How to have a Champion Mindset for every Competition
There are no guarantees in sports. Being the top-seed does not guarantee victory…
Being ranked higher than your opponent doesn’t guarantee winning…
Having a faster seed time entering a competition doesn’t mean you are assured winning a title…
Being the defending champion does not guarantee a repeat.
Yet so many top-seeds suffer upsets and miss out on opportunities for playoff runs, accomplishing their goals or achieving their potential.
One reason top-seeds fall short is that they look past their current opponents and are focused on some match-up in the future.
Some top-seeds expect easy victories when facing lower-ranked opponents, so they are lax in their preparation and approach to the competition.
Top-seeds that take their opponents lightly are prime candidates for upsets because their focus is in the wrong place and they often hold back in their effort.
Championship teams and elite athletes have a specific mindset that contributes to their athletic success.
This mindset revolves around being consistent in their preparation, focus and effort.
Since you can never predict what may happen in a competition or even the level of preparation and motivation of your opponents, you can benefit from maintaining a consistent approach to EVERY competition.
Instead of viewing your opponents as easy or hard, see them for what they are… COMPETITION!
The top-seed Calgary Flames entered the 2019 NHL playoffs favored by many to make it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Flames ended the regular season with the second best record in the league. Calgary started Round One by beating the Colorado Avalanche, 4-0, in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series.
The Flames proceeded to lose the next four games by a combined total of 17-7 and were knocked out of the playoffs.
In a post-game interview, Flames goaltender Mike Smith highlighted what happens when the top-seed plays “average” in a playoff series.
SMITH: “I don’t think we played our best consistently through this series, and you have to be your best if you want to move on. You can’t move on just being average, and they were the better team. They deserve some credit. They snuffed us out offensively and did a good job to shut down our top guys. You always got to remember that there are two teams on the ice, so you have to give a lot of credit to the way that they contained us.”
If you play average, you are at risk for an upset.
There is a saying in football, “On any given Sunday.” This saying refers to the fact that if you don’t have the right mindset, are out-prepared, out-hustled or out-focused, you may be out-played and lose.
Being Focused As the Top-Seed:
There are three essential elements for any athlete or team to play at its peak: (1) preparation, (2) effort and (3) focus.
You can’t just expect to win when you’re the top seed. You must work to bring. your A-game every competition.
Ask yourself: How do I need to mentally and physically prepare for THIS competition to perform at my peak?
Improve Mental Preparation in Sports!
If you’re an athlete who is frequently tight, tense, anxious, or wants to learn more about how to relax better under pressure, The Relaxed Athlete is for you!
Confidence and the ability to relax under adversity is what championship athletes do best.
It only takes one tense moment for you to lose a critical point, miss a putt, or lose a second off your lap time. You cannot afford to let distractions run wild in your mind and cause you to make errors at critical times in the game!
The Relaxed Athlete is a complete system to teach you how to relax like a champion and harness the power of relaxation every time you step on the playing field, court, track or course in practice and games!
This workbook and CD program consists of 2 audio CDs that include 14 days of focus boosting exercises and a simple to follow workbook that guides you through each of the 14 days, helps you apply strategies, and customizes the exercises to your personal focus challenges.
You’ll Discover:
- How to quickly identify distractions that sabotage your concentration and how to quickly refocus after distractions.
- How to use pre-shot routines before shots or serves to help you be more task-focused instead of worrying about results.
- How to use pregame routines to help you harness the power of zone concentration before competition.
Learn more about one of our most popular CD programs in The Confident Athlete Series…
The Relaxed Athlete: A 14-Day Plan For Superior Concentration
What are customers saying about our mental game programs?
“As a result of reading and implementing ‘The Confident Athlete Series,’ I am once again enjoying golf and letting bad shots roll off my shoulders and appreciating my good shots without attaching expectations. Thanks Dr. Cohn!”
~Stu Blasius, P.G.A. Golf Professional
“Your response to the throwing problem in front of the coach covers so many situations in life…that is the beauty of playing sports…the life learning experiences. Keep up the good work…you are the best mental coach.”
~Bill Brennan, sports parent