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Awareness Training for Sports |
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Skills -
Awareness
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Written by 2 Athletes
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Definition of Awareness
So there is a lot of talk about athlete instinct, a heads up play, or an athlete being in the right place at the right time. These are all just a few ways that people address the overall definition of awareness. Awareness is the ability of an athlete to analyze, interpret, and execute optimal movements for maximal performance. Awareness and quickness are very highly related; however, awareness is all about the selection of the movement pattern the athlete wants to take while quickness deals with the actual movements.
Components of Awareness
Awareness has several components that influence the optimal capabilities of the athlete. The first component is recognition. The athlete needs to understand the concepts of the game, the current situation of the game, and what movement would produce optimal results at that given moment. If an athlete is unable to recognize what move they should make, no other skill they have developed in the sport matters.
The second component of awareness is reaction. The athlete recognizes the situation and knows what move they want to make. The athlete must make the decision to execute this move. The athlete wants to improve this particular reaction time as much as possible. Beginner or novice athletes reaction time will be relatively slow as they think and apply sport knowledge to making proper movement choices. Advanced athletes will, on the other hand, decide and begin to execute very quickly.
The final component of awareness is recover. Recover is the ability of the athlete to change motions during the actual performance to correct for changing game situations and circumstances. Recoverability and agility work together to help an athlete bounce back from mistakes or opponents counter moves.
Final Thoughts on Awareness
Awareness is an important skill in the realm of athletics. While mainly mental and skill oriented, awareness branches in to the physical realm and relies primarily on an athlete’s quickness and agility for support. You know what they call an athlete who knows what to do but can't physically do it? A coach. So take the necessary steps to improve your mental and physical game for optimal performance today!
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