HOW TO REPROGRAM YOUR MENTAL GAME!

Career goals can be obtained.

By Alan Brizee  © 2020, Rev. 2024  Author of The Path to Excellence and 

               From Excellence to Success

      "I will always remember this weekend!" -Mr. Stats

     “Achieving a career goal will always be remembered.” When I finally shot 800 in bowling after being close at least ten times, I told myself, “I finally did it”. When I finished the 2014 Senior Masters with a perfect game and 803 for the last three games to win the title, I said to myself, “All the work I did, finally paid off”. I have had a few other career goals that I have accomplished, but these two stand out for my 50 years of competing. I remember these two like they were yesterday. I’ll detail these two goals later and why they happened. On the right is the eagle trophy I received for winning the Senior Masters.

     A goal is an end that one strives to attain, according to Webster. It is just one part of your “DREAM” of what you want from your sport. Dare to believe, dare to hope and dare to “DREAM”. Magic can happen for those who DARE TO “DREAM”. You’ll block your “DREAM” when you allow your fear of failure to grow bigger than your faith of your dream becoming a reality. You’ve heard this expression too many times, dream big. That sounds great at first, but it isn’t a goal, it’s really a vision for your future. Who didn’t believe at one point in their life that they could be the number one athlete in their sport? Now that’s dreaming big! The next question is, can you actually accomplish it? Ask all the number ones and they will give different answers. Some will feel they got lucky to be number one. Some will tell you they were hoping for it while many will say, “They knew they would be number one, because of all the work and dedication they put into their game.” Results from dreaming big usually won’t happen overnight or even the next month. Sports are about dreaming of the possibilities and having reliable routines. Below is a routine to “DREAM” to help you achieve more of your goals. 

     You'll see a lot of graphics to help you dream and ways to make them come true with a little work! This article comes in several sections as goals need to be set if you want to be successful and continue to improve. Your goals create memories that can last a lifetime! Set them and GO AFTER THEM!

     Wake up! It’s not quite time to “DREAM” yet!! No day “DREAM”ing in class or you might miss something important! First, set a goal for the current season that you might accomplish. If you reached it, set another goal for the season. If you came up short, were you close to it? your season's goals should require some work, but it shouldn't be a career goal. Surprise! Flash alert!! I’ve added graphics for the first time, so you’ll be less likely to fall asleep. This flowchart will help you understand how to advance your sports career through setting goals.   

     I know some athletes need pictures to reinforce what I’m trying to help them with to keep them interested. I’m in no way a graphic designer, so you’ll have to excuse the way the four graphics that I used look. I also have two excel sheets to determine if your goal is a “DREAM” goal and if setbacks are keeping you from your “DREAM” goal. The “DREAM” goal flowchart you just witnessed is really for those either just starting their career or want to accomplish more from their sport. You may not need to use all of the graphics I’ve included in class, they are giving athletes a structure for setting and accomplishing their goals. Staying motivated with a few setbacks can be discouraging and is the main reason that dedicated champions take the extra time to think about where they’re headed and what they want from the sport they love. Taking the time to dream, establish a a few goals, write them down and post them, are why some champions keep winning.   

Accomplishing your D.R.E.A.M. goals  

By Alan Brizee  (C) 2000, rev. 2024  Author of The Path to Excellence and 

               From Excellence to Success

      Accomplishing your goals are the quickest way to gain more confidence while in competition. The five components of a “D.R.E.A.M.” Goal will help you make realistic career goals that any athlete should be able to grab several times in their career. Once you’ve reached one goal no matter how it was done or how long it took, you’re next career goal could happen next month. Your new goal should be significantly higher than the one you just reached and touched. Some say, it gets easier, once you’ve already done it. Depending on each athlete and their age, you never assume it will ever happen again. You should know what happens when you assume! There are a lot of athletes with just one title and think the next one is just around the corner. To do anything the second time may not require as much work as the first, but you’ll still have to put some work to see the duplicating effect. As you continue to “DREAM”, you’ll keep your head high no matter how many obstacles or setbacks occur. Sports happen and then you come back to earth to live your life. Your experiences from dreaming and competing, will be events for learning and building your confidence so you can start consistently winning. Goals help your “DREAM” become real, because the more real they are, the better chance they will happen. They motivate you to do your best at all times and enhance your career once you obtained a goal. Goals are steps to keep you focused going in the right direction and help you reach out farther for your next goal. You may never be satisfied with everything you wanted to accomplish until you retire.

      Setting and accomplishing goals are just steps you take for your overall career “DREAM”. I already have an article on goals on the website and hope you read it. It doesn’t go into a lot of detail and I’ll expand on the few ideas that I wrote about. Every athlete usually has some type of goal and this class will discuss what types of goals should be set, to experience the thrill of reaching a goal, so you can “DREAM” of your next goal. Some of you that have taken business classes, may have heard of “S.M.A.R.T.” goals. Well, that is all fine and dandy when companies need to look towards the future to help stay in business, but athletes need to “DREAM”. They “DREAM” about what will motivate them as their career continues. Once athletes are motivated, their dedication to excel in sports should follow. I have come up with my own “D.R.E.A.M.” goal outline for this class and the future of sports. It’s really a “SMART” goal spelt differently and is in a better order for athletes. 

      Goal setting can be as unique as the athlete. Your goals must have a purpose and are connected to that ugly word, work. If you don’t do some work, how can you achieve any goal? How do you get to that pot of gold if your career goal is not in our universe? How much is your career goal worth going after it? Will your career goal change your life? How many of your season goals will you reach this season? What will happen when your career goal seems like you’ll never reach it? Will you still remain positive after getting close several times to your career or season goal? How would you respond to these questions? There are several types of goals and depending on the goal, athletes will have a variety of answers. The only wrong answer would be, that you’re not setting goals and going after them. And in today’s busy world, time and money will always be weighed against whatever goal you set. And of course there are team goals that will be discussed later, but the first part will be only individual goals and goal setting. As you seen, I’ve included for your educational experience and enjoyment, how to “D.R.E.A.M.” and also included motivation for each letter.

      Anyone can say they have a goal. The hard part is putting in the work to MAKE IT HAPPEN! Depending on your sport, finances may determine how realistic any goal is. Technology, equipment and practice can cost some big bucks. For bowling, if you’re using a ball that is over five years old, it could produce some high scores. But the latest and greatest balls will react better and carry better but costs are around $200. I get at least one ball every other season as this is the best way to still stay competitive. For several athletes, parents and or getting patrons (sponsors) to buy shares for percentages will keep some athletes competing so they aren’t stressed out about finances. Goals are about MAKING YOUR DREAMS HAPPEN! Some goals are broad in description and are not action plans. For any goal to become reality, objectives are action plans to taking steps to achieve your goals. Objectives are specific and measureable and are more like a daily goal. Objectives are your purpose to pursue your dream and the direction you need to take to get there. It may take several objectives just to get close to your goal. This is why you don’t have ten goals for the season, unless you achieved nine goals before the season is over. Of course after all the planning to make your goal happen, you’ll start over when you reach that goal and plan out objectives for your next goal. If your goal for the season is so high that you never get close, it’s time to punt and bring your original goal down a little bit. There will be times in the future where obstacles and setbacks pop up out of nowhere. Sports can be cruel to athletes at times and surviving the downs can only make you stronger. You should be able to reach at least one goal each season, so that you have the feeling of accomplishing something and be able to celebrate the occasion. Your new season could start with something you accomplished last season, maybe your first time ever, like scoring 20 points in basketball. The reason to duplicate a season goal the following season is so it becomes more of a routine. If you did something once, you could and maybe should be able to do many more times. Remember that a season goal isn’t a life altering career goal. These celebrations of your personal goals will add to your confidence level to make future goals easier to obtain. Just because you reached your goal during a match and have a big smile, don’t celebrate too much if your team is still in a close match. You still need to keep your head in the game to help your team. Even for individual competition, save any partying until after competition is complete. I’ve seen athletes get so wrapped up thinking they won the match to lose it on the last shot of the match. GIVE 100% until it is mathematically over as you may still learn something after trying something that is just a little bit different. If the match is over before the final shot, you should experiment with an adjustment that could win a title in the future. Just being satisfied you won, won’t get you in a Hall of Fame. Champions find a way to win and making adjustments to gain more knowledge even after the match has been won, are reasons why they continue to win.

      Intensify your intent to complete the mission and reach your goal. Strengthen, increase, purpose, mission, dream, persistence, confidence, determination, plan and ambition. These are the words that Webster has for goals. You see that confidence is listed as it will increase your chances of any goal happening. Confidence is really the biggest factor when champions or winning is involved. These are the same words when it comes to sports and competing. These words mean nothing if you don’t dedicate yourself to improve. Only you can determine what you want from sports and you’ll live your life based on what your decisions are. Seeking goals is about the inner drive of an athlete. How badly do you really want to win? What if I keep coming in second or third place? I keep making the finals but fall apart when the finals start. Obviously these last three are by someone who hasn’t won. The question of the universe is: What does it take to win? Why do some seem to win a lot more often? Persistence and determination are what come up for those still waiting to win. Persistence is continuing to battle in search of a win while determination shows a NEVER QUIT attitude. Why does all this relate to you and your goals? It’s about experience and being able to dream, so your dream becomes real. Experience trumps almost all other factors in sports and the street that leads to confidence. There are few shortcuts for experience. Knowledge and decision making during defeats makes you more competent. Defeats should add fuel to the fire to compete at a higher level. Defeats for some are minor setbacks and learning experiences. Even if you chocked, you should have learned something. Remember, it’s not always the final shot or play that decided the match. You emotions and thinking can be your worst enemy. Making goals and putting in the work will eliminate many outside influences, which keep some athletes from accomplishing their goals. Daily objectives should involve positive motivation and seeing goals where you’ll notice them every day and especially before your match. If you’re committed to your goal, the more your mind sees it, the better chance of it happening during competition. Post motivation in your car, so you’ll see it just before practice.

I’ll tell you that no matter what your sport is, how long you been competing, what your age is, why you compete, how good you are, how good your competition is, even if turning pro isn’t in your future, you should have at least two individual goals. One of them being a career goal and the other being a season goal. Goals are something to write down and refer to from time to time. A goal should inspire you to do your best, but it can self-defeating if you let your goals eat at you because you’re not reaching them. Goals are really motivation for better performance. Once you get that taste for better performance at the next level, you’ll want to continue to the next level. Your goals should be pushing you to climb out of the level you’re at, to go after bigger and better things for your sport.

I just thought I’d remind you that every athlete has their very own experience. What happened as a kid playing games could determine how successful you’ll be later in life. Injuries, operations, illnesses and yes just living, will definitely play a part of your success. Success will be different for each athlete as goals they shoot for will be determined on their experience and ability. Coaches and teachers can make a huge difference. Your parents can help your career due to their emotional support. The friends you hang with along with teammates can give you advice that is priceless, even more so if it works for you. Your family and significant other will add to the equation each and every week. Where you work, and of course school, can put stress on you and effect your performance. How you prepare and when you show up are a few factors on your performance. Your physical and mental ability, experience and confidence will determine what goals you set. And now for the deep down ugly part for some, how you handled that loss, the bad scoring night, coming back from an injury or how others treated you after competition. All this shows why the mental game is a must or your game is a bust! Every idea here shows why confidence is really second to none. There will be several times when it seems that sports isn’t fair. Bad breaks keep happening or you had a brain fart and lost the match to compound the problem. So you fell down. It’s that time to get up and start over to change the result. My saying is, don’t get mad, get even. Because, once you’re mad, you can’t think straight. You need to put it behind you so you can focus on what has to change. You can make it happen because you set your sights on a few goals and now have a stronger mental game after reading some of what’s on my website and what you’ve experienced in past competition. Since I’m a bowler and golfer, I’ll be using these two sports for most examples to setting and achieving your goals. The following shows your vision for your career and the steps to get started. After answering the questions, use the D.R.E.A.M. Goal planning template to have an accurate goal based on your experience. 

     The D.R.E.A.M. Goal Pyramid that you just saw is your start to creating goals for your career in sports. Start at the top and determine where you see yourself in five years. Why five years you might ask? Depending on your sport, you may only compete for 15 years. Breaking your sports career up into segments, will keep you looking forward and more focused on your goals to climb up to where you want to be five years down the road. Look at career goals as assessments or a measurement of your achievements to where you feel you should be in your career. Your vision will change as your experience continues with every match and positive outcomes happen. Five seasons or years can seem like an eternity. After the five years, you’ll reevaluate where you are and determine your next five years. Your vision will give competing insight, for the purpose of becoming a better athlete and raise your level of confidence. Based on your vision, you’ll set a career and season goal to keep you aimed for the future. Now you see three objectives, which are basically monthly goals, or training to achieve your season’s goal. It is possible to that you reached your career goal and would have to redo your vision statement. After your vision and goals are written down, to complete your objectives which will help accomplish your goals, planning needs to be done. Your four plans could be 1. Practice, 2. Prepare, 3. Exercise and 4. Coaching. 1. An extra practice session to work on some skills. 2. Prepare by watching video, reading a mental book or making sure you show up early for every match. 3. Exercise by getting to the gym so you’re physically ready to compete. 4. Get mental game coaching or coaching to refine your physical game to keep you ready for when the battle begins. I used these as examples and of course, you may have different needs to accomplish your goals and seek the high road of your vision.

      I hope I haven’t put you to sleep by all the prep work of why you set goals. I was showing why some athletes may set goals that are totally unrealistic, and others may never set goals because of their busy schedule. Setting some time to work on the sport you love, should be a no-brainer. One hour every week could show some great results. It comes down to how badly you want to perform better every time out. Writing down goals takes the least amount of time. Post them where you’ll see them before heading to your event. You could also post them in your car so they will be reminders when you arrived to compete for your match. I’ve even wrote down my trigger word as I will change it from time to time. Even a once-a-week league bowler, should have at least two goals, one for the season and the other for their career. Having too many goals can dilute any achievement. Having multiple scores isn’t really having a serious goal. A bowler who has a high score of 660 and setting goals for the season at 675, 700 and 750, is just trying to shoot anything better than 660. For them, setting a goal for 750 which is 90 pins over their highest series is somewhat unrealistic for the season because they have never had a 700, but it probably has been done by someone. This goal is more of a career goal because of their highest series and experience. They should set their season goal for 675, and then after shooting above that, make their next goal higher depending on their new high score. Achieving goals after putting in the work should make you career more rewarding and want to see how you matchup against better competition. Some athletes will just show up and give their best every time, but an athlete who taken the time to write down their goals shows motivation to improve, wants to challenge themselves against better competitors, won’t let a few obstacles or setbacks get in their way and will probably learn more from their experience of competing.

      So, before you start writing down 5 goals for your career and season and think that you set your goals, you’re forgetting the purpose of goal setting. Goals are made to focus on your individual vision and keep your aim on track, instead of a hit and miss method for goals. Go back to the goal pyramid and start looking where you could be in at least five years into the future. Your vision isn’t a goal, it’s just a realization of what you should accomplish to get there. Let’s say you’re in High School and want to become a professional athlete. Your vision should include being a top athlete in college to be a draft pick. Your vision should take you to the next level, not several levels. Visions also need to be realistic and in line with your experience. Having a vision of being a G.O.A.T. when still in High School is not seeing 20/20. Dreams are made where some athletes will chase them even if they know that their dream may never materialize. Remember that a G.O.A.T. didn’t get named that for what they did in High School or even college, it’s what they accomplished as a pro and usually has several championship seasons. Your vision should change as you step up to more difficult challenges and accomplish more each and every season. Review your vision after every season to see if you’re still headed in the right direction and getting closer to where you think you should be. Your vision will also change due to any injury as rehab needs to happen before your 100% again. There is also a possibility that being 100% healthy may never happen depending on your age and the severity of your injury. Other than the injury to my fingers at age five, my injuries over my lifetime have been minor. But even minor injuries can disrupt your vision for the future or at least postpone part of a season till you’re able to get back to the enjoyment of competition. Should you have an injury and need to refocus on your vision for the future, once you’re back competing, your goal for the season may also have to be adjusted. Sports is about adjustments, both physical and mental. Accept any adjustment, so you can start to refocus on what needs to be accomplished and work on obtaining your goals.

      Now break time’s over and it’s time to do a little work. Determine your career goal by answering the questions on the “DREAM” Goal pyramid for goals, objectives and plans based on your five-year vision. After writing down your answers, see if your “D.R.E.A.M.” Goal is realistic by using the “DREAM” Goal Planning template and analyze the five components. Each component asks questions and have statements, so your goal is clear on what needs to happen. It will help you develop as an athlete and what you expect from yourself so all future challenges will be welcomed, and you won’t be afraid to fail. Most goals occur due to proper planning and being motivated for the direction you’re headed. The physical training you put in will be work, but setting goals, planning so you can achieve them and accomplishing your goal is the fun part. Depending on your sport, accomplishments may include prize money if you did well, so why wouldn’t you want to make goals to go after? Athletes who have put in more work than you, maybe the athletes you meet in competition. 

 Get a NEW PLAN! D.R.E.A.M.s can happen if planed out and you put in the work!

     After using the template to plan your career goal, you’ll now know what to expect when using it for your season’s goal. The five components, D, R, E, A and M, creates a more realistic chance of any goal to happen. Your final goal may change after your five-component evaluation. If you had a “DREAM” Goal, that’s great. It’s probably not your first rodeo, and it shouldn’t be your last. What you wrote for your career, could be what’s holding you back. I’ll explain. If you wrote that you wanted to win the Triple Crown, but you haven’t even won a major yet, you set a complex goal. These are several goals combined into one. It can’t be a “DREAM” Goal because it won’t pass the relevant analysis. Goals should be steppingstones for improvement and not two or three goals wrapped in one. Your career goal should first be, to win a major title. Then after winning a major, your next career goal is to win another major or a different major. After you have won two different majors, then set your sights on the Triple Crown, but only then. Your career goal should be something that isn’t so easy that you set and reached your goal three or four times. Of course, there will be athletes that have career seasons, and this is the exception.

     I already told you about two of my bowling career goals to start this class. Starting out, I had quite a few 700’s as you can see in my photo collection on the website. They are the patches at the top of the wall between several plaques. After having a 799 in 1994 and missing the ultimate score of 800, I didn’t have any goals at that time. The reason was that I loved the sport of bowling and having fun competing. I had several games above 280 with a high game for league being 289. I did have a perfect 300 in pot games against John Cook and Dewey Yoho who are both in the Tucson and Arizona State Hall of Fames. I started to shoot several 750 or better sets after that 799. In 1996, I shot my highest score in league with a 297. Some of you realize that my highest scores, 297 and 799 are one pin short of receiving an honor award from A.B.C. It was my 297 that I felt I could be shooting even better. In 1992, I had the first 10 strikes twice in the same night. Dewey who was bowling in the league, walked over to me and said, “Don’t worry, you’ll shoot your 300.” I’m now shooting some great scores in competition without a sanctioned 300 or 800, I realized that at times small mistakes and not being fully focused kept me from an honor score and the ring that goes with it. So in the year 1997, I went to the bookstore to try to understand what I needed to do better. The Inner Game of Tennis by Galloway which was first published in 1982 was on a shelf with other sports books. Pirozzolo & Pate wrote the Mental Game Companion for Golf in 1996 and a cassette tape in 1997 of Bruce Jenner’s Finding the Champion Within make up three of the first mental game guidance in my library. These three books, that were not about bowling, taught me to relax while still having fun bowling. People say that certain things happen for a reason and being close so many times, was my reason to seek advice and get to the next level. It was these three books that got me started in setting goals.  It was less than two years later when I recorded my first sanctioned 300. For 3 and 1/3 year, I held the unpublished A. B.C. record for the highest sanctioned scores without an honor score ring. It took some mental game information to unlock my potential to get even better and achieve greater accomplishments. But I still felt that an 800 series should have been checked off my to do list. It was 2003 and I found out about a mental game coach. “The name of the game is focus” and performance enhancement caught my eye in the brochure. Beth Haggerty, my mental coach asked me if I kept a journal when I competed. At that time, I wasn’t and she said I should start again and grade each shot based on how focused I was for the shot.

      Would you believe within two weeks later after just my first session, I started league shooting 268 and 269? My final game started with a spare, strike and another spare. For my career goal of 800 to materialize, I need to throw the next eight strikes to make it happen. Eight in a row is something I don’t do every month. Well, I threw the next five and it was in the 9th frame that I told myself, I need a turkey. I punched out for a 270 and a stair step 268, 269 and 270 for 807. The ultimate award as A.B.C. puts it, stands as my only sanctioned 800 for the first three games. I finally achieved success as most would say who bowl. It took some time and without getting help for my mental game, it may never have happened. I didn’t give up and my drive to accomplish even better things is why my “DREAM” of 800 came into existence. The expression of how badly you want it, is the reason why I accomplished it. It is one reason for writing my book and these lessons. I want more athletes like me to have fun competing in the sport they love. Not knowing about the mental game and not setting a goal until my 297, I felt kept me from accomplishing more, but I’m satisfied with my achievements.

      An 800 series can be a lifetime achievement for many bowlers and some good bowlers may not ever get there. My career goal to shoot 800 didn’t happen until I was 48 years old. But experience, hard work both physically and mentally and my persistence to keep improving finally became a reality. The 800, being a career goal is for league play as you receive a ring for the accomplishment. My other career goal is for bowling tournaments and winning a title, the Tucson City Masters. In 2010, due to my age of being 55, I was now able to just bowl against other seniors in the Tucson City Senior Masters. In my fifth Senior Masters, I finally won the Senior Masters trophy. My mom taught me right with never giving up and she was able to see me accomplish a perfect 300 game with the title just before she passed away. Her inspiration and being there to see me achieve a lifelong goal was the greatest experience of my life. I still believe things happen for a reason, and my positive attitude and her being there to watch made it very special.

       Anytime you accomplished something special, you need to treat yourself so it feels special and so that you’ll want to duplicate this experience again. With all that is going on now with COVID-19, being in the wrong place at the wrong time and being able to compete may be a thing of the past. As you get closer to my 65 years old, injuries can keep you from repeating remembrances just ten years ago. Just because you set a career goal and certain situations happen, changing your goal could be your best decision of the season. Your sport should give you better direction after schedule changes and the amount of practice you can participate in safely. Because of several concerns later in life, you’ll have to make tough choices about how to handle each situation that comes along. Others that make decisions best for them may alter your decision. And of course, your decision may affect other athletes making their choice about the situation. You should always feel that your decision is best for your career and life. If all your friends were jumping off a bridge into a river or lake, that that mean you should as well? Your decision will be based on whatever the situation dictates.

      I’ve covered individual career goals and included two of my greatest days competing. I’ve told that you can still do good things without setting goals. I’ve also told that you can do great things once you’re more dedicated because of the goals you’re going after. The power your mind has in trying to become better is no match to someone who just thinks they can be better. The graphics I’ve used in this lesson are really for those thinking of turning pro, and for those not interested in turning pro, goals should still happen.  

       Now it’s time to plan your work with your season goals. You’ll do the same goal setting as you did for your career goal with the paragraph starting with A. The season goal you decide on should help you get closer to your career goal. The season goal you start with the first week of the season should require a little work, but should happen before the season ends. You need to reach two season goals so you feel the season had meaning for your career. A season where no goals happened and you may start questioning your vision for your career. If you’re not having fun, are you sure you want to continue? If you question your ability to win, can winning even happen? Doubt is why quitters quit before being successful. If you’re still reading my lesson, you’re not a quitter and you want improve you game. Only after you know which direction you’re headed in, can you begin your destination. Make sure you have the auto pilot to enjoy the adventure and learn from all experiences! Motivation is all around us if we just look and I’m trying to break up some of your short assignments to keep you interested so great accomplishments can happen.

      But each and every week, whether you are scheduled for one or two matches for the week, you should have an objective written in your journal or log book. Objectives are really weekly goals to help you focus for your match and the situation surrounding the event, so your season and career goals will be closer to reaching. One of my objectives for bowling will be to stay clean for the night and is harder these days because of the equipment. I’ll usually have only one or two opens, and then after an open, change my goal to have a five bagger. Determining your objective is something you have done about every month. Celebrating after you’ve completed your objective is up to you. Since most objectives should be obtained, shooting just over your average isn’t a reason to celebrate. I’ll change my objective every week and write it in my log book so it will be fresh and energizing. At times, I’ll wait until practice is over to determine my objective for that night. With injuries and other activities, I never know how well physically I’ll be ready each day. Knees and shoulders that pop from time to time can and will have an impact on performance. TIME OUT.

       Here’s the reason I go to Dr. “Steve” Watson who gave testimonial for my book. He is a chiropractor who keeps me in battle ready shape, but because of age, the wrong twist or turn and pain may reoccur right before a match. If I was a pro athlete with a contract, I’d see him twice a week. But since I’m retired, I can only afford every month. Those pinched nerves can lead to serious problems if you don’t get adjustments on a timely schedule. I want to warn you that chiropractors have different ways to do the same job. Ever since my accident and totaled my van, I have been seeing them almost every month. My job as a carpenter and electrician required twisting, turning and pulling. I was thrown on my back in the service 30 years ago. As you get older, arthritis sets in and limits some mobility. Even if you have never been involved in a bad accident, you should seek a chiropractor who can help you feel years younger by their adjustments. I have seen seven since my accident and three that were very good retired. Three of them had a different way with tables that had no adjustment spring sections. Dr. Steve was the first chiropractor to adjust my feet as I developed plantus and got arch supports. It might take two or three chiropractors until you find a good one to keep you competition ready. They help with migraines and other occasional pain. If you can compete in any sport or you’re in your 60’s, you really want to be pain free. Talk to friends who go to chiropractors as most know the advantages of getting help from them. They are a big help for golf with twisting to hit the ball. TIME IN, start the clock.

      As you try to decide your goal for the upcoming session, go grab a glass of water and drink it. Athletes being dehydrated lead to muscle cramps even during the day, and isn’t the ideal situation when performing. If you’re tired, coffee may not be the best drink as it promotes dehydration, as does sodas loaded with sugar. To go after your goals, you need to watch your health closer so you can perform at your best. Also as you age, your health will be more important. Your balance may determine how much longer you compete. I’ve seen some retire where it came too late. An accident at work and now sports will be now be watching instead of competing and enjoying the thrills of victory. Staying active as you grow old isn’t a goal. It’s a requirement for a healthy athlete who enjoys sports. Even if you’re past 50, you should have goals to shoot for. There isn’t anything better than being competitive after retirement as it helps you not only keep your weight down, but also makes you feel alive. Having goals will psyche you up and keeps your head in the match for a better chance of winning. Don’t make your weekly goal so easy that you achieve it every week. Reaching you career or season’s goal can actually make you let up and lose the game or the match. When bowling 35 weeks in a league, completing your objective six times is what you should be aiming at. That’s one for every six weeks or month and a half. Your objectives for any match, is to get you more committed when you perform. If on a team, you can change up your individual objectives with team goals for the match. If your team needs a win to make the playoffs, then you should put more weight into what is best for the team, rather than your own agenda. After all, you still have your individual season and career goals you can accomplish and go after if the situation occurs. But don’t let any opportunity slip away because you were so focused on your individual goal that you didn’t let your team help win the match. Another player may have had a better opportunity to score, but in the heat of the battle, you didn’t realize how open they were. Experience plays a part of goals and where you are headed. Ask 100 amateur athletes of their goals and you’ll get 100 different answers. Some of them will not be turning pro and just want to compete with other good amateurs. Most seniors just want to have fun and have a shot to win the championship. When I won the club championship in golf, my final round objective was making nine fairways out of 14 to have the best shot at the greens on a windy and cold day in December. I had a four stroke lead after the two rounds used. Because I completed my objective, I had just two double bogeys and achieved my goal to win the club championship by one stroke. Determining goals keep you focused and make it fun when you reach one.

      Well, it’s up to you now as you plan your work to work your plan and achieve great things from your sport. With the coronavirus, one goal accomplished for that season would be huge. But sports will have bad bounces, and the breaks will not go your way every time. The following worksheet is so you can overcome obstacles and a few setbacks to help you understand the corrections to get back on the road headed for your destination. It can also be used when you didn’t reach your original season goal when the season started. To keep your “DREAM” alive, reassess where you are halfway through the season. No matter what happens, you have less than 12 months to start a fresh new season full of opportunities if no major incidents happen. 

      A long article with a lot of helpful ways to get your career off to a good start. When goals don't happen for whatever reason besides injury, the next graphic is for you!

As always, See you in the ZONE!

HOW TO guide you into geting your future goals set.  It's up to you! 

The art of goal setting. 

By Alan Brizee (c) 1999  Rev. 2024  Author of The Path to Excellence and From Excellence to Success

     Setting goals is a game within the game. Setting them should inspire you to work, but possible to reach. All champions have a plan. They plan their work and then WORK THEIR PLAN! Accomplishing goals will increase confidence. An increased confidence will help attain titles. What can be better than that?

     I attained my long-term goal that I set for the summer trio league at Lucky Strike. A goal of 300 would be unrealistic for me. Unless you have several 300's, a 300 is more of a dream than a goal. No, my goal was somewhat high, but I have shot before on several occasions. One of my short-term goals was to win at least one bracket every three weeks, which is really a little low for a goal. Winning a bracket every 3 weeks, which I did, meant that I would make money in the brackets for the summer. It was the 12th week of the 13-week league that I reached out and grabbed my goal.

      Goals are about planning the work and then working the plan. My goal was to shoot a 1000 set for 4 games. With the shot at Lucky Strike a little nicer and more consistent than most centers, averaging 250 for the night would be tough, but not out of reach. I had 2 sets of 950 or better before this night, and after resurfacing the lanes with two weeks remaining, it was looking dim to achieve my goal. My second 950 was when the lanes broke down a little in the 2nd game, threw the last 6 for 238 after a 249 start. I couldn't string more than 4 after that and finished with a couple of 230's for 958. That 12th week, it took most of practice to get lined in. Have you ever noticed that getting lined in early in practice, the shot later in the evening will become a mystery and when you get lined in late, that things sometimes fall into place? After starting with the opening four strikes, I left a 10 pin which I missed for my only open. I then threw the next 5 to open the night with 256. Closing the 2nd game with 8 and 268 put me 124 over. A couple of 238's is what I needed. Starting with 3 for the 3rdgame and throwing two more 3 baggers, gave me a 247 and 771 with a game to go. I opened the final game with 4 and would still need a double, provided I stayed clean for the game. It came down to the 10th frame as I struck in the 9th and needed the first strike for my goal. I carried the strike and then left an 8-10 split in the 11th. It was the only 1000 shot in the league. The biggest help were that the lanes changed only a half board in the 2nd game. I had to move right due to oil being carried down a little. It helps to be a stroker, instead of a cranker a lot of times. I used my Quake that Andy Clark drilled and he drilled it to go long before reacting. 

      Set the goals that are almost out of reach. It will make you work a little harder to reach it.

      I averaged 220 for the summer, which was not a goal when the league started, but then became one with 4 weeks left in the league when I was at 219. After my high for the summer, I shot my low set of the summer, but after a 1000, not a lot of things went right on the final night. You take the good with the bad. I did miss one of my goals, to stay clean for all 4 games. I had 2 weeks with 1 open and 3 other weeks with 3 opens or less. It's a summer that I'll remember for a while.

      Anyone that bowls scratch must set goals. Goals could be something you work on during practice like perfecting your release, a pre-shot routine or becoming better on corner pin spares. Goals you set for league could be shooting 7 700's, averaging 1.3 opens per game, throwing 3 279's or better, averaging 210 or winning 50% of your matches. Setting goals too high will only disappoint you when you come up short unless you're short several times (Then set your goal a little lower). Goals could also be mentally oriented, like having positive self-talk, a one-shot-at-a-time mentality, being relaxed on each shot or forget the past routine. Hopefully your goals come to life. 

     Goals are just one part of the steppingstones to achieve success. They keep you focused to do your best.

As always, See you in the ZONE!

See the importance of the C’s 

By Alan Brizee (c) 1999   Author of The Path to Excellence and From Excellence to Success

       This is about 14 Important “C" Components of the mental game. Every component strengthens when other C components were integrated in my game. These C factors are in my first HOW TO book and this article will dig a little deeper into each C, as you will soon see! Every aspect of these C’s are critical to success in competing. Of course, every C isn’t needed to start have a little success, but each and every C adds to better possibilities of having a great mental game. When I discovered how these 14 factors relate to each other, I also discovered why previous champions have an edge over others making their first Major and athletes just starting their careers. The mental game isn’t rocket science, but it can sometimes seem like it. My experience has played its part with knowledge for certain situations keeping me focused during matches. How I have competed, tells opponents what kind of a dog fight they’re in. These 14 C’s are in the order in relationship to an athlete’s career: Character, Cheerful, Conscious, Competitive, Concentration, Control, Courage, Composure, Comeback, Consistency, Committed, Confidence, Celebrate, and of course, the last is being Champion.

      Your destination for the playoffs won’t change in the early matches, but your direction certainly could be affected. I’m writing this more for individuals instead of teams. Coaches and captains can apply these to their team for every season. Using these 12 components will help you achieve some success in your lifetime. All athletes who have accomplished great things have already shown great aim, as they had their sights on goals and were able to achieve a few masterpieces. Some might think their accomplishments were impossible, but a lot of athletes have done what others said couldn’t be done. Sometimes the will to win can make anything possible, when you put in some work to make it happen. The first 12 help you have another C, Celebrate so you’ll be the final C, Champion. The final C is where Confidence takes over and you’ll use your experiences to win a Championship. Since competition is about winning and seeing who is ready for the battle, knowing how to prepare and what to expect will take pressure off you during most matches. Champions often rely on past experiences and having a solid routine to keep them in the winner’s circle.

       The first 12 components will keep you mentally tough and help you climb the ladder to success. The sooner you believe each component is as important as any other component and feed off each other, will you be able to fully embrace why the mental game is so valuable when you compete! These ideas are also covered in my second HOW TO book, From Excellence to Success. My HOW TO books will go into more detailed concepts than this article. 

   Character: It’s how others portray you when you’re competing. It’s about admiration, 

          respect and your reputation. It’s also about being a team player who helps motivate

          their team to achieve what a few on the team thought may not ever happen. It will 

          show others how you handle winning and losing situations and maybe gain respect 

          because of the respect you have for any opponent. Remember that every dog has 

            its day, and anyone can win the match if the opportunity is there for them. If they

          see you’re an easy target, they may try to play their games on you, to throw you 

          under the bus. Your experience should shine through after strengthening your 

          mental game. Keep up on your physical game as well, so both are well oiled for any 

          challenges. The sooner you accept the concept of respecting any opponent you 

          face, will you be able to fully focus on the match and help eliminate pressure during

          MUST WIN situations. The clothes you wear also can scream to others. You should 

          know the old saying, dress for success! Even if you just compete in a league, you 

          should want to appear more professional. You should never wear something with

          holes in it or clothing with profanity on it. This is more for athletes that could get 

          drafted and care about how others observe them. Professionally dressed ahletes

          look more like winners. Winning solves some problems because opponents know 

          winning isn’t always easy and winning multiple times shows consistency. 

          Consistently getting medals or cashing in events shows you can get the job done, 

          and is a steppingstone away from winning the championship. While winning shows

            you put in the work to make it become a reality, embrace the fact that being close

          has helped you experience what competition is about! As you start your sports 

          career, the fear factors may show up. The fear to win and the fear to compete. It’s

          always easier against competition that’s not as experienced as you are. It’s when

          you’re not expected to win and now you just won, and your friends and teammates

          expectations go through the roof. Why me? may be just what you need. These

          challenges will be basically tests and show you what you’ll need to work on before

          other matches happen. Some won’t seen this as a learning session, but use it to 

          complete a game plan for better competition. Training to be competitive requires 

          time and will show others you put in that time. But I need to bring up diet and 

          exercise which are part of your Character. What you eat and when you eat, makes

          an impact when competition starts. Being overweight isn’t healthy and can lead to 

          balance issues. It doesn’t help keep your legs strong as you must use your legs to

          compete. Getting to the gym and staying in shape as you get older will help you

          stay competitive even after you retire. Athletes that have Character, will do the

          things that help keep them competitive. Competition brings out the real character

          in you and NOW is the time to show others why you compete!

   Cheerful: Don’t worry, be happy! You should be happy as not everyone can compete in 

          sports. It’s just another wonderful day to have fun while absorbing the experience 

          and enjoying the match. As long as your sport stays fun because of your positive 

          attitude, your experience from learning will be a huge benefit. Positive results will 

          speak for themselves because you were mentally ready. Preparing for your next 

          match could be something to celebrate as your routine will show others just how 

          ready you were. Stress is introduced when you’re not prepared, not making 

          correct adjustments, rushing your routine or your physical game is slightly off. Start 

          the day on the right foot by getting out of bed on the “right side”. Tell yourself you’re

          ready for competition after you’re up in the morning.

   Conscious: The conscious effect by some athletes isn’t the way to compete. Your

          conscious state of mind knows you need to throw a great shot to win. Isn’t that why

          you compete? An opportunity to prove you’re up to another challenge, is why sports

          is like living life. You’re only good as your last competition. Another day and the

          results could be different. Question is, did you do something different? If not, why

          not? You need your conscious mind to review how you handled today’s match. It 

          doesn’t matter if you won or lost, it’s about how your mental game held up under

          pressure and if made the correct adjustments to stay in the match. If your conscious

          mind gets in the way of the subconscious shot you’re making, you’ll be depending 

          more on luck than the thousands of shots your subconscious has made. Your 

          subconscious actually performs those GREAT shots you keep repeating! That’s the 

          reason why you want to compete in the ZONE! You’ll only need your conscious mind 

          to go through your pre-shot routine, evaluate results to determine adjustments 

          available to you and conclude which will be the best for this situation. Thinking is a 

          conscious effect while “proforming” is a subconscious result. It’s truly amazing what

          athletes can accomplish after they commit to excel and prove to themselves that

          repeating great shots MUST HAPPEN to be a complete athlete. This is clearly a “will to

          win” situation, but don’t be fooled, it’s about your ability and the “will to work” to 

          accomplish great things you’re competing in. You may realize that those MUST HAVE

          shots can suck all the energy out of you. Anytime you think too much into the future, 

          your expectations for making GREAT shots diminish, as now the shot you’re about to 

          throw, will seem to be more important than other shots you’ve taken and create 

          pressure on you. 

   Competitive: Have you ever found a way to win? Well, have you? Being behind isn’t the

          end of Earth. Coming from behind for the win, show how these experiences help

          competitors handle these MUST WIN situations. Some competitors turn into 

          champions, because their experiences help with adjustments that must be made to

          win matches. Good athletes who are competitive, accept whatever result happens. 

          For some, it will be a learning experience. For others, it’s the time to refocus after a

          bad break, but you learn to stay competitive. You’ll handle competition

          better with a positive attitude and the goals you’ve set. Your MUST WIN situation 

          isn’t something to fear. It’s something that happens during most matches and most

          competitors focus on only what they can control. Being competitive isn’t always 

          about winning. It’s about the fight you’ll have getting into the playoffs, and going

          after championships with your never quit mindset. Any setback due to results that 

          aren’t positive, should be a wake-up call to fix why it happened and move on from

          it. Overcoming disappointments early in their career as most champions have done, 

          show that adversity and the way you handled certain situations, will alert others to

          your competitive nature. Emotions will be tested and don’t get sucked in by showing

          too much emotion at any time. Your emotions can and possibly will show you that

          displaying too much emotion, can backfire and knock you out of the contest. If you

          love your sport and love to compete, keeping your head in the game and focusing

          on throwing great shots, buy some shades. Your future is bright and now other

          competitors will know why you’re still around 😊. That is to show them how valuable

          the mental game is and what you have learned from using your head.

   Concentration: You don’t need a what just happened situation. As a super senior 

          athlete, situations will occur with your balance that can cause a lack of 

          concentration. If you’re a senior, most likely several shots will be different because

          of momentarily having problems with balance. You’ll drift to the right or left a little 

          and now your line to the target is different. Because of your balance, you’ll need to 

          adjust before releasing the ball. Adjustments on the fly as I call them, can 

          determine winners of the match. Even though it’s just several seconds of 

          concentration, if you’re not competing in the ZONE, there are more ways to lose

          focus than there is to stay focused. Concentration is more of a conscious state of 

          mind until you get to the ZONE! Adjustments to get to the ZONE happen by tweaking

          your pre-shot routine. Athletes will adjust differently by what they bring to the match.

          In bowling, it’s about four seconds or one second per step. Where you look for your 

          targets to throw great shots, could also affect concentration. One tenth of a second 

          is all it takes to go from a great shot to a bad shot if your concentration is disrupted.

          Drifting on a shot might also cause problems because it most likely will be different 

          on those MUST WIN shots. How you compete and develop a positive routine, will help

          you concentrate on every shot. How you show up for the match could complicate 

          your concentration. The 1/10th of a second mental lapse isn’t usually fatal that first 

          time. It’s very likely will be fatal after several times. Your physical game can and will

          affect concentration when shots are rushed, which is why a pre-shot routine can’t

          be rushed as well. In case you didn’t know, concentration is a skill and can be 

          obtained with practice (while at work, home or a practice session). When you’re 

          about to make the shot, you concentrate on your target and stay focused until the

          shot is finished. Concentration, stress, work and those MUST WIN situations, don’t

          work well together. As an athlete, there will be many things to keep you from doing

          your best. Those few seconds of showing your best self is what makes sports unique.

          This is your time and there is no second guessing because you understand what the

          moment is about. Commitment to Excellence will help insure you repeat GREAT 

          shots. This can only happen when concentration is a priority. And being mentally

          alert makes concentration possible.

   Control: Always keep one hand on the steering wheel and your foot on the gas, at all 

          times! When you’re driving down the road, that’s how you keep control of your car. 

          Sports isn’t much different except your ego might block your path. The adjustments

          needed to keep scoring at an elevated level is your steering wheel and your

          persistence to achieve great things is the gas in your car. Adjustments don’t come 

          easy for everyone, and practice should keep any adjustment within your comfort 

          level. There will be times when you’ll feel you’re not in control of your car. Control is

          what champions do best. They will change the way they compete during matches 

          to gain control of the situation if you let them. When you think of control, it’s really

          about your emotions and the way you think about situations. You should be aware

          that getting too psyched up for any match could be disastrous. Just another reason

          why you want to compete in the ZONE! The ZONE helps eliminate pressure and 

          distractions while focusing on repeating great shots. Your opponents will try to get 

          you out of your comfort zone, so be pre-warned. Champions in control of their

          game, usually will control the match. Only when you begin to control your own

          game will these champions be just another match to compete against. Showing 

          others that you have control of your game, can you begin to challenge better 

          competition and show others, THE REAL YOU!

   Courage: Sports is about risks to get valuable experience while some will watch from 

           the sideline. You must realize that the challenges of advancing in any sport will be

           determined by who you face in the future. You MUST not let one match you won

           keep you from acquiring about more matches against those who are higher

           ranked. Seeing all competition as a challenge will help keep you mentally prepared

           for better opponents. Having that no fear attitude helped me during cash games 

           and taking home more money than when I started. Winning after taking risks are 

           why champions are inducted into Hall of Fames. They rose to the occasion and

           proved they wanted it more. To be the best, you must beat the best. You’ll have to 

           climb out of your comfort zone to face challenges by better athletes, those who

           have more experience by having played in the playoffs, other mentally tough

           athletes who won’t quit, champions who show that they still have what it takes to 

           compete and of course the kids who think they know everything by “proforming” on

           occasions like champions. The fearlessness acquired by many challenges and

           having even some success, should show why you have potential to achieve GREAT

           things! Courage is really about your belief. Your belief to improve, to win more 

           matches, to not let any setback deflate your spirit into climbing to the next level,

           and to know that experience has no substitute. Courage is about not letting better

           competition bring you down and willing to risk losing a match.

   Composure: How do you handle the ups and downs? Your resilience to get through 

           some tough times will show strength of your mental game. Tough times can 

            happen when starting your career and facing better competition. It’s about what 

            you do to regroup, to stay positive, to make better adjustments and maybe tweak 

            your pre-match routine for more energy during the match. As you should know, 

            obstacles and bad breaks will occur when you least expect them. Some sports can 

            be prone to injuries and recuperating from any injury takes more time as the years

            pile on. Use your head, ask your coach or get a teammate involved for their input

            to keep you competitive. Getting others involved may be the best path to 

            learning something new and reusing later in your career. Even athletes who are not

            as skilled as you can offer great solutions because of their experience or the

            experiences of a family members or friends. Athletes that show too much emotion

            can wind up defeating themselves, because now they're not in the ZONE anymore

            after running out a shot before the match is over. Composure will make mentally 

            tough athletes competent. They are a set of behaviors and beliefs about yourself,

            your work, your sport, and how you interact. A person who is mentally tough will

            look at competition as a challenge to embrace. Like physical skills, mental 

            toughness and composure can be learned through quality instruction, practice

            and OF COURSE my HOW TO books and HOW TO website!

   Comeback: It’s about how you decide to continue when behind in any match or after

            losing a match. Showing others, you’re not ready to throw in the towel, should get 

            you some respect from others. Focusing on what MUST HAPPEN and pulling it off the

            old Cinderella story. It has happened and will continue to happen as athletes are 

            human. Some sports have more come from behind victories and other sports is 

            about scoring to tie the score and getting to sudden death where you have a 

            chance to win the match, basically coming from behind. It really shouldn’t matter

            when you get behind, it’s more about throwing great shots to stay close enough

            and take advantage of their bad breaks should they occur. Come from behind

            victories happen more often to those with more experience. These athletes refer 

            back to other situations where they came back to win matches and why certain 

            situations when making correct adjustments gave them positive results.

   Consistency: How consistent are you during MUST WIN situations? If your pre-match 

             routine isn’t the same before every match, why not? Champions and consistency

             are like friends hanging around during those pressure situations. Any good athlete

             with consistency can win the match. When the consistency of having positive

             results decrease, it will be the time to determine what minor changes need to be

             made to get your consistency back. Your wiliness to stay competitive with 

             consistency will have an impact throughout your sports career. Good athletes

             don’t make excuses as to why they aren’t “proforming” at their best. No one can

             always perform at the highest level every time they compete. Even the G.O.A.T.s 

             have mediocre matches or lost to someone who most thought they couldn’t win. 

             Once again, the ZONE helps your consistency stay at an elevated level through

             the match. It’s more about repetition of every shot with the same determination.

   Committed: Committing to Excellence is the starting point for success! This mental

               MAGIC concept should help you reach your dreams and goals. It’s about doing

             extra work to see you shine your light during MUST WIN moments. The passion to

             perform in the sport they love, shows why some athletes are winning after 

             committing. Those that have Committed to Excellence will usually be having 

             more fun and getting close to their goals. Practicing both mental and physical

             skills will reward you later and maybe even sooner than expected. After a few

             setbacks, being committed should help you see wins come more often. Athletes

             that commit, will practice out of their comfort zone so that they will be more 

             relaxed for those certain situations that could happen. Excellence and experience 

             are friends and feed off each other. What you bring to the table when the match

             starts, will show others what competing is about. Your commitment to improve

             and retain a positive attitude is why sports is unique and that’s why most 

             professionals seek qualified coaching. Competent coaches (both physical and

             mental) could be your game changer. 

   Confident: This C is what Champions have the most of. It’s their inner drive to show 

             dedication to their sport and exhibit why they have won in the past. It’s also about 

             putting the first 12 C’s together to make it work for you. Now this question remains, 

             can you do it? When you get confidence in your game, your positive attitude

             should help you handle most situations. Now it’s no longer if it will happen, it’s

             when it will happen. It’s about believing in yourself to make it happen. After a few

             years, when you put everything together, you’ll know IT CAN BE DONE! Sports is not

             always easy. Many practice sessions, all the experience from competition and 

             help from coaches, finally come together to tell you the work you put in was worth

             it. NOT SO FAST! Since you can’t buy confidence over the counter, NEVER think it will 

             create victories, no matter who you go up against. Confidence comes from 

             experience and making the correct decisions at the correct moment in a match. 

             Those come from behind wins happened, because you kept the match from 

             getting out of reach by knowing what it takes to record wins. Your positive self-

             talk will reduce pressure situations, so you’ll make more relaxed GREAT shots. 

             Confidence leads to success and your ability to perform in all situations, not just 

             part of the time.

   Celebrate: Celebrating events should have started after you have experienced and

             connected the first 12 components into your game. You must wait until after the

             match is over to celebrate all victories. Celebrating before it’s mathematically

             over, can lead to several small margin loses. You know what I’m about to say here,

             it’s not over till it’s over. Some will let up by just going through the motions, once 

             they thought they won the match, just to find out they just lost. KEEP YOUR HEAD IN 

             THE GAME until every shot has been thrown. Most often, in those closing moments

             of games, athletes will learn something about themselves. Celebrations can be 

             created because athletes with good mental skills, just wanted it more. The will to

             win is strong in some athletes, but having a strong mental game should bring you

             more celebrations. After all, these celebrations are why most compete and try to 

             defeat you. Reading up to this point, you should have learned something to help

             your own game and had a few celebrations. These celebrations help you nail 

             down the last component, Champion.

   Champion: The last and final component is because several dedicated athletes, turned

             winning a few tournaments into winning the season’s championship. All the work

             and sweat has paid for itself by making the season, a season to remember as only

             the best of the best have done in the past. Once a champion, competitors will want

             to knock you off the top of the hill. You’ll now have a target on your back. Being a 

             champion has both advantages and disadvantages. It will show others you

             worked on your game and willing to take on athletes like you before you became

             a champion. Your vast knowledge and experiences showed you the road to take,

             so that dead ends were very rare. It maybe a long and winding road to become a

             Champion. Congratulations to all Champions reading that want more knowledge

             to repeat as Champions. All Champions can learn something from Champions in 

             any sport as the road to get there is similar, but the skills to master their sport 

             maybe slightly different. 

      Training your brain how to think during a competition is an important skill to learn. Learning to believe in yourself because of the way you trained your brain to think is also an important skill. Learning and believing that no one shot is more important than the first one you deliver is important. Learning and believing that the most important shot of a 300 game is not the last one delivered, but each and every shot thrown. Learning and believing what you tell yourself before and while you perform, will greatly influence the quality of your performance. Learning and believing that every shot your deliver is important, whether it’s to throw a strike or pick up a spare. Learning and believing that before your walk up on the approach, that trusting your game is a MUST! Keep reminding yourself that you have trained in the most effective way you know and now is the time to unleash what you've learned. Learn and believe that with a little work, you can improve. Today when you show up for the tournament, you’ll know you’ve done the best to get ready. Now it’s time to stay focused and let your actions, do your talking for you.
      So just how attuned are you to your mental game? How attuned are you to yourself? Yes, we as bowlers need to exam what’s working and what needs to be improved. This article is about analyzing your mental game to show you areas you can work on for improvement. You need to know if the way you compete is functional or will need altering. All athletes are affected by 345 factors (listed in my first book), conscious and unconscious, internal and external and that most factors occur because of the pressure of competition or sometimes because of the fans watching the match. Athletes always break at their weakest link, which is why I authored my book to help others see the value of working and building a strong mental game. A strong mental game makes you a stronger athlete. These factors occur at every level and will affect you mechanically, mentally, emotionally and physically. And of course, these factors will define your mental toughness and determine your chances to become a champion.
       Finally, enjoy! Yes, enjoy what you are doing. Have plenty of fun competing. Don't forget that your performance or “proformance” is the time when you can finally show what you have trained so hard to learn and believe. This is a time for gratification and not a time for placing blame on why you weren’t at your best. Some competitors tend to be too self-critical in their performances. Your place of training is the place for that. Competition is the time for celebrating your skills - mentally and physically. There have been a few times where I thought about quitting bowling, but has my mom told me, “You’re not quitting, you’ll finish what you started.” And as long as I can compete at a high level, being mostly pain free, I’ll still go out and show some, why the mental game, is THE ONLY GAME AROUND! 

As always, See you in the ZONE!