Full court focus

It feels like everyone’s attention span is getting shorter these days. Our phones buzzing with notifications, social media distracting us, and a million things happening at once, it’s getting harder to stay focused. For us athletes, that can be a real problem. In sports, even a split-second lapse in focus can mean missing a play, making a mistake, or losing to your opponent. But here’s the good news, focus isn’t something you’re just born with. It’s a skill, and like any skill, you can train it and become better at it.

A focused athlete is a strong athlete

The birth of short attention spans

Social media is a great way of passing the time, staying informed of the things that are going on arround the world and overall just consuming content you like. In the last couple of years a new type of it arose. The short form video.

We all know that the things we consume shape our brain and adjust it overtime.

Instagram, TikTok, Youtube,... have become the leaders in short-form videos. These usually last around 3-15 seconds, and change topic multiple times which is not ideal for the human mind and its focusing capabilities.

The overconsumption of them will adjust your brain to hold focus for a shorter time frame which will affect you in all aspects of life.

The problem

Sports are all about being in the moment. Whether you’re tracking the ball, reacting to an opponent’s move, or executing a play under pressure, focus is key.

Zoning out during practice or even games can lead to a bad performance/defeat and consequently to low self-esteem which is the achilles tendon of many athletes. Once you doubt yourself, the opponent gains the edge. Apart from losing or winning, in the long term a person with bad focus and a short attention span, will not experience the same growth and progression as a well focused person might.

Now since we know that a scattered mind isn't the one that world class athletes want, let's fix it!

Fixing your attention span

There are numerous ways of lengthening your attention span. Here are the ones that I have implemented and have helped me the most in my journey:

1. Limit your digital distractions: Put a timer on Instagram, Tiktok and other social media platforms. Obviously you don't need to cut yourself off all social media. Limmiting your time and being carefull with what you consume will help. Instead of short form videos, watch longer ones discussing the same topic and try to read books and news articles that retain your focus for longer. If consuming short form videos, make sure that they are usefull not only distracting.

2. Practice mindfulness/meditate: This doesn't mean you should take out your yoga mat and have a 1h session buddhist style. What helps most people is conscious breathing and just tuning out for a couple of minutes. Relaxing music or white noise may help you calm and focus a scattered mind.

3. Set clear intentions: Having a clear purpose for each practice or game helps anchor your mind. Before every session, set one or two specific goals. For example, "Today, I will focus on perfecting my defensive footwork."

4. Develop a ritual: Pre-game/pre-practice rituals are a very effective way of entering the right competitive head space. They prepare you mentally and physically. These rituals can be as simple as putting your right sock and shoe on first, keeping your bracelet in your sock for luck, listening to music, reading a passage from a book or even doing your warm up exercises in a specific way/order. Anything that helps you prepare yourself can be considered a ritual.

   
   
   
   
   
   

Conclusion

Improving your focus isn’t just about performing better—it’s about getting the most out of everything you do. Stronger concentration means better decision-making, fewer mistakes, and a stronger mindset. Whether you’re training, competing, or even just handling daily life, having a sharp mind helps you stay ahead.

It’s easy to get caught up in distractions, but the best athletes find ways to shut out the noise. The more you train your mind to focus, the better you’ll perform under pressure. It’s not about being perfect—it’s about improving. Every time you push yourself to stay locked in, you’re strengthening a skill that will benefit you for years to come.

Thank you for reading my first article. I will keep them coming with more topics and ways of self improvement. Remember that we are all here lo learn and become our own best version. If you have any suggestions please comment down below.

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“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” Start working on your focus today, and watch your game—and mindset—level up. Stay locked in and keep pushing forward!

Mind In Motion.