The 6th piece of the Wheel of Excellence is a really good one...it's called Distraction Control. This comes in handy to re-group when you find yourself off track.

It will always control your performance, and will show consistency when handled properly.

Most of us think of fans waving the signs behind the backboard for that game-winning foul shot, or the chants from the other team that grow louder right before your windup, or just the noise of the fans in the stadium when the opposing team has the ball and is about to score. But what about those internal distractions... they count too. Sometimes we put too much pressure on ourselves or think too much during that critical moment and we end up distracting ourselves right out of the play.

Learning to initiate postive shifts in focus comes from developing a re-focusing plan and acting on it when needed. Simple reminders, images, or focus points will all help you get back on track Remember, the only thing that matters is a total connection to the present.

BE HERE NOW is one of my favorite mantras that used to sit on my boss's desk in the early 90's. I have used it so many times since I saw it there. And it keeps me focused.

It's funny, but I just got back last night from Orlando where I attended the "Peak Sports" Sports Psychology Bootcamp. We spent a whole lot of time talking about the zone and what it is, and we discussed the 3 R's to control distraction. Recognize, Regroup and Refocus.

In the end, Focus is the most important thing you can have as an athlete.

Find your trigger to get you back to where you need to be, and do it quickly when you find yourself wandering. Being focused in the moment will always control any distraction they can throw your way. It's like being in the "zone." It's effortless.

Enjoy it!

--Coach Jen

Here we are on the fifth element of the Wheel of Excellence!
Mental Readiness.

IT's the readiness to take advantage of and to create positive learning opportunities, plan, prepare and follow a path that brings the best out in you.

To excel at anything, you need to learn essential skills, commit to practice those skills to perfection, perform those skills effectivly under demanding circumstances, and draw lessons from each of your experiences.

Excellence emerges when you are mentally ready to act in these positive ways.

It's helpful to write down your goals, to see in front of you what you want to do today that will get you closer to those goals.

Developing an action plan is essential for ongoing learning and consistent high-level performance.

The pursuit of excellence is a process of self-discovery and stretching limits.

The first step to this self-discovery is being mentally ready to learn, to open up new doors and to be a student always

What are you doing today to get your closer to where you want to be? What's your action plan, and are you mentally ready to begin?

--Coach Jen

Here we are, onto the fourth spoke in the Wheel of Excellence. POSITIVE IMAGES...

This entails using your mind and your imagination in positive ways to create inspiration, target specific goals, enhance your confidence and to react in more positive ways.

All sounds good, right?

So how does it work?

What are your big dreams? What do you want to accomplish in your sports endeavors? What positive things are you going to do today to help you get there? Some of the world's best performers have highly developed imagery skills that they use daily to create a positive mind-set for excellence. They draw upon positive memories, recall the feelings of previous best performances, and create positive visions for the future.

This mental process will definitely help to enhance your confidence, focus and performance.

Try it...

Next time you are in a big game situation, mentally think about your best game or your best performance. Go there in your mind and remember how it felt... see it perfectly. Use your senses to take you back there.

Then go out and duplicate it.

Even if you don't do the same exact thing, your body and your mind are in sync, just like when you had your best performance, and most of the time you will find a way to make something happen.

On a side note, I am super excited to take a trip at the end of July down to Orlando, FL to meet the very own Ken Ravizza, author of MANY books on sports psycholgy, including HEADS UP BASEBALL, one that I HIGHLY recommend. I spoke with him on the phone last week and got an invite to an exclusive weekend-long mental game training seminar. Some of the TOP names in the world of sports psychology will be there for me to learn from and pick their brains. I promise to be a student always and come back with a whole new arsenal of information. Besides coaching softball, and training SAQ modalities, this is one of my favorite things to watch athletes learn. When they get it, the light bulb goes off and they will never be the same after that...

I know that it's some of the most rewarding stuff to teach because it is so much about real life. I can't wait to really put this all together...

ETC was built on the philosophy of the mind-body connection. I am working so hard to study and to learn everything I can get my hands on so I can deliver it to you, better and more in-depth than anyone else you can find in this area and beyond. That is my mission. To make an impact, one athlete at a time.

From this summer's softball camps, to SAQ,to private and group instruction, to the Mental Skills training, and even spilling over to the adult world and the Outdoor Fitness Adventure Bootcamps, I want to deliver what no one else can.

And I know that will only come with more education and more experiences.... which I believe I have, and will continue to gain.

Faithfully in learning,

--Coach Jen

Here we are, onto the fourth spoke in the Wheel of Excellence. POSITIVE IMAGES...

This entails using your mind and your imagination in positive ways to create inspiration, target specific goals, enhance your confidence and to react in more positive ways.

All sounds good, right?

So how does it work?

What are your big dreams? What do you want to accomplish in your sports endeavors? What positive things are you going to do today to help you get there? Some of the world's best performers have highly developed imagery skills that they use daily to create a positive mind-set for excellence. They draw upon positive memories, recall the feelings of previous best performances, and create positive visions for the future.

This mental process will definitely help to enhance your confidence, focus and performance.

Try it...

Next time you are in a big game situation, mentally think about your best game or your best performance. Go there in your mind and remember how it felt... see it perfectly. Use your senses to take you back there.

Then go out and duplicate it.

Even if you don't do the same exact thing, your body and your mind are in sync, just like when you had your best performance, and most of the time you will find a way to make something happen.

On a side note, I am super excited to take a trip at the end of July down to Orlando, FL to meet the very own Ken Ravizza, author of MANY books on sports psycholgy, including HEADS UP BASEBALL, one that I HIGHLY recommend. I spoke with him on the phone last week and got an invite to an exclusive weekend-long mental game training seminar. Some of the TOP names in the world of sports psychology will be there for me to learn from and pick their brains. I promise to be a student always and come back with a whole new arsenal of information. Besides coaching softball, and training SAQ modalities, this is one of my favorite things to watch athletes learn. When they get it, the light bulb goes off and they will never be the same after that...

I know that it's some of the most rewarding stuff to teach because it is so much about real life. I can't wait to really put this all together...

ETC was built on the philosophy of the mind-body connection. I am working so hard to study and to learn everything I can get my hands on so I can deliver it to you, better and more in-depth than anyone else you can find in this area and beyond. That is my mission. To make an impact, one athlete at a time.

From this summer's softball camps, to SAQ,to private and group instruction, to the Mental Skills training, and even spilling over to the adult world and the Outdoor Fitness Adventure Bootcamps, I want to deliver what no one else can.

And I know that will only come with more education and more experiences.... which I believe I have, and will continue to gain.

Faithfully in learning,

--Coach Jen