Tip of the Month - May 2021

Coach Monika Says…

Mental Performance 

Series III

In The ZONE – The ZEN Experience

May is ‘Mental Awareness’ Month. According to the ‘TrueSport’ Website (05/06/2021), it is dedicated to depression and anxiety, including performance anxiety. 

It might have been telepathy on my part to explore this topic over the past several months. The May article explores the ‘ZEN’ phenomenon experienced by numerous elite athletes. So what is it? How does it happen? How do athletes reach and obtain the ZEN stage? 

What is ZEN?

…’The Zone’… all athletes know about it; they strive for it and value its attainment. It is that realm of play or event in which everything-skill, training and mental discipline comes together, and athletes feel themselves lifted to a level of peak performance in which limits seem to fall away (Cooper, 2020)… 

…It was the first game of the 1992 NBA Finals, the Bulls against Portland…Right away you could see the streak was over. As he turned and headed back up court, Michael Jordan looked over at network announcer Magic Johnson and shrugged, as if to say, It’s beyond me. It’s just happening by itself! (Cooper, 2020)…

Michael Jordan: Photo by Howard Chai

In Andrew Cooper: In the zone: The Zen of Sports

…His ‘Airness’ had just sunk his sixth consecutive three-pointer, and in that moment it appeared as though even he was overwhelmed by the immensity of his gift. And that was the giveaway. He had become self-conscious, and so he had lost that edge, that intensity of concentration in which limitations are forgotten and the spirit is set free to soar. Even for Michael Jordan, visiting hours on Olympus are limited (Cooper, 2020)… [Text modified by Schloder]

‘Zen’ expression means ‘the mind without mind’ and is referred to as the state of ‘no-mindness’… that is, … a mind not fixed or occupied by thought or emotion and thus open to everything… It is translated as ‘being free from mind-attachment’, according to Japanese mythology and translation.

According to Martinková and Parry (2010), mystics and poets aren’t the only people who experience the transcendence or otherworldliness = perfection, and it may even be incorrect to connect ‘Zen and Sport’ because the former is a mystical religion (Buddhism) that has nothing to do with the human body and movement. And it may even be unbefitting to associate ‘Sport and Zen’ since sport promotes competition contrary to ‘Zen’ beliefs. How then can these two be reconciled? In order to relate the inherent concepts, it is essential to determine what the two have in common, namely the focus on practice and the quality of experiencing. ‘Zen’ is neither a religion nor a philosophy. Instead, its concepts are used to assist people in experiencing reality, which is not transferable to another person but rather expresses that quality of experiencing by the person (Martinková & Parry, 2010). Watts (1957) refers to ‘Zen’ as a way of liberation or a way of life or a path” (p. 3).

How does it Happen? Underlying Concepts?

Csikszentmihalyi (1990) identifies in Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, a self-surpassing dimension of human experience that is recognized by people the world over, regardless of culture, gender, race, or nationality. Its characteristics include deep concentration, highly efficient performance, emotional buoyancy, a heightened sense of mastery, a lack of self-consciousness, and self-transcendence. He calls such experience ‘flow’ – today’s athletes call it ‘being in the Zone’ (1990).

Sport psychologists talk about the ‘Zone’ as a state of supreme focus to help athletes in all sports to perform at their peak potential. When in that stage the mind only processes thoughts and images that help athletes execute the task successfully whereby their attention is absorbed into the present sphere (the ‘here and now’ only). It happens when the mind fully connects with attaining set goals such as getting a hit, stealing a base, concentration at swimming or track starts, aerial stunt on the balance beam, etc. Entering this stage requires total commitment to the competition or game plan and the process of winning. The problem is that many athletes have mental barriers such as fear of failure, doubts, lack of trust, or over-thinking that limit their ability to enter the ‘Zone.’

Athletes need to move or play into the ‘Zone’ because it does not automatically happen. Once they understand the parameters, allowing them to enter, raise, expand and enhance the ‘Zone’ they will have a changed perspective in what they do. The ‘Zone’ like Sport, works on space and time. Athletes have to think of it as a room in their minds. To enter this room they require stillness of the mind, which reduces the thoughts, which creates space, which the ‘Zone’ loves because that’s what it actually ‘Is’…(Clarkson, 2012).

In order to achieve peak performance in competition or game, the ‘Zone’ becomes a state of supreme focus helping athletes in all sports perform at their peak potential. It is when the mind fully connects with achieving a goal, a certain task, a baseball hit or stealing a base, or an aerial movement on the balance beam. Attention is absorbed into the present (the here and now only). When in that state the mind only processes the thoughts and images that help athletes execute their task successfully (Edger, 2011).

However, people do not usually think about the way they experience something. They are more interested in what they experience without having to reflect on the actual process of that experience. The latter is derived from what they have learnt, and from their senses influenced by prior learning, and directed by their expectations, aims, and wishes. Therefore, their experiencing is not direct but conditioned by various concepts or sense-experiences, which provide a different picture of what there actually ‘is’ (i.e. reality of a baseball hit, etc.). The biggest entity of ‘being in the Zone’ is that most athletes don’t understand the principles of how it works. Subsequently, it becomes a ‘magical thing’ though three factors are required for such an experience:

• The need for discipline

• The need for skill or task simplicity

• The need for repetition of skills/tasks

If athletes understand these ‘Zone’ concepts they will engage in discipline and simplicity. They also have to understand the way the brain functions in order to improve their skills or tasks, which requires and depends on repetition. Nonetheless, if teammates are so-called ‘needy’ people (negative attention seekers), who pander in disruptive behaviour, it is difficult to get into the ‘Zone’ when hearing comments like:

• This is too hard!

• This is boring!

• Can we please change? Can we play games?

It is estimated that any team may be composed of up to 50 percent of ‘needy’ people if not more (Clarkson, 2014). If the team members do not work together because it is all ‘about me, and me, and me’ … it prevents other athletes from having any chance of getting into the ‘Zone’ due to the negative environment. One really has to ask why anyone would want to coach athletes, whose ‘neediness is oozing’ from their presence onto the team because they really do not want to learn. If coaches are unaware of such ‘needy’ people and behaviour they are really just ‘blind juggling’ their coaching activity (Clarkson, 2014).

Mental Toughness Relates to ‘Zen’ Experience

‘Mentally tough’ athletes have an advantage because of their ability to tap into the ‘Zone’ more consistently in competition (Refer to previous Tip of the Months Series I and II). Athletes talk a lot about being in that stage and the way they feel in this moment, ‘just incredibly awesome’, and many view it as a ‘magical, hard-to-obtain state of mind.’ Fear of failure, worry, doubt, indecision, and other mental traps are barred from impacting their attention span. But it is not really that complicated or difficult to achieve. It is really a mental state of total involvement in the present moment without the burden of worry, doubt, or fear about results.

I distinctly remember two events when competing. Swim team members were told to leave me alone because ‘she is out there somewhere’ (quote by coach)! This was quite advanced because sport psychology, imagery, and visualization, etc. were not yet known during my time. Indeed, I was focusing, concentrating, and rehearsing my upcoming event. Due to the fact that I was playing Cello in the school’s symphony orchestra, I was used to focusing and listening to my music internally as well as externally. 

I distinctly remember the 200m Breaststroke event at the Bavarian State Championships. After the Start, I was moving through the water so smoothly like waves were carrying me along. WOW! What an experience… the swim was effortless, smooth, rhythmic, and finished in a record time! The other outstanding memory is a Long Jump event during the Regional qualifying meet. My dad was stationed at the Long Jump pit as a judge to measure the legality of the Take-off and the distance. He told me that I was doing the run-up the way he had never seen before. I felt the speed, rhythm, and after being airborne keep sailing through the air like on wings…. and indeed it was a record jump. The main experience in both events was the effortless flow of movement, and ease of performance being in a different world outside the body, i.e., it felt transcendental.

According to Dr. Kevin Chapman, TrueSport expert, licensed clinical psychologist, and founder of the Kentucky Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, performance anxiety is a natural part of sport and life. Since it is unavoidable, it is critical that young athletes learn how to manage it early on as a skill that they can practice and hone through sport but will also benefit them throughout their life! I have proposed for decades that mental training needs to be integrated into sports programs early as soon as children are capable of grasping various mental concepts of performance. 

We used that approach with the young athletes in the Kalos study. Coaches assisted them individually to develop personal mental pictures (metaphors) and ‘cue words’ for given skills or required tasks (verbal and written). Activities were designed as ‘teachable moments’ to train focus and concentration to enhance muscular awareness and understanding of specific bodily reactions during simulated stress situations (questions: how did you feel? What muscles were tense? What symptoms did you notice: nausea, headache, mouth dryness, urination, sweating, ‘clammy’ hands, etc.) The purpose was to heighten the ‘mind over body’ awareness, which is not only valuable for sport engagement but also academic work. 

While the ‘ZEN’ phenomenon does not happen for every elite athlete or every time they compete they should however work or train to achieve the mental capacity as many times as possible. However, mental training heightens the ability with simple to complex mental exercises early on. 

Design and integrate the following activities into training sessions to increase body awareness, focus, and concentration: 

• Yoga Exercises – 20-30 minutes – with coach guidance

• Deep breathing exercises – with coach guidance

• Progressive Relaxation-head to toe – with coach guidance

• Positive thinking and Self-talk – with coach guidance

• Mental pictures and Cues – with coach guidance

• Strategies for emotional and stress control – with coach guidance 

• Attention control and focus – with coach guidance

• Strategies to control anxiety – learn to recognize/identify stressors – with coach guidance

• Visualization – when athletes are ready* – with coach guidance

• Goal setting – when athletes are ready* – with coach guidance 

*Mature enough to engage in this activity

References:

Chapman, K. (2020, October 6). Performance anxiety. Facebook post/video

Clarkson, R. (2014). How the zone works. Posted in Articles for Athletes, Articles for Coaches, Sports Psychology, Youth Sports Articles. Retrieved May 10, 2021, from http://www.sportpsychologytoday.com/sport-psychology-for-coaches/how-the-zone-works/

Cooper, A. (2020, September 1). In the zone: The Zen of sport - Lions roar. Retrieved May 7, 2021, from https://www.lionsroar.com/in-the-zone-the-zen-of-sports/

Cooper, A. (1998, April 20). Playing in the zone. Exploring the spiritual dimensions of sport. Boulder, CO: Shambhala.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. NY: Harper and Row.

Cuncic, A. (2020, June 1). How to handle performance anxiety as an athlete. Posted on: verywellmind.com Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://www.verywellmind.com/how-do-i-handle-performance-anxiety-as-an-athlete-3024337

Edger, M. (2011). Understand the zone in sports. Posted in Articles for Athletes, Articles for Coaches, Sports Psychology, Youth Sports Articles. Retrieved May 10, from 2021, https://www.sportpsychologytoday.com/youth-sports-psychology/understanding-the-zone-in-sports/

Martinková, I., & Parry, J. (2010). Zen and Sports: focussing on the quality of experiencing.  In J. Parry, M. Nesti, and Watson, N. (eds.). Theology, Ethics and Transcendence in Sports (pp. 211-222). NY: Ruthledge. 

Quinn, E. (2020, July 27). Sports Psychology for performance anxiety. Posted on: verywellfit.com Retrieved April 13, 2020, from https://www.verywellfit.com/sports-psychology-for-performance-anxiety-3119436

Roberts, S., & Valle, V. (2018, April 5). Five tips for overcoming sports performance anxiety. Posted Johns Hopkins Medicine Newsroom. Retrieved April 13, 20021, from https://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/ACH-News/General-News/5-Tips-for-Overcoming-Sports-Performance-Anxiety

Sekida, K. (2005). Zen Training. Methods and Philosophy. Boston & London: Shambhala.

Sport Psychology for Coaches. Coaches teach mental skills to your athletes. Retrieved April 12, 2021, from https://sportpsychologyforcoaches.ca/ … Free Sign up

TrueSport@TrueSport.org (2021, May 6). Retrieved May 7, 2021, from https://truesport.org/teach-learn/truesport-topics/performance-anxiety/?utm_source=TrueSport%20eNewsletter&utm_campaign=%20f842d4bac2-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_09_10_13_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm__term=0_978107bdf8-f842d4bac2-157999574

Your Online Mental Training Resource. Sport Psychology Today. Instilling the mental game needed to succeed. Retrieved May 10, 2021, from http://www.sportpsychologytoday.com/