ABSTRACT
Concentration, or the ability to pay attention to what is most important in any situation while ignoring distractions, is a vital ingredient of successful performance in sport. Evidence to support this claim comes from at least three sources. First, reviews of research on athletes’ “flow states” and peak performance experiences in sport (e.g. Harmison, 2007) highlight the importance to optimal performance of total absorption in the task at hand. Second, there is growing evidence of a link between athletes’ focus of attention and the quality of their performance. Specifically, a recent review by Wulf (2007) concluded that an external focus of attention (in which performers direct their attention at the effects that their movements have on the environment) is usually more effective than an internal one (in which performers focus on their own body movements) in improving the learning and performance of various motor skills. This conclusion seems to apply generally across a range of tasks (e.g. balance activities, jumping, golf, American football), levels of experience (i.e. whether the performers are experts or novices) and participant populations (including those with motor impairments). Finally, a variety of anecdotal testimonials and sporting incidents emphasise the significance of focusing skills in determining athletic performance. To illustrate, Petr Cech, the Czech Republic goalkeeper who set a remarkable record for his club, Chelsea, by keeping 24 “clean sheets” in the UK Premier League in 2005, revealed that, “everything is about concentration” (cited in Szczepanik, 2005: 100). This comment was prompted by Cech’s observation that opposing teams invariably get at least one chance to score during a game and “it’s difficult to be concentrated for the right moment” (ibid.). Clearly, lapses in attention can mean the difference between success and failure in competitive sport. For example, at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the American rifle shooter Matthew Emmons missed an opportunity to win a gold medal in the 50m three-position target event when he shot at the wrong target. Leading his nearest rival Jia Zhambo (China) by three points as he took his last shot, Emmons lost his focus momentarily and shot at the target of a competitor in the next lane – thereby squandering his chance of victory.
