Concentration (In Depth/Detail)

• Concentration


  The ability to focus on the required task by focusing on relevant cues and blocking out distractions
• Concentration

  • Selective, shiftable and divisible
• Concentration

  Can also be known as attention
• Benefits of concentration


  • Athlete can block out distractions or irrelevant cues to assist performance, High level performers have the ability to shift concentration quickly from a broad to narrow focus or vice versa
• Concentration problems


  Can be internal (past or future events, irrelevant cues) or external (opponents, crowds, weather)
• Concentration


  • Footballer kicking a goal must focus only on relevant cues
• Nideffer's model of concentration


  • Width: Broad focus on many cues or narrow focus on limited relevant cues, Direction: External focus on environment or internal focus on emotions, thoughts, mental preparation
• Nideffer's model of concentration

  • Broad external: Fullback scans whole field, Broad internal: Thinks of team strategy, Narrow internal: Thinking about kicking technique, Narrow external: Focus on ball and guiding it
• Factors affecting concentration


  • Goal setting, Relaxation, Imagery, Performance routines, Self-talk
• Goal setting


  • A golfer concentrates harder on putting to achieve her putting goals
• Relaxation


  • Over-aroused performers have narrow, internal focus and need relaxation to improve concentration, Under-aroused athletes are easily distracted and need increased arousal
• Imagery


  • A diver focuses on technique required for a tight tuck position, A player rehearses a set play
• Performance routines


  • Tennis players have a set routine before serving, Golfers have a routine to control emotions and focus attention
• Self-talk


  • Batsman says "only the ball" to focus on the ball, Footballer says "kick through the ball" to focus on technique, Golfer says "focus" before shot and "relax" after
• Selective

  focus on certain cues and ignoring irrelevant ones
• Shiftable


  Broad focus to narrow focus.

  Batter scans outfield for fielders the concentrates on pitcher.
• Divisable 


  Focus on more than one skill at a time. e.g. running, breaking a tackle and looking for a teammate at the same time.
• Concentration is split onto 3 parts

  1. Selective Attention
  2. Maintaining Attention
  3. Situational Awareness
• Benefits of Concentration


  Athlete can block out distractions or irrelevant cues to assist performance
• 1. Selective Attention


  Focus on important cues and ignore distractions which will affect your performance. e.g. footballer kicking a goal must focus on only relevant cues.
• 2. Maintaining Atterntion


  Being able to concentrate for the duration of the event - one error can cost the match - dropped catch, missed putt
• Situation Awareness


  The ability of the performer to consider the game situation, positioning of teammates and the opposition and then making appropriate decision on course of action.
• Broad - large amount of stimuli

  Narrow - small amount of stimuli

  External - focus on environmental cues

  Internal - inside the mind of the athlete
• Nideffer's Model

  
• What is the model used for concentration? 


  Nideffer's Model