7. Topic 2

Meditation

Before a session, it is a good idea to work in a small reflection/relaxation period. This will give the players a chance to regroup and get focused for the training. During this time the coach must carry the players through a short meditation session. Possible steps could be to have everyone lie on their backs, bodies completely relaxed then with words walk them through the day they have had leading up to this point. Some may have had a bad day, some a good day, some could be feeling bloated after eating junk food right before practice, some energized and ready to train. The way people feel varies with each person. As well as the mind is a very powerful vessel in the body which can potentially influence the way you go about the rest of your day. Thus, as a coach grasping their minds and getting them to think more positively about the rest of the day means their bodies will do the same.

During this time the players should really be visualising themselves doing or being whatever the affirmation is. After everyone has shouted out their affirmation they all get up slowly and are ready to start training with a new positive mindset.

There are many tested methods in which meditation can be used to re-center the mind and get people more focused. One of the many tested methods that could be used before a training session is:

Have the players lay down on their backs and take very deep breaths; four seconds in through the nose, four seconds out through the mouth.
As they are breathing you can then begin to talk about the possible days they all could have had leading up to training.
At this point you can now give the players different affirmations to say. It could be as simple as, “I can do it” to “I am strong” or “I got this”. The affirmations could also be more specific, such as: “I am the best passer in the universe” or “I have the crossovers in the World”. The point of affirmation is to speak positively towards yourself, empower yourself, uplift yourself.
After the affirmation is given each player must say it 15 times in their head and on the last time shout it out as loud as they can. Saying the affirmation once with every breath, not rushing through it.