. The first is to keep track of what you do well by
creating a success journal. When you feel fear creeping up on you, make a mental note of your
successes to boost your confidence and to eliminate the fear distractions from your mind. Use
the 5-1 rule. Following every performance, identify and write down 5 things you did well
before you write down the one thing you wish to improve. This exercise alone is a powerful
tool to build confidence and trust and eliminate the fear of taking the last shot. Remember,
―you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take‖.


11. Attitude, Behavior & Execution - The Formula for Success

Several years ago, a major advertising campaign focused on the principle, "You are what you
eat." In the world of sports psychology and mental endurance training, the principle becomes
"You are what you think, act and execute." It has long been know that thoughts, attitudes and
beliefs power behavior. Those athletes who have a "can do" attitude, who trust in their skills,
who believe they have the talent, who focus their thoughts on the task, consistently perform
better than athletes who can't harness their mental toughness. How you will execute a task –
whether simple or complicated—depends upon your attitude and behaviors about that take.
For example, if you want to slice a tomato, likely you have performed the task so many times
that you believe you can cut the tomato, you then have the confidence in your ability to slice
the tomato and successfully execute the task. It is no different with sports or with any other
task needed to be performed. The next time you are concerned about your ability to execute
a task, whether it is a speech to your boss, or to raise funds for your charity drive, start by
changing your mindset (thoughts, attitudes and beliefs). You'll quickly discover that making
these changes will ultimately result in a successful execution!

12. Fear and Performance Roadblocks

Most of the time, an athlete’s fear is worry related to poor results – weather prior to
performance or during a performance. Athlete’s often fear the negative consequences of their
performance. They worry about the things that are often not under their control. The threat
athlete’s feel can sometimes be irrational and not based in reality. Getting injured on the high
beam is a rational fear. But, worrying about what others might think abut you if you hit a bad
shot or make a poor play is often not rational and is based on false assumptions you make
about others beliefs about you. Take a moment to assess your fear. Write down 5 Fear of
Failure signs, and then its corresponding Reaction. For example: Confidence in practice, but loss
of confidence in competition after a couple of mistakes. Reaction: You played with more
tension and did not want to make any errors or mistakes. Finally, write down a Rebuttal to the
Fear. Example: My practice prepares me for competition. The only things I have control over
are my attitude, behavior and execution of my skills. My performance only matters to me
because I am the one executing the skill the best way I know how to.


12 Tips for Better Sports and Athletic Performance

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12 Tips for Better Sports and Athletic Performance