Pre-performance routines

Pre-performance routines

1. Define and contrast pre-performance routines from rituals

   • Routine
     • "set pattern of physical and/or mental activities carried out immediately prior to performance with the purpose of aiding performance"
     • generally in self paced situations with time to prepare and a stable predictable environment
   • Ritual
     • "a behaviour which does not have a clear technical function in the execution of skill, yet which is believed to control luck and other external factors"
     • may be created through backward chaining of random events before performance with a successful outcome

2. Describe the goals of a pre-performance routine

   • Create an optimal internal state for performance
   • Optimal emotions, confidence, focus and control

3. Explain why pre-performance routines benefit the performance of closed, self-paced skills

   • Why do they work?
     • Attentional control: divert attention from task irrelevant to task relevant cues
     • Warm up decrement: creates psychological and physical readiness that can be lost during rest periods
     • Automatic skill execution: prevents performers from conciously controlling specific movements that can inhibit smooth and co-ordinated skills
   • The absence of routines, lots of preparation time and no routine
     • Over thinking, distractions, loss of confidence, overly elated emotions
     • Decreased probability and consistency of good performance
   • Jackson & Baker (2001): case study analysing Neil Jenkins' pre-kick routine
     • Most physical aspects were consistent
     • Concentration time increased with kick difficulty
     • Used psychological skills such as thought stopping, cueing and imagery
   • Lonsdale & Tam (2007): analysed televised game footage from 2006 NBA playoffs
     • Duration did not effect outcome
     • If players stuck to the behaviours of their routine they were more likely to score

4. Describe the characteristics of an effective routine

   • Self regulation of thoughts and emotions
   • Narrow, deep and sustained concentration
   • Ideal self efficacy and high but attainable performance expectancies
   • A quiet mind
   • Optimal visual orientation to the target
   • Consistency in generating a routine
   • Automaticity in activating those processing that enable one to perform effortlessly, effectively and successfully

5. Design a pre-performance routine for a self-paced sport situation based on the five step strategy outlined by Singer (2000)

6. Other types of routine

   • Competition routines
     • Pre (long & short term and immediate)
     • Between (rest, regroup, refocus, recharge)
     • Post (cool down)
   • Training routines
     • Mental preperation
     • Skill development