A present athlete, will always win the day. All preparation is for naught when your focus is scattered. Being in the moment on the pisté is central to putting forth your best effort. Being present means you are mindful of everything as it is happening in that moment. You are not thinking about the future or what happened last time. You are fully engaged and focused in this very moment.

Focus or Fold.
Observe the landscape. What do you need to focus on? Blotting out the distractions is key to actualizing your focus. Your focus should be specific and actionable to what you are doing and attempting to accomplish. And you must maintain that focus for the duration of the activity. For example, in a 5-touché bout you are observing your opponents tendency to wait in the cut then counter attack. What is your response to that tactic?

Change the things you can but recognize you don’t control everything. While you can attempt to make your opponent react to the actions you create, recognize that the outcome may differ from what you originally imagined. Be fluid so that you are swiftly responding and adapting to the changing narrative as it plays out on the pisté.

Use Your Inner Voice.
Visualize and speak life into your space. When you do this you create positive energy because you are affirming self-belief to accomplish goals. We all have an inner voice on repeat and use it to your advantage. So when you feel the first inkling of nervous static as you approach the pisté, phrases like, relax champ, you got this or if you’re losing the bout, reminders like, one touché at a time, go a long way to strengthening your mental capacity.

Five (5) Principals of Success.
Proper- Preparation - Prevents- Poor- Performance. There are of course other iterations of this phrase but for Academy purposes, we’ll stick to this usage. No amount of inner-speak or cheerleading can overcome poor preparation. Be intentional in your actions. Be disciplined in your approach so as not to be thrown off when new information arrives. Learn to sift through what is beneficial to growth and what is a distraction. Create your routine and be consistent with it. This will be central to your success. If you start every tournament with a specific warmup routine, stick with it. Don’t change it the day of.

A core principal to an athlete’s success is the ability to be present. Your success will directly chart according to your focus. The more focused you are in your approach to this sport, the better your results will be. A prepared heart will continually flame the passion for competition.