Ninth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

When most people think of ‘mindfulness’ their mind jumps to meditation and yoga. While these are proven practices, meditation and yoga may not be for everyone. Mindfulness is all about increasing focus and concentration. However, a sudden lapse in focus or concentration can unravel the best of athletes. So, why do athletes lose their focus in the game? And why do professional athletes still make errors like falling on the simple part of their routine, or missing an easy goal? Typically it is due to one or more of these four states: rushing, frustration, fatigue, and complacency. In this session, we will explore traditional mindfulness techniques through discussion as well a five minute guided meditation. We will then learn a different way to practice mindfulness with a set of four attention control strategies called critical error reduction techniques. These techniques can be taught to athletes to help them manage their physical and mental states. In small groups, we will practice the “rate your state” and “anticipating error” tools. These coaching tools can be taught to athletes to help them mentally ‘check-in’ before a practice, shift, or game or to predict a potential performance error or injury in an upcoming performance or competition. These tools along with the critical error reduction techniques give athletes a practical and process-driven way to practice mindfulness without meditation and yoga. What is the byproduct of this type mindfulness? Improved focus and concentration, and injury prevention.