This document outlines strategies and techniques for improving mental game and focus. Some of the key points include: using positive self-talk and body language to build confidence; focusing on excellence rather than perfection; treating every play and practice with the same intensity; and using visualization, imagery, and highlight reels to mentally prepare and reinforce success. The overall message is that mindset, energy, and focus are important for optimal performance.

1. Mental Game Sessions

3.  Fake it till you make it
 Body will mimic the mind
 Act differently than you feel
 Be an actor, not an athlete
 Energy is a decision
 Energy is contagious
 Train, play, even on the bench with high energy

4.  Body language, like energy, is
contagious
 Use big body language to display confidence
 BIG A.B.Cs
 ACT BIG
 BREATHE BIG
 COMMIT BIG

5.  Set an alarm on your phone for
every 20 minutes
 As soon as it goes off be aware of
your body language – are you
slouching? Is your mind wondering
off?
 Use the reminder to snap back into
BIG body language and refocus

6.  HAVE TO vs WANT TO/DESERVE TO
 You don’t HAVE to go to practice, you WANT to
 You don’t HAVE to work out, you WANT to
 Using the right language will dictate how you
feel
 IN vs INTO
 Are you IN the team or INTO the team?

7.  Avoid using DON’Ts and NO in
self talk
 DON’T and NO create a negative image
in your head that you can not avoid

8.  If you use negative self talk add Y-E-T to
the end
 If someone says “I am not good enough to be a
starter” they have already beaten themselves
 If they add YET to the end, “I am not good
enough to be a starter… YET” they are still
giving themselves a chance

9.  Loser or Leaner?
 Do you only focus on the negative or mope
about loses?
 Use the set back as information and motivation
 How can we improve? What did we do well?
 Good OR Bad vs Good AND Bad
 Good OR bad creates too many ups and downs
 Good AND bad keeps things in perspective

10. Failure
Evaluation
Focus
Work
Confidence
Success

11.  Stick with routine
 Over 100 changes of possession in a game
 It is how you respond
 Cannot lose focus/get out of routine
everytime
 Focus on excellence over perfection
 No one is perfect, we will not play perfectly
 Focusing on perfection creates negative
situations
 Focus on excellence

12.  Staying in the present moment
 Playing every game one play at a time
 Having high energy/ giving great effort
 Making aggressive decisions
 Focus on what you can control

13.  Green light
 Composed, optimistic, confident, focused
 Yellow Light
 Frustrated, questioning, doubts, negative
 Red Light
 Angry, pessimistic, overwhelmed, hopeless

14. Routine
Recognize
Release
Refocus

15.  The game does not change
 There is no “turn it on” button
 Treat every workout, practice, game the
same
 Train at the same tempo as you play

16.  SO WHAT NEXT PLAY
 Being a champion is playing one play at a time
 No time in game to dwell on past or look ahead
 Verbalize “SO WHAT NEXT PLAY” to get back
into present

17.  Looking at the whole day/week/month/season
can be daunting
 Focus on the next task, the “next 200 feet” then
move on
 Segment your day into “200 foot” segments
 Breakfast- 200 feet
 Classes- 200 feet
 Film study- 200 feet
 Warming up- 200 feet
 Practice- 200 feet
 Dinner- 200 feet
 Homework- 200 feet

18.  Each successive play is the most
important play of the game
 Focus on winning each play
 WIN everything
 Warmups (intense, motivated)
 Bench energy (loud, positive)

19.  The body doesn’t know the difference
between vivid imagination and the real
thing
 Use visualization/imagery to train your body and
minds to perform how you want
 Focus on what you are trying to do, not
what you are trying to avoid
 Same concept of positive self talk
 Visualize positive plays

20.  15 second breath (6 in, 2 hold, 7 out)
 Centers you and prepares you for workout
 5 second play thought
 Positive phrase on how you want to play
 3 minutes of personal highlight reels
 Past success (1 minute)
 Recent training/games (1 minute)
 Predict future success (1 minute)

21.  In highlight reels
 Correct mistakes
 Be aware of the feeling and process
 Use all senses
 Identity thought
 I am _______, I will ______
 Similar to play thought, more of a confident statement
 15 second breath (6 in, 2 hold, 7 out)
 When?
 Before falling asleep, when waking up, 1 hour
before game- 4 x a week