By Tom Rohrer, PhD
As you age and your skills improve as an athlete, you’ll progress through increasing levels of competition. Starting in social and learning leagues as a child, you pass through middle school and JV before reaching the varsity ranks in your late teens.
That’s quite the accomplishment, but for the most serious athletes, it’s only the beginning. Next comes collegiate athletics, minor or developmental leagues, and for the elite few, the professional ranks.
Even if you don’t make it to the pros, each advancing level of athletics brings with it a new set of challenges, both physical and mental. On the physical side, you’ll have your coaches and trainers to encourage your skill development. But how are you mentally planning to prepare for the increased competition?
At lower levels of competition, many top athletes can rely on their physical gifts and advantages. They are often merely bigger, stronger, and faster than their competition. But as athletes ascend to higher levels of competition, it’s easy to forget the importance of the mental game.
And if you’re fortunate to make it to the collegiate level of athletics (only 7% of high school athletes go on to play in college and a minuscule 2% play at the Division I level), the competitors you’re up against have the exact physical gifts as you. So how will you stand above the competition? One way is by putting a priority on the “mental game.”
Across the United States, athletes of all ages and skill levels are turning to Brainspotting to gain an edge while ascending to the next level of athletic competition. This breakthrough therapeutic process allows you to harness your “best self,” both physically and mentally, during both practice and game time situations.
So how does Brainspotting help athletes improve their performance? It encourages you to play in a place where physical performance meets mental clarity — a state often referred to as “the zone” or “hyperfocus.” This approach helps athletes connect with and perform in these high-performance states.
It helps you find and use the point in your vision field, that when you look there, you connect to your personal resources and effective experiences. In addition to Brainspotting, Neurofeedback (EEG or electroencephalogram biofeedback), and exercises, are often used. You can learn to perform in “the zone” and expand your performance beyond your obstacles and self-limiting mental blocks.
If you are looking to gain an edge and level-up over the competition this upcoming season, schedule a consultation with Dr. Tom Rohrer at the Brain & Body Performance Center. You can also meet with him via video conferencing from anywhere in the United States.