3/8/08

"The Zone"

I remember having a debate in a sports psychology class about whether or not there truly is such a thing as being "in the zone" and what exactly does that mean. We went back and forth about whether it's a unification of many physical factors or if it's a level of mental euphoria an athlete can achieve. As all athletes have experienced, you just know when you're "in the zone" and likewise, you just know when you're not. I never really stopped to analyze why. Pinpointing whether it's physical or mental is a "chicken or the egg" battle. Who can say whether or not they're in the zone because they're in peak physical form, making it easier to be on point or whether it's a state of mental well being, where every obstacle has a clear solution. And furthermore, which comes first? Whose to say that one doesn't lead to other or ping pong back and forth, playing off of each other??? In which case, does "being in the zone" actually exist??? Needless to say, this debate carried on through the entirety of the class.

My point in writing all that above is to focus on what to do when you're NOT "in the zone." Two sayings come to mind… The first always came out of my mom's mouth while coaching me growing up… "Keep it simple." The other comes from my partner, and fellow VolleyChick, Angie Hall, in another set of three plain words… "Find a way." You may be "out of it," you may be "having an off day," but the game doesn't just end there. You may need to recalibrate your style of play and you may need to do things completely different than your use to. It may feel like you're playing in a body that is not your own, but that all needs to be shoved aside. Break it down into as simple of objectives as you can. There's a ball and you want it to land in that 27 x 27 box on the other side of the net. It sounds trite, but with everything you got and with whatever within you showed up to play that day… you "find a way" to do that "simple" task. Playing a sport just doesn't need to be as complicated as we make it out to be sometimes. There will always be elements that obstruct smooth playing, but keeping your mind focused on simple tasks instead of how "off" you are playing that day makes a huge difference. Take your "off" days and use them to your advantage. If you can win on your "off" days, how amazing will you be playing when you're "on"???