"In the Zone"

We've all seen it. A player who is "in the zone." It seems like they can do nothing wrong. It's the time when psychologically, the player is dominating effortlessly. Through the eyes of the player, he/she sees "everything." Even the fastest paced games seem to move much slower for them. It's a feeling of energized focus and full involvement in an unimaginable, euphoric state. It places no emphasis on luck, only on the hard work and preparation they've done. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, you will typically witness something else. Every shot they've made, every play they've executed and every hit they've gotten suddenly eludes them. It's gone. So how does this happen? Well, it could be a number of things. It could be that same awareness that got them into the zone has simply left with one single negative thought. It could also be something that was said to the player. But it's very possible that they haven't trained their mind properly. Psychologists agree that it's likely the latter than the former and an athletes mind must to be trained the same way, if not more than your body does. It's something that's often neglected. Many just assume practice harder and you'll dominate. If this was the case, then why don't the thousands of players who train hard their entire lives, "live" in the zone when they play their respective sport?

There have been several common aspects shown when a player enters "the zone." For starters, the athletes cannot predict when this time will occur. In other words, they can't control it. However, they possess complete control during the experience. Athletes feel as if they are in total control, although they're not acutely aware of that control at the time. Secondly, athletes seem to have these peak performances when they know they're being challenged, not when they're playing a bad team or expecting a win. These performances seem to happen when they're being pushed or their limits are being stretched. Another aspect present is that the athlete's goals are "crystal clear." Their understanding of what they're supposed to do is on another level. In other words, doubt or uncertainty never enters their mind. There's only 100% confidence. A fourth aspect relates to outside awards or accomplishments. They're simply not concerned with trophies or championships while being in the zone. What's valued most, is the enjoyment of playing rather than outside incentives. A fifth common element reported by players in the zone is, "complete absorption in their sport." Regardless of what else is going on in their life (family issues, financial worries, etc.), they are never effected by these distractions. In fact, according to these athletes, they're not even there. So it begs some questions. How strong is the human mind? What is it capable of? And how far can we push it? Researchers continue to analyze the sports-mind being in the zone through many studies, but one thing is for certain..................it's a very real thing!