{"id":2046,"date":"2011-08-01T23:56:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-01T23:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports_psychology_blog\/?p=2046"},"modified":"2025-06-13T05:43:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T09:43:22","slug":"7-secrets-to-positive-pregame-mental-preparation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/7-secrets-to-positive-pregame-mental-preparation\/","title":{"rendered":"Sports Insights: 7 Secrets to Positive Pregame Mental Preparation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/mental-preparation.jpg\" alt=\"Mental Preparation\" class=\"wp-image-6385\" title=\"Abby Wombach\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/mental-preparation.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/08\/mental-preparation-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_you_Have_a_Mental_Preparation_Routine\"><\/span>Do you Have a <strong>Mental Preparation Routine<\/strong>?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Article Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0769bf;color:#0769bf\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/7-secrets-to-positive-pregame-mental-preparation\/#Do_you_Have_a_Mental_Preparation_Routine\" >Do you Have a Mental Preparation Routine?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/7-secrets-to-positive-pregame-mental-preparation\/#Pregame_Routines\" >Pregame Routines<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/7-secrets-to-positive-pregame-mental-preparation\/#Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\" >Related Sports Psychology Articles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/7-secrets-to-positive-pregame-mental-preparation\/#The_Relaxed_Athlete\" >The Relaxed Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>The pregame warm up is much more than a physical warm up. You have to use this time to be mentally ready to compete. Most top athletes use pregame mental preparation routines to feel ready to perform their best and consistently perform up to their physical talent!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hall of fame player Hank Aaron attributed much of his success in baseball to his <strong>mental preparation&#8211;both before and during the game<\/strong>. Aaron was one of the best hitters in the history of baseball and is a huge advocate of the mental game. When Aaron struggled to get a hit against a pitcher, he would go back to the dugout to study that pitcher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aaron believed that <strong>mental preparation and<\/strong> doing his \u201chomework\u201d was the key to becoming a top, consistent hitter year after year. He was a master at studying the pitcher before games. \u201cI think about how a guy mentally prepares himself to do battle, to go out and face the pitcher. I think so many hitters do not know how to get themselves prepared to play or hit against a pitcher. You have to mentally be prepared to hit against all pitchers.\u201d (Hanson, 1991)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pregame_Routines\"><\/span>Pregame Routines<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Aaron treated each game differently because he had to face a different pitcher, and this required concentration on and visualization of the pitcher\u2019s stuff. \u201cYou visualize [pitches]. You see it in your head; you think about it\u2026 I used to play every pitcher in my mind before I went to the ballpark. I started getting ready for every game the moment I woke up.\u201d (Aaron &amp; Wheeler, 1991)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, the world\u2019s top athletes use pregame rituals or routines to help create the proper mindset for competition and practice. Your mental preparation should start a long time before the competition and involves more than just visualizing a successful performance. Pregame routines instill confidence, focus, and a success-oriented mindset at the start of competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abby Wombach, the 3rd highest all-time goal scorer of the US Women\u2019s National Soccer Team, understands the<strong> importance of mental preparation<\/strong> during her pregame routine to help her play at peak levels. How does she mentally prepare for big games?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cComing into every game, I&#8217;m just trying to mentally prepare myself to leave it all on the field. Four hours before the game I eat a good meal &#8212; nothing too heavy. I hydrate all day long and I do a lot of mental imagery, I picture myself playing the game, I see myself doing all those things that my team is counting on me to do,\u201d said Wombach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read the entire article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-insights-archives\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">7 Secrets to Positive Pregame Mental Preparation<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"block-979ef383-5bc7-43ee-b8f9-249663ca1a6c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Sports_Psychology_Articles\"><\/span>Related Sports Psychology Articles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"block-05642731-8752-4dbf-9c18-5cc4d276e821\" class=\"wp-block-list has-normal-font-size\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-hard-work-translates-to-performance\/\"><strong>How Hard Work Translates to Performance<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/positive-self-talk\/\"><strong>Positive or Negative Self-Talk. Which One Do You Use?<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/golf-podcast-postive-celebrations\/\"><strong>Golf Podcast: Positive Celebrations<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-5726d13f-f715-4ca4-8813-2f8a9ebd8bc3\">*Subscribe to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/sports-psychology-podcast-by-peaksports-com\/id152566009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0on iTunes<br>*Subscribe to <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0ynyaalKxbnNmsoeL8gF5X?si=8224669de9b3435b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>The Sports Psychology Podcast<\/strong><\/a> on Spotify<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-281f5afb-980b-4c71-9aa0-11d606b5f7c9\"><strong>Download a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/mental-toughness-report-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">free sports psychology report<\/a>&nbsp;to improve your mental game!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-normal-font-size\" id=\"block-94138e75-d591-4645-bb1d-212cf57a8841\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sport-psychology-training-athletes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Learn more about our one-on-one mental game coaching.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Relaxed_Athlete\"><\/span>The Relaxed Athlete <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"225\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/03\/relaxed-athlete-small.jpg\" alt=\"Relaxed athlete\" class=\"wp-image-3919\" style=\"width:180px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><strong>The ability to relax and play your game under pressure is what separates the winner<\/strong> from the loser in any competition. Champion athletes train hard in practice, are motivated for the right reasons, and are able to raise their game in crunch-time with two minutes remaining in the game..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A relaxed and confident performance begins in the mind! <strong>When you are mentally prepared to compete, you can have an optimal level of intensity AND poise!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The Relaxed Athlete program<\/strong> is ideal for any athlete that wants to overcome pregame anxiety, worry, or excess tension and learn to perform with poise. It\u2019s also ideal for any coach or parent who wants to teach athletes to perform with poise and relaxation in competition.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-e17df0d5\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-68994dee gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-relaxed-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-89319240 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-cd-workbooks\/products\/the-relaxed-athlete-cd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Do you Have a Mental Preparation Routine? The pregame warm up is much more than a physical warm up. You have to use this time to be mentally ready to compete. Most top athletes use pregame mental preparation routines to feel ready to perform their best and consistently perform up to their physical talent! Hall of fame player &#8230; <a title=\"Sports Insights: 7 Secrets to Positive Pregame Mental Preparation\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/7-secrets-to-positive-pregame-mental-preparation\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Sports Insights: 7 Secrets to Positive Pregame Mental Preparation\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142,40,219],"tags":[812,813,257,116],"class_list":["post-2046","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","category-mental-preparation","category-sport-psychology-newsletter","tag-abby-wombach","tag-hank-aaron","tag-mental-preparation","tag-mental-game"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you have a mental preparation routine you use prior to each competition? 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Dr. Cohn earned a master's degree in sports psychology from CSUF and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, specializing in Applied Sports Psychology. Today, he is the president and founder of Peak Performance Sports, LLC in Orlando, Florida, where his team offers mental performance coaching to individual and team athletes. He works with high-profile teams and athletes, such as the Miami Dolphins, NASCAR winners, NHL players, NFL players, National Motocross champions, and PGA Tour professional golfers. 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