USOC Mental Training Skill 7: Mental Preparation Exercise 1

Name*

First NameLast Name

Email*

example@example.com

Who is your Coach?

Mental Preparation Exercise 1
Competition Reflections

How do you start developing a routine that will work for you? Begin with the end result in mind. Identify how you need to think and feel to perform your best. Then identify what to do to get you into this ideal mindset. It is helpful to refer to past experiences, in order to find what works for you. Respond to the questions from this Competitive Reflections form, in order to get started on developing a mental routine that will work for you.

1. Thinking back to your best performances in the past year, how did you feel just prior to the start of the event?

1 = No Activation (mentally and physically ‘flat’), 5 = Highly Activated and Charged

2. Thinking back to your best performances in the past year, how did you feel just prior to the start of the event?

1 = Not at all worried or concerned, 5 = Extremely worried or concerned

3. What were you saying or thinking to yourself prior to the start of these best-performance competitions?

4. How was your focus during these best-performance competitions? What were you aware of or paying attention to during these best-performance competitions?

5. Thinking back to your worst performances in the past year, how did you feel just prior to the start of the event?

1 = No Activation (mentally and physically ‘flat’), 5 = Highly Activated and Charged

6. Thinking back to your best performances in the past year, how did you feel just prior to the start of the event?

1 = Not at all worried or concerned, 5 = Extremely worried or concerned

7. What were you saying or thinking to yourself prior to the start of these worst-performance competitions?

8. How was your focus during these worst-performance competitions? What were you aware of or paying attention to during these worst-performance competitions?

9. Compare and contrast your best and worst performances over the past year. What were the major differences in your energy levels and your thoughts prior to these two types of performances? What were the major differences in your focus of attention during these two types of performances?

Review your responses to these questions. In particular, note the differences between your thoughts, focus, and energy levels prior to your best and worst performances.

How would you prefer to think/feel before an event or race?
How would you prefer to focus before and during an event or race?

With this in mind, work on developing specific strategies to help you reach this optimal state of mind. For example, if you tend to perform your best when you are intense and aggressive, identify specific things that you can think, say, and do to help you attain this feeling. If you tend to get overly anxious when thinking about a race or event, then figure out what you can do to purposely distract yourself until the final moments before the start (listen to music, talk with friends/family, etc.)

10. Prior to an event or race, my optimal state of mind consists of:

11. Prior to an event or race, some strategies that will help me to achieve my optimal state of mind include:

USOC Mental Training Skill #7: Mental Preparation Exercise 1