Our research states that just 11% of collegiate athletes use refocusing techniques when training or competing.
That means nearly 9 out of 10 athletes admit they don’t have a consistent strategy to bring their attention back when it drifts.
This is striking, because distraction is not a matter of if, but when. Research on attentional control theory (Eysenck et al., 2007) shows that anxiety and pressure naturally pull attention toward worries, outcomes, or mistakes. The athletes who succeed are not the ones who never lose focus – but the ones who can deliberately refocus, quickly and effectively.
Our data reveals a major training gap: while athletes invest hours in physical reps, very few are practicing attentional reps. Without deliberate refocusing strategies, performance becomes reactive and inconsistent.
Effective refocusing techniques can be simple:
- Cue Words: Short reminders like “breathe,” “swing,” or “next.”
- Body Checks: Quick physical resets – relaxing the shoulders, steadying the eyes.
- Environmental Cues: Focusing on one controllable element (the ball, the hoop, the line) to re-anchor attention.
Refocusing is the bridge between distraction and presence. It’s the reset button that makes high performance repeatable.
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