Performance coach Travis Thomas guides athletes through a pregame mental routine: grounding exercises, breathing, sensory awareness, personal affirmations, and visualization of showing up prepared and resilient. You'll identify critical game actions and create a mantra to anchor yourself during play.
All right, everyone, Travis Thomas here, performance coach. Hopefully the last video you watched already to get a description, an explanation of what this is all about. This is your pregame mental activation exercises. And so we're gonna dive right in. First thing we're gonna do is we're going to ground those feet firmly planted. Just rest your arms and hands at whatever is most comfortable. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna keep our neck straight, but our shoulders relaxed. Neck straight, shoulders relaxed. And we're just gonna take again, a few deep breaths. Few deep breaths in through our nose, out through our nose. In through our nose, deep breath in. Exhale out. Deep breath in. Exhale out. Now keep breathing at that pace, and while you're doing this, see if you can feel yourself, your feet, really Really grounded, really planted. Notice your body, notice how you feel, notice anywhere that there's stiffness, notice anywhere that's uncomfortable. And as you breathe in, exhale out through any of that tension. As you're breathing, notice the sounds around you, notice any smells, notice the temperature. The breeze. Just take it all in. We want to be as present as possible. Where is the game happening in this moment? Where is the game happening always in the present moment? Let's take one more deep breath. And exhale it out. Good, you can shake that out a little bit. Next thing I'm gonna do, and again, I would encourage you to, you can close your eyes while we do this. I'll probably end up closing my eyes, and this is going to be our I am statements, right? This is, you know, whoever is watching this, whatever sport you're getting ready to play, I want you to think about who you are at your best as a player or as a person. So I'm going to start off, I'm gonna kinda get you queued up. Once I go silent, I want you to fill in your own I am statements. Keep filling in those, those same I am statements until I come back to you. Go ahead and close your eyes and start focusing on your breath again. So starting those statements, I am strong. I am athletic. I am a good teammate. I'm a good leader. I'm smart. I'm intelligent. I'm resilient. I am relentless. I'm a hard worker. I am disciplined. I am focused. I play with joy. I play with heart. I play with grit. I am teachable. I am coachable. I am a leader. I am brave. I am courageous. I am relentless. I am flexible. I am creative. I am adaptable. I am a lot to handle. I am positive. I am nonstop. I am unstoppable. I'm a good person. I'm a good listener. I'm supportive. I encourage. I am at my best. I am at my best in this moment, and when I am at my best in this moment, no one and nothing can stop me. I am growing. I'm evolving. I am always getting better. I am always learning. I am always improving. I am succeeding. Now give yourself a few more I am statements. Now the next thing we're going to do is we're just going to do a little bit of that visualization. Again, this is behavior visualization, not outcome Become visualization. Go back to close your eyes, focus on your breath. Today is going to be an amazing game. I am so ready and prepared for today's game. It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter how I slept. It doesn't matter what I ate today. Regardless of everything, I am going to show up and be at my best. I am focused. I am ready. I am resilient. I am here, present in this moment. I have all the skill, all the ability, everything needed to respond to every challenge that happens today. I am talented. Regardless of what happens, if I'm not playing at my best, I will continue to work hard. I will continue to adapt. I will continue to be positive. I will continue to support my teammates. I will continue to find a way. I will find a way. I will keep working until the end of the game, the end of the match, till the final score, the final outcome. Nothing will stop me from playing at my best until the end of the game. If the referee or the judge, if they are not making great calls, that's okay. I will adapt. I won't go negative. I won't become a victim. I will adapt my play for the situation. And continue to find success. If we begin losing, if we get into a hole, if we give up an unlucky play, that's okay. We'll respond. We'll make the adjustments. I will make the adjustments. I'll stay positive. I'll stay supportive. I will encourage my teammates. I will continue to adapt and change my game in order to be the most effective. No matter what the temperature is, it's too hot, it's too cold, the field condition, the court condition, the ball condition. Regardless of all the conditions, I am going to focus on the things that I can control, which is my attitude and my effort. I will stay focused on my behaviors. What actions do I need to do to be effective? Where's the ball? Where do I need to be? WIN. What's important now? What can I do in this moment? I will continue to just be at my best. To work hard, to be a good teammate, to be relentless, to be adaptable, to be a hard worker. I have grit, I have courage. I will play and play and play to the very end. If I'm playing great, I will continue to look for ways to play better. If the coach makes a decision that I disagree with, if my player does something that I disagree with, I will collaborate with it and be in partnership with them and with the decision. And work with them to make a positive impact. I am always about handling what is happening in the moment, not what should be happening. I will say yes and to every situation that arises, and I will find a way. Today is going to be an amazing game. And the last thing I want you to give yourself is give yourself that mantra. Give yourself a mantra that just lifts your body. I am fill in the blank. I am unstoppable. I am a wall. I am an animal. I am love. Give yourself that mantra. That is your anchor mantra for today. And as you go out there, remember who you are, why you play the game. The most important things in your life, your why, your purpose. And now think about what are the 2 or 3 most important actions, most important actions that you need to focus on as a player in order to be effective, and go out there and focus on those actions. Have a great game. Thank you.
