Blog #42 – FOCUSING ON YOURSELF WHEN COMPETING
Many times, students are more concerned about what others are doing than focusing on their own performances. Whether a student is in the classroom or participating in an academic event, they should focus on themselves. It is important that students be taught that they have no control over what others are thinking or doing. When they are focused on others, it means that they are being distracted. Students that are distracted make more careless mistakes. When I was coaching, I would intentionally set up “head to head competitions”. In these competitions, students sat in desks which were facing each other. Prior to administering the test, I would instruct them to focus on their own test. These “head to head competitions” were set up to give students an opportunity to perform under pressure and to practice focusing on their own performances. After some of the “head to head competitions”, I would ask the students how they were affected. Some said that they felt nervous. Some pointed out things that the other students were doing. Many recognized that their competitors impacted their performances negatively. In general, I attempted to provide “head to head competitions” at least once a month. Coaches should provide their students these types of experiences to prepare their students for what they will encounter when they are at a contest. Although students may still be nervous or slightly distracted, be aware that both will be diminished dramatically by simulating a contest environment when they are practicing.