USOC Mental Fitness Exercises - Concentration
The exercises, below, were developed by the United States Olympic Committee, to help athletes develop better Concentration skills.
If you haven’t, already, you can access the USOC’s Concentration assessment by clicking on the below button.
Dimensions of Attentional Style
Sport Psychology consultant Rober Nideffer recognized that concentration effectively depends on both the demands to a specific sport and the athlete’s attentional skills or styles. Below is his model showing the four different ways athletes have been found to focus their attention. Understanding the four different types of attention and learning about your own strengths and areas to improve are the first steps toward developing skills in concentration.
Focusing Under Pressure
This exercise dives into the several different ways of practicing focus, while under pressure:
- Change-of-Focus Drills
- Simulation Training
- Distraction Drills
- Quality Practice
Establishing a Refocus Routine
This exercise explores strategies that can help you to refocus, once you have been distracted.
- Recognize Distractions
- Select Your Focus
- Prepare to Concentrate
- Create Concentration Cues
- Create Your Own Refocusing Routine