Hey everyone. I hope this finds you all safe and healthy. As you know, we are in unprecedented times with COVID-19, where seasons and school years have been postponed or cancelled, gathering in groups and teams isn't an option, everyone is working from home, and we have some extra time on our hands. Kids have become online students, which might leave some extra time during the day to keep physical and mental skills sharp, obviously from a distance. 

All things considered, this is a great time to practice and fine tune mental skills, so I wanted to put together some ideas that youth athletes can do during this time to keep their mental game strong. When sports and normalcy return, they can feel like they haven't lost a step. With guidance from you, parents and guardians, below are a few ideas you can have your kids try out.

Imagery Practice: Draw your favorite memories from a game or practice.
Step 1: Be as detailed as you can and draw everything you can remember from that experience, including what/who you saw, what was happening around you, and what you were doing. Use colors or keep it black and white.
Step 2: Once the drawing is finished, write down words and phrases around the picture that describes what you remember thinking and feeling (emotions), smelling, hearing, and even tasting (like Gatorade or gum).
Step 3: Lastly, share with your parent/guardian, another family member, or even your coach, what is going on in the picture and the things you described thinking, feeling, seeing, hearing, tasting, and smelling.
The purpose of this exercise is to introduce the child to the beginning stages of imagery and allowing them to connect the senses with the images. With detailed practice, this activity will go a long way in developing their imagery skills and can become a very useful tool.

Confidence Building: What are my strengths as a player
Step 1: Write down your strengths in your sport. These can be single word answers or short phrases. For example, "good communicator" or "strong on the ball".
Step 2: For every strength from step 1, describe it in more detail. What makes you a good communicator? What makes you strong on the ball? What do those things look like and how do you show them?
The purpose of this exercise is to help the child identify what they are good at and be able to use those things to contribute to their self-confidence.

Goal Setting: Areas for Improvement
Step 1: Write down a few things you want to get better at. The key here is to be detailed. For example, "I want to get better at juggling with both feet", or "I want to get better at chest traps and bringing the ball down to my foot".
Step 2: Figure out a way to practice your goals a little bit everyday at home this week. For example, "I will juggle for 10 minutes everyday using both feet", or "I will do 15 chest traps bringing the ball down to my foot everyday".
Step 3: Keep a log. Write down your progress, high scores, and low scores, and check in at the start of each week to make adjustments to your goals. One week you might be doing 10 juggles, the next you might be doing 12 or 15!
Step 4: Make it a little competitive! Virtually challenge your friends, or set up a time everyday that you are doing these skills at the same time and do them together. While social distancing remains incredibly important right now, get creative and set up virtual hang outs to do these skills together.
The purpose of goal setting is to get kids excited about improvement and progress. By setting weekly goals and checking in on them regularly, we are teaching youth that goals can always be adjustable, adaptable, and fun.

For the time being, I've presented these mental skills in a simple format. If you have questions or need more guidance about any of the above, please don't hesitate to contact me. We are in this together! 

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

Focus is a common topic, not only in sports, but also in life. The key is to do your best to stay focused on the task at hand, remain in the moment, and redirect your mind back to that task at hand when it starts to wander.

Many common causes that can contribute to the loss of focus are known as internal and external distractions. Internal distractions can be things such as thoughts, heart rate, feelings, and/or emotions. External distractions can be things like fans, coaches, players, or weather. It's important to take note on what causes you to lose focus so it can be addressed on the fly.

Below are a few tips to help you focus or refocus during a game:

Pre-game walk through. In your pre game prep, walk the field and identify a place on or around that field that can become your refocusing go to that day. For example, one of the corner flags, a tree behind one of the goals, or even the whistle in your hand. Commit to these visuals as the thing that will bring your focus back to the task at hand when you need it.

Work together with your crew. Before the game, get together and chat with your fellow referees about your game plan and preferences. Being on the same page can help you stay focused on your role that day. 

Focus cue word. Before you even step on the field, identify a cue word or phrase that can help redirect your focus. For example, something as simple as "focus" or something like "here and now" can help trigger you to focus on what you want and when you need it.

Breathe. Sounds simple, but sometimes a few deep breaths can trigger you back to focusing on the moment. Breathing can help you relax between plays (stoppages, half time, etc) and give you the opportunity to check your surroundings. Pairing your breathing with you cue word or phrase can really make a big difference.

Stay in the moment. Your job is to facilitate the rules and integrity of the game and the safety of the players. Because making calls are part of your role, own the ones you make.  Dwelling on past calls keep you stuck in past moments and unable to be present in the now. Make a call, own it, move on. Leave it in the past so it doesn't influence your present and future.