In this second part of my post, we’ll explore how the principles—Control Your Controllables, Confidence Follows Competence, and Focus Leads Your Performance—translate into practical psychological skills. Coaches and sport psychology practitioners can use experiential activities where participants perform a task under pressure, or reflective exercises where they contrast their best and worst performances. For example, they might ask:
• “How did you maintain your focus? What helped?”
• “How did you lose focus? What distractions did you face?”
• “How did preparation or skill level contribute to your performance?”
Do note that a certain competence in facilitation skills is necessary to help performers expand on their reflections, uncovering deeper insights and connections to their experiences.
Thereafter, the practitioner can ask the performer to consider which of the three principles best aligns with their insights. For example, a performer who recalls being overly concerned with the outcome during their worst performance might resonate with Control Your Controllables, while one who identifies a lack of trust in their abilities might connect more with Confidence Follows Competence.
This process helps performers internalize these principles by linking them to their personal experiences, making them more relatable and actionable as they move forward.
Coach Hansen 