Premier Mindset Institute research states that just 17% of collegiate athletes focus on the things they can control when competing and training.
That means over 80% regularly allow their attention to drift toward things outside their control – opponents, referees, weather, or future outcomes. And when attention goes there, performance almost always suffers.
Decades of sport psychology research have shown the importance of an internal locus of control – the belief and practice of directing energy toward one’s own effort, preparation, and response (Rotter, 1966; Gould & Maynard, 2009). Athletes who anchor on controllables show higher resilience and less performance anxiety, while those preoccupied with uncontrollables are more prone to stress and burnout.
Our own data mirrors these findings. When athletes fail to consistently narrow their focus, they often report higher frustration, inconsistent execution, and difficulty rebounding from mistakes.
So what does “control the controllables” look like in practice? It means athletes and coaches training attention just as deliberately as they train strength or skill. A few examples:
- Effort: Am I giving full commitment this play, this rep, this moment?
- Preparation: Have I executed the habits that set me up for success (sleep, nutrition, recovery)?
- Response: When adversity hits, am I choosing a reset instead of a reaction?
The key is repetition. By practicing control in training – not just talking about it in competition – athletes develop the ability to quickly re-center under pressure.
In sport, athletes rarely get to dictate outcomes. But they always have control over effort, preparation, and response. Focusing attention there is the difference between being distracted by what might happen and being ready for what is happening.
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