Getting into the Zone – By Donna Perry
The benefits of being in a harmonious state often referred to as in the zone, require an athlete to be motivated enough to remain focused and play in the present moment. An athlete’s passion has been defined as a strong inclination and desire toward an activity one likes, finds important, and invests time and energy in (Weinberg & Gould, 2010). Harmonious passion is a strong desire to engage in an activity freely, as it becomes a part of one’s identity. The activity is important and will occupy a great deal of the individual’s time, but it is not an overwhelming space in one’s identity. In other words, it does not completely make up an individual’s identity, but works well with the person’s core personality. Athletes who have a harmonious passion decide when to play, commit to it, but are also able to find a balance with other activities in their lives, such as friends, family, studying and work. A few of the following are key findings regarding passion and sport (Lafreneiere et al., 2008):
- Harmonious passion is related to positive effect, positive emotions and flow
- HP is associated with high-quality coach-athlete relationships
- Autonomous personalities are related to HP
Ideally all athletes would be intrinsically motivated and have a true inner passion for their sport. Many parents, coaches and trainers seek methods to increase this desire to compete and perform. Csikszentmihalyi (1999) identified a number of key factors that may spark intrinsic interest.
Balance of Challenge and Skills
Flow is a balance between one’s perceived skills and challenge. For example, a hockey player who is really pushed to their limits and provided with a real challenge will be more likely to get into a zone state.
Complete Absorption in the Activity
When an athlete is so immersed in the activity that nothing else seems to matter they are more likely to get into a flow state. A hockey player has a completely distracting day, for example fighting with a girlfriend, but when he gets in the game, the problem completely vanishes.
Clear Goals
The players’ objectives in the game are so clear, that the minute they step on the ice, they know exactly what they need to do and are completely focused on getting it done.
Merging of Action and Awareness
The athlete is aware of his/her action, but not of the awareness itself. The only thing that will go through the athlete’s mind is thinking about performing well. The athlete may feel like they don’t even have to think and things will just happen. It will just come to the athlete, as they have been there so many times before, referred to as a complete state of automaticity
Total Concentration
Athletes will report they feel completely narrowed focus and the sound of the crowd, coaches, teammates, won’t matter.
The state is referred to as flow, when an athlete feels a holistic sensation in which they believe they are totally involved or on automatic pilot. Flow occurs most often when skills are equal to your challenge. Coaches can be more aware of this state of mind, and match the skill development tasks to individual players needs in order to reach this state. Intrinsic motivation is at its peak and maximum performance is achieved when athletes reach this state. Coaches can help athletes to increase their motivation to perform and monitor arousal levels to ensure athletes are self-regulating properly before and during games. Moreover, encouraging playing in the present by focusing on key points in one’s activity, which are critical to maintain focus. Athletes should have a solid pre-competitive plan, which increases confidence, prepares them for competition and induces a positive attitude. Optimal physical and mental readiness is necessary in order to achieve flow and continue to have passion for your sport.
References:
Weinberg, R. S., & Gould D. (2010). Foundations of sport and exercise psychology. Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL.