"If 90 percent of the time you’re not in the flow state, it’s not a big deal if you have a plan. So you have to train in such a way that you have that focus under pressure." USOPC Sport Psychologist Alex Cohen makes a great point here. You need a mental game plan, because hoping the flow state shows up is no plan at all.

Many of my teams and individuals are approaching the end of the spring season as well as the end of their school year. While it's easy to get ahead of yourself, I'm reminding my performers to focus on the present. Using the breath is a great way to do that. Second, I encourage them to be a CLOSER. I borrowed this idea from Bhrett McCabe, and I think you'll find it useful, too.

Drew Maggi spent 13 years in the minor leagues before getting his call up to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 33-year-old has appeared in 1,155 games, taken 3847 at-bats, and played with 13 different teams at five different levels. In 2021, he came tantalizingly close to making his debut with the Twins, but he didn't see the field. In announcing Maggi's call-up, his AA manager highlighted his grit, perseverance, effort, and perspective. Here's the moment he learned of his promotion. Once the shock wore off, it was off to Pittsburgh. His arrival was shared by the Pirates, and the gratitude and appreciation shine through. Maggi commented, "I always believed this moment would come. There was a little bit of me that was like, 'You know what? You love playing baseball. Keep going no matter what.' Crazy things happen in this game. So, I'm very thankful that I'm here and that I get to enjoy this. I'm excited for the day."

I find that most people want to eliminate their nerves and fear, yet the more one tries not to think about fear, the less likely it is to disappear. Excitement and anxiety are virtually the same from a physiological perspective. The biggest differences are how you interpret the sensation and how you breathe. As Fritz Perls, MD has said, "Fear is excitement without the breath." Likewise, research by Alison Wood Brooks has shown that saying, "I'm not nervous," is not nearly as effective as saying, "I am excited." So the next time you're feeling some performance anxiety, remember to breathe, and remember to reappraise the feeling as excitement about the opportunity that lies before you.

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