Willie M

Life Lesson #31: Focus

Focus

Focus is the difference between a good workout and a great workout. Athletic ability can go a long way, but focus combined with ability is a lethal combination. The skill of maintaining focus is often times innate, maintained subconsciously, but it our responsibility to assist all athletes with both the recognition of low levels of focus and the challenges of returning to focus.

Stimuli from all parts of life can affect an athlete’s level of focus on a single day. Whether it’s a tough test at school or a bully picking a fight, young athletes are easily distracted and may show up for a workout without the proper focus. Knowing this, there are ways that we help teach athletes to obtain and maintain focus.

PRACTICE FOCUS
The challenge of keeping young athletes focused in practice is a very common thing, especially when one or two coaches are trying to workout a team of 12-14 athletes. The key to keeping focus is a thorough practice plan, with multiple stations and an efficient time schedule. Avoid exercises that leave many athletes standing around or waiting in lines, both of which naturally contribute to a lack of focus. If possible, break the team into small groups, so that individual repetitions are increased and everyone (coaches/volunteers included) stays busy. Additionally, this maximizes use of allocated field time, something that we all struggle with.

Often times, a young athlete’s focus can be increased through competition. In practice sessions, incorporating ways to earn points, or placing a reward on a competitive outcome can dramatically increase the intensity of any drill. Push-ups or wind sprints are cheap and effective ways to push athletes to focus at practice. But be careful that the focus remains on execution first, doing your best to explain the reasons for applying competition and rewards to the workout. Help the athletes to understand the concept of focus so that they can recognize for themselves when their focus level is too low.

Another way to increase focus is silence. Try executing a complete pregame routine, going through the entire infield/outfield, without allowing anyone to talk. The theory is that there are no distractions, because athletes are not allowed to banter with each other. Personally, I like this drill for practice sessions but not for games. I’d rather increase intensity vocally before games, while maintaining focus on the task at hand.

In a one-on-one setting, it is much easier for an athlete to maintain focus. While there are still distractions of other athletes training or siblings playing and watching, an instructor can keep constant attention on the athlete. The athlete knows he is being watched and is forced to focus on the task at hand. With total focus on pitch selection and execution, we are able to help an athlete perform up to his potential.

GAME FOCUS
I once heard a story about Jaime Moyer of the Seattle Mariners. Being a pitcher that rarely tops 85mph on the gun, Moyer has little margin for error. He recognizes that a loss of focus on a single pitch could result in a game-changing hit. Therefore, he has a specific procedure he follows to maintain his focus. Moyer realizes he has lost his focus when he’s able to hear specifics that the crowd is yelling. While he may hear noise and cheering even while “in the zone,” Moyer says that when his focus is not entirely on the game situation, he’s able to hear the actual words and phrases. We’ve all heard some of the colorful remarks voiced at a ballgame and it’s easy to understand that they might be a bit distracting. In Moyer’s case, he regains his focus by stepping off of the rubber and using his shoes to wipe the slab clean. The sweeping motion of his feet signifies starting over, and his energy is refocused on the batter as he steps back onto the rubber.

I like to relate this to a young athlete as pressing the reset button on a video game. When things haven’t gone well, or there’s been a significant distraction, the first challenge is to recognize that your focus has wavered. In fact, you are NOT in the zone. In Moyer’s case, he is able to clearly hear what the crowd is yelling, and this signals to him that his focus is not where it should be. After a young athlete has recognized this lack of focus, he/she needs to start over – hit the reset button – and manually regain focus.