Distractions are the faulty line that can tear an athlete’s game completely apart,a poisonous venom to flow through an athlete’s veins when trying to perform.
A sprained ankle or ruptured spine is one thing, but distractions are a mental tear-down, taking the athlete’s total attention and maximum performance away. The ability to block 100% of distractions is the equivalent to acing every test in high school history.
Many Har-Ber athletes strive for this absolute distraction-free mind-set, whether it be in practice or on the playing field. A couple of hard-working student athletes give insight of how they escape the death grip of mental distractions.
Junior volleyball player Tiffani Ray understands the struggle with distractions. Ray finds distractions on the court with the many fans cheering and the opposite team cheering against her. The advice Ray offers for blocking distractions is to “just to focus, zone everything out, and concentrate.”
Along with distractions Ray feels pressure being a student athlete.
“I really have to manage my time between school and sports because I do get home really late after some games,” tells Ray.
A two-sport student, Kacey Sanders also gives advice on how she blocks out distractions.
“I try to listen to music to let me focus and remember all the things I need to do to make my game the best it can be,” Sanders said. Since Sanders plays two sports, she realizes how each sport has its own distractions she has to work to avoid while trying to perform. Sanders explains how each sport is affected if she becomes distracted.
“In cheer, every other person on the mat relies on me to do my job and if I fall, that’s a deduction for my whole team. In golf, I have to work to get to the same place as everyone else. Its just all about staying in the game at the same pace as everyone else.”
Football player Jacob Williams also understands effects of distractions.
“If I’m not focused on the game or practice it’ll reflect on my performance and I’ll forget a play and then I’ll get in trouble,” said Williams. Williams offers the method he uses to block distractions for other student athletes.
“I usually listen to music to block out distractions and I focus on just the game.” said Williams
These three student athletes are not alone in their pursuit to block out distractions. Every single student athlete has to battle with the struggle of distractions in their sport. It is how the athlete works through their mental distractions to block it out that makes them a great, fully-focused performer.