CHAPTER 16: CONCENTRATION AND ATTENTION CONTROL TRAINING

“The ability to control thought processes, to concentrate on a task is almost universally

recognized as the most important key to effective performance in sport.”

ATTENTION
Attention is a cognitive process whereby you direct and maintain awareness of stimuli detected by
the senses and use that information to make decisions and choose responses. Attention requires at
least two different types of focus: (1) in terms of the Width of the Attention (Narrow or Broad);
and (2) in terms of the Direction of the Attention (Internal or External)

DIMENSIONS OF ATTENTION
(1) Width of Attention (broad or narrow)
◦ broad focus would attend to a large number of stimuli at the same time (e.g., QB
reading a defense or point guard executing a 3 on 2 fast break)
◦ narrow focus (e.g., golfer lining up a putt)

(2( Direction of Attention (internal or external)

◦ internal focus is directed inward on thoughts and feelings (e.g., monitor your
body’s responses and mental skills).
◦ external focus is directed to events happening in the environment (e.g., evaluating
playing conditions)

ATTENTION CONTROL TRAINING

Attention Control Training is a set of training procedures that developed as a result of operationally
defining attentional (or concentration) processes as they relate to performance. Attention Control
Training is more than a technique (e.g., centering). It is a complex process that theoretically based
and involves: 1) assessment of attentional strengths and weaknesses; 2) assessment of the
attentional demands of a given sport; 3) the assessment of situational and/or personal
characteristics that are likely to affect arousal for an individual, and/or to dictate his/her behavior
under pressure; 4) identification of situation specific problem areas and error patterns, and; 5)
development of an intervention program (Nideffer, 1992a).

EIGHT PRINCIPLES THAT UNDERLIE ATTENTION CONTROL TRAINING

1. Athletes need to be able to engage in at least four different types of attention.
The most appropriate type of focus, or attentional style, depends upon the sport, the sport
skill and the demands of the specific situation. As coaches, we need assist our athletes in
identifying different attentional styles and the most appropriate focus for their specific sport
involvement.

Four Different Types of Attentional Focus

A. Broad-External
- Used to rapidly assess a situation (eg., the type of attention initially required on a fast
break in basketball).

B. Broad-Internal
- Used to analyze and plan (e.g., the type of attention used to develop a game plan or a
strategy).

C. Narrow-External
- Used to focus in a non-distractible way on one or two external cues (e.g., the ball).

D. Narrow-Internal
- Used to systematically mentally rehearse a performance situation, or to monitor and/or
control physical arousal (e.g., mentally rehearse golf putting, or focus on taking deep breaths to
relax).
 Figure 1: Four Different Types of Attention

Figure 2: Four Different Types of Attention and Its Examples

2. Different sport situations will make different attentional demands on an athlete.

Accordingly, it is incumbent upon the athlete to be able to shift to different types of
concentration to match changing attentional demands. For example, before a golfer step up to the
ball prior to hitting, he need to take several different kinds of information like the placement of
hazards (trees, sand-traps, water) and the course direction (amount and direction of wind), this is
broad-external focus. Next, he has to focus to plan his shot: recall past similar situation,
remembering how he played it, changes he modified, etc, this is broad-internal focus. Then, he
monitors his own tension (not too tight and not too relaxed) and mentally rehearse his shot, this is
narrow-internal focus. Finally, the golfer must focus on the ball and begin his backswing, this is
narrow-external focus. Thus, it is essential during physical instruction and practice that coaches
communicate to their athletes what type of concentration is appropriate.

3. Under optimal conditions, the average person can meet the attentional demands of most sport
situations.
This indicates that if individuals are appropriately motivated and trained and if they have
control over their level of arousal (not too high nor too high), they are capable of effective
concentration. They can control the width and direction of attention enough to be effective.
4. There are individual differences in attentional abilities.
This principle indicates that it will be easier for some athletes to meet a given sport’s
attentional demands than for others. Some of the differences are learned, some are biological, and
some are genetic. Thus different athletes have different attentional strengths and weaknesses.
Some athletes have the ability to deal with a great deal of information and not become overloaded
and confused making them more resistant to pressure and makes it easier for them to perform in
critical situations. While some athletes perform well only when they are not bombarded with
information, or narrowly focused.

Research suggests the following differences among athletes:

1. Different individuals have different capacities for developing a broad-internal type of attention.
2. Certain individuals appear to be more sensitive to environmental (external) information than
others.
3. Some individuals are more capable of developing a narrow, non-distractible type of attention.

5. As physiological arousal begins to increase beyond an athlete’s own optimal level, there is an
initial tendency for the athlete to rely too heavily on the most highly developed attentional ability.
This means that athletes have the tendency to play to their strengths as pressure increases.
Although sometimes, we have the unerring capacity to become our own worst enemies, to turn
what are normally strengths into weaknesses, especially when facing pressure or critical situations.

6. The phenomenon of “choking”, of having performance progressively deteriorate, occurs as

physiological arousal continues to increase to the point of causing an involuntary narrowing of
than athlete’s concentration and to the point of causing attention to become more internally
focused.

CHOKING
Choking is an attentional process that leads to impaired performance and the inability to retain
control over performance without outside assistance. Behaviorally, this happens when athletes’
performance seems to be progressively deteriorating and when they seem to be incapable of
regaining control over performance on their own – without some outside assistance. Emotionally,
it occurs in situations of importance to the athlete. Physically, the athlete experiences the flight-
or-flight arousal of the sympathetic nervous. The figure below illustrates the interaction that occurs
between physiological and attentional processes under highly stressful conditions. The figure also
shows how the changes that occur affect performance. By using the figure below, coaches should
gain a more useful understanding of the choking process – and understanding that can help increase
their ability to understand, predict, and control behavior in sport situations.
Figure 3: Interaction between Physiological and Attentional Processes Under Highly Stressful
Conditions that Leads to Choking and Low Performance.

7. Alterations in physiological arousal affect concentration.

Thus, the systematic manipulation of physiological arousal is one way of gaining some
control over concentration.

8. Alterations in the focus of attention will affect physiological arousal.

Thus, the systematic manipulation of concentration is one way to gain some control over
arousal (e.g., muscle tension levels, heart rate, respiration rate).

The seventh and eighth principles underlying attention control training suggests that by
creating changes in what is going on either physiologically or attentionally, athletes can break the
downward spiral associated with choking. Thus, if they eliminate the physical feelings associated
with excessive tension (tight muscles, pounding heart), they will reduce the number of attentional
distractors and improve their ability to concentrate. Likewise, if coaches can get athletes to either
ignore or reinterpret their physical feelings (if they give a positive interpretation to being aroused,
such as “I’m ready!”), gradually the physical changes will be reduced and tension levels and heart
rate will return to “normal” for the competitive competition.

As coaches, we must remember to teach our athletes that :

“Learning to recover once tension has already gotten out of control or once a mistake has been
made is even more critical than trying to eliminate choking altogether.”
 CHAPTER 17: TECHNIQUES FOR TRAINING CONCENTRATION

CONCENTRATION
Concentration is the ability to focus one’s attention on the task at hand and not be disturbed by or
affected by irrelevant external and internal stimuli. It means being totally in here and now, not in
the past or in the future. It is a skill that can be developed and improved through practice.
Concentration comes naturally when the mind is interested and completely engrossed with the task
at hand. Allow your mind to become absorbed in the here and now (i.e., the present) to be able to
concentrate effortlessly.

Stimuli can be internal or external. External Stimuli may include audience booing, music,
certain officiating officials, and unsportsmanlike behavior from the opponent. Internal Stimuli may
include distracting body sensations and thoughts and feelings, such as “I’m really tired”, “Don’t
be nervous.” and “I blew it!”.

The ability to control thought processes, to concentrate on a task (e.g., to "keep your eye
on the ball") is almost universally recognized as the most important key to effective performance
in sport. Mental control is typically viewed as the deciding factor in competition in both individual
and team sports.

Zoltan Magyar Nikolai Adrianov

Mental control demonstrated by Zoltan Magyar, the Olympic gold medalist, during the
twentieth gymnastics world championship in 1979 over the Olympic all-around champion, Nikolai
Adrianov). When Adrianov missed two elements in his routine, 10,000 spectators verbally reacted.
He was able to tune out all sound and distractions. Magyar was able to shut out defeating thoughts
and harmonize the forces of his mind and body to defend his Olympic Gold medal.
 Another example of Mental Control demonstrated by Carlos Kleiber conducting Strauss’s
Der Rosenkavalier in 1983. He was concentrating so intently that he never noticed the earthquake
that rattled a great chandelier. Below are photos of Carlos Kleiber.

Expanding Awareness Exercise (Gauron – 1984)

In order to train athletes gain better control of concentration, their attentional styles should be
identified first. Expanding Awareness exercise is an excellent technique in helping athletes
experience the different attentional styles. When practicing, the athletes should sit or lie in a
comfortable position. This exercise includes the following activities:
(1) Deep Breathing – ask athletes to focus on their breathing while continuing to breathe
normally. Have them breathe more deeply and slowly while keeping the chest, shoulders
and neck relaxed and then back to their normal breathing.

(2) Listening to Various Sound – Let the athlete pay attention to what they hear by taking
each separate sound and identify them as, footsteps, cough, etc. And then let them listen
to all sound simultaneously without labeling each sound.

(3) Feeling and Mentally labeling Bodily Sensations - Now athletes need to become aware
of bodily sensation such as the feeling of where the chair or floor supports your body.
Mentally label each sensation and let each sensation linger before moving on to another
sensation. Next, experience all sensations simultaneously without labeling any particular
one.

(4) Attend to Emotions and Thoughts and Empty these thoughts. – Let athletes attend to their
emotions and feeling gently without being forced. Let them identify the nature of their
feeling as pleasant or unpleasant. Then empty all feelings and thoughts.

(5) Zooming in (Narrowing) and Zooming out (Broadening) – Let athletes pick and focus in
one object inside the room. While looking at the object, see as much of the room using the
peripheral vision will allow them. Gradually narrow focus seeing the one object in the
room and widen seeing everything in the room. External focus is used as a zoom lens,
narrowing or broadening.
 CONCENTRATION TRAINING STRATEGIES
Strategies to Distracting External Factors : To Keep Concentration
Strategy 1: Dress Rehearsal
Strategy 2: Rehearsal of Simulated Competition Experiences
Strategy 3: Mental Rehearsal
Strategies to Control Internal Distraction: To Stay Centered
Strategy 1: Attentional Cues and Triggers
Strategy 2: Turning Failure into Success
Strategy 3: Use of Electrodermal Feedback
Strategy 4: Increasing Focusing Skills
Strategy 5: Developing Performing Protocols

EXTERNAL FACTORS: STRATEGIES TO KEEP CONCENTRATION

Athletes need to be trained not to react (orient) to irrelevant stimuli. Through training, the
novelty of the competitive environment can be eliminated. Athletes need to experience simulated
competition training in which they practice their physical skills while being exposed to all possible
external stimuli that can occur during a real competition.
Strategy 1: Dress Rehearsal

Is based upon the concept that ease in skillful competitive performance is unconsciously
conditioned by the external and internal stimuli that surround the athlete during practice. The
greater the number of different stimuli during the competition compared to practice, the more
performance tends to decrease. Stimuli can include things such as the athletes’ uniforms and
background sounds such as announcers’ voice and music. It is particularly effective for sports such
as gymnastics, diving, synchronized swimming, and figure skating. In order to make a good
impression during the competitive event, athletes usually wear uniforms different from the ones
they wear during practice. This means that the unconscious stimulus (practice uniform) associated
with performance of the skill is absent during the competition. Wearing new uniform becomes the
new stimulus, which may inhibit performance. This may be one reason why athletes perform better
during practice than during competition.
Strategy 2: Rehearsal of Simulated Competition Experiences
Enables the athlete to become so familiar with the stimuli associated with the competition
that they are no longer distracting, they are trained to concentrate and dissociate from the disruptive
stimuli. Prepare to handle: poor weather conditions; bad officials’ calls; subpar performance; and
an opponent’s hot streak, etc. Performers often report a “déjà vu” experience when they compete
because their preparation has been so effective.
Examples of Simulated Competition Experiences are the following: Gymnastics athletes
might rehearse their routines in practice while a loud tape recording of a previous meet is played
over. For team sports, like softball, basketball or basketball, holding the week’s practice before an
away game with the public-address system loudly playing hostile crowd noises and the opposing
team’s fight song. Include worst possible scenario, like in a football game, turn the sprinklers
before practice or soak the ball between plays on to prepare for a possible rainy day game.

Strategy 3: Mental Rehearsal

Mental rehearsal is a type of exercise that allows athletes to learn to detach and disassociate
themselves from external distractions and resulting unwanted internal stimuli while instead
focusing on the task of mentally rehearsing their sport. The distraction could be anything except
touching. Train athletes to use mental rehearsal not just to attain concentration, but also use it to
regain concentration. Example, if an athlete have realized that their concentration have been
disrupted by the crowd noise, let them learn to stop themselves, take a deep breath to relax, and
then bring their attention back to mentally rehearsing what they should be doing next.

The three strategies mentioned above can be employed during regular physical practice
sessions. Athletes are responsive to them and especially enjoy being involved in generating the
distracting stimuli.

STRATEGIES TO CONTROL INTERNAL DISTRACTION: TO STAY CENTERED

What would happen if you are asked to walk on a board, 4 inches wide, 15 ft long and 9
inches above the ground compared to when you are asked to walk on the same board but it’s 60 ft
off the ground? If the board is now 60 ft off the ground, you might become paralyzed by the fear
of falling, and such fear inhibits performance and increases the possibility of failing. Yet there is
no difference in the physical skill required. The difference is in your psychological response to
perceived stressful event and as a result your attention is on trying not to fall instead of on walking
across the beam.

This shows that lapses in concentration invite fear and self-doubt, and the resulting worry
and anxiety lead to further increase in lack of concentration, that might lead to failure. The coach
or sport psychologist must train the athlete’s mind to exert control because concentration inhibits
distraction. One way to improve concentration is to reduce self-doubt and resulting competitive
anxiety.
Strategy 1: Attentional Cues and Triggers
Helps athletes center their attention on the most appropriate focus within the task at hand,
and help them avoid distracting thoughts and feelings by using certain cues to trigger appropriate
arousal as well as verbal and kinesthetic cues. Cues should focus on the positive(rather than the
negative), the present (rather than the past/future),and the process(rather than score/output).
Example of attentional cues from Greg Louganis (Olympic diving champion) in his interview: “I
picture my dive as the judge will see it, then as I see it.”

In his forward three-and-one-half somersault dive, he used the ff. words: “Relax, see the
platform, spot the water, spot the water, spot the water, kick out, spot the water again.” Coaches
should work with athletes to help them establish effective verbal and kinesthetic cues for triggering
concentration. What is effective for one athlete may not be effective for another.

Strategy 2: Turning Failure into Success

A cognitive habit by which athletes mentally rehearse successful performance after a
failure, in order to avoid self-judgement and self-blame, which disrupts concentration, and to
condition successful performance. They should mentally rehearse executing the same skill
perfectly rather than to dwell on the error. Each time athletes recite (verbally or mentally) a
previous failure, they condition the mind to make that the preferred motor pattern – a global visual
motor behavior training the mind to perform the same failure behavior again. As coaches, let us
train athletes mentally to refocus on successful performance rather than think about failed attempt,
to learn from mistakes, and visualize successful performance instead of past failures.

Strategy 3: Use of Electrodermal Feedback

Electrodermal Feedback is used to: (1) illustrate how thoughts affect the body and
performance; (2) monitor physiological relaxation; (3) identify stressful components of the athletic
performance during imagery rehearsal; and (4) facilitate concentration training.
Technique A: Thoughts Affect Body
Each thought has a corresponding physiological effect, because each thought has a
corresponding physiological effect. Example: Let an athlete think about an anxiety-provoking
event like imagining a difficult move and while attached to the EDA feedback device, let them use
the device to experience how their thoughts and feelings affect their physiological state. This will
help them identify and stop disturbing thoughts and feelings, as well as to restructure their negative
self-talk to positive.
Technique B: Facilitating Mental Rehearsal
With the help of the EDA, athletes can rapidly identify stressful, anxiety-provoking events
or cues during imagery rehearsal of their routine or athletic event. It was reported that EDA
feedback was helpful in learning to reduce the athlete’s arousal during mental rehearsal.
Technique C: Enhancing Concentration Training
Athletes learn awareness of their internal cues of anxiety, as well as strategies to control their EDA
response through passive attention. Athletes form pairs with one member of each pair mentally
practicing the competitive routine while receiving EDA feedback while partner attempts to distract
and arouse him or her so that there will be a change in EDA feedback signal. Through this, they
learn to detach and disassociate from external distractions and unwanted internal stimuli while
focusing on the task.
 Electrodermal Activity (EDA) measures and feeds back changes in skin conductance. Skin
conductance measures the changes in sympathetic arousal as produced in the perspiration of the
palmar surface of the hand. These changes correlate highly with the fight or flight response. The
athlete holds the device under his or her palm and an audio device is connected to the ear. Whether
the athlete is relaxed or not relaxed, a corresponding sound is produced by the device. An increase
in autonomic arousal means that there is an increase in skin conductivity, thus the device produces
a high pitch sound. Likewise, a decrease in autonomic arousal means that there is a decrease in
skin conductivity, and the device produces a low pitch sound. Aside from the sound produced by
the Electrodermal device, a modification is that it produces light that indicates a more precise
meaning of the relation level of the athlete.

Figure 4. Red Light indicates Less Relaxation.

Figure 5. Blue Light indicates Well Controlled Relaxation.

 Figure 6. Green Light indicates More Relaxation

Figure 7. White Light indicates Balanced Relaxation

Strategy 4: Increasing Focusing Skills

This strategy teaches performers to gently hold their attention on a pre-defined task and if
the attention wanders, to gently bring the attention back. This is similar to meditative practice such
as Raja yoga, in which a person focuses on a mantra, and each time the attention wanders from the
mantra, the person gently guides the attention back to the mantra.

Samples Exercises of Increasing Focusing Skills of Athletes:

Exercise A:
Sit quietly, close your eyes, and see how long you can focus on a single thought.
Exercise B:
Look at an action photo or an object from your sport. Example would be a ball. If distracting
thoughts enter your mind, bring your attention back to the ball; neither shut out the thoughts nor
continue to explore the disruptive thoughts or feelings. Just gently bring the attention back to the
ball.

Exercise C. Use of Grid

This exercise allows athletes to practice focusing ability and is even used in some countries
as a pre-competition screening device for current level of concentration ability. You can increase
the difficulty by creating distractions such as loud noises and verbal harassment to see of the
performer can block out everything in a sequence and concentrate fully on the grid. Below is an n
example of a grid.

Strategy 5: Developing Performing Protocols

Athletes develop the ability to tune in to their ideal performance state by associating
concentration with certain performance rituals. Behavioral protocols designed to cue both the mind
and the body should be established during the warm-ups. Practice, and the actual competition.
Over time, these protocols will serve to automatically trigger the focused concentration athletes
need for good performance. As coaches, we have to help our athletes develop ideal pre-
performance concentration ritual. Practice protocol consistently allowing it to trigger subsequent
focused performance. If attention lapses, personal protocols can be used to refocus.
 CONCLUSION

The ability to control thoughts, arousal, and attentional focus appears to be the common
denominator in the concentration of winning competitors. Many other athletes reported that the
peak performance occurred when they eliminated all thoughts about winning and their focus was
instead on the process, the task at hand. This type of mental control allows athletes to be in the
present. They do not ruminate over past performances, judge present performance, or anticipate
future performances. To achieve consistency in performance, the athletes need to develop and
practice these mental skills in special practice sessions and practice them throughout all physical
workouts. Such a mental preparedness program should follow these steps to better concentration
in order to achieve peak performance.

1. Learn personal strategies to attain optimal arousal for performance.

2. Learn to practice with a positive attitude versus self-doubt and negative talk.
3. Learn what attention focus is best.
4. Associate concentration with certain triggers such as cue words or feelings.
5. Become aware of competitive environment and practice exercises that will help one
“habituate” to it.
6. Practice dissociation.
7. Develop protocols or rituals to trigger concentration.

In summary, concentration is the ability to direct one’s full attention to appropriate cues in the
present task instead of being controlled by irrelevant external or internal stimuli. Most top athletes
have developed their own mental strategies for doing this. These strategies are often perceived as
a component of natural athletic ability. In fact, they are innate. They are skills that the athletes
acquired through regular practice of attention control training. The consistent control over one’s
attentional focus before and during competition is thus learned through practice, just as any
difficult physical skill is learned.