{"id":4159,"date":"2015-08-03T13:47:58","date_gmt":"2015-08-03T13:47:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports_psychology_blog\/?p=4159"},"modified":"2025-06-11T05:50:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T09:50:47","slug":"how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Anticipate The Unexpected And Adjust"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-5778 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/overcoming-the-unexpected.jpg\" alt=\"Overcoming The Unexpected\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/overcoming-the-unexpected.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/overcoming-the-unexpected-300x150.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Expect_The_Unexpected\"><\/span>Expect The Unexpected<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\/how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust\/#Expect_The_Unexpected\" >Expect The Unexpected<\/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\/how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust\/#Lazor_knows_the_value_of_preparation\" >Lazor knows the value of preparation.<\/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\/how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust\/#Strategy_for_Overcoming_the_Unexpected\" >Strategy for Overcoming the Unexpected<\/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\/how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust\/#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-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust\/#The_Focused_Athlete\" >The Focused Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>If preparation and planning are the keys to success, what should an athlete do if something interrupts their plan?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It happens all the time&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have trained as hard as you could for months and months preparing for some big competition&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You have honed your strategy&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You feel ready and <strong>confident<\/strong>&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then something unexpected occurs&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe you arrive late because of traffic&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or you forgot a piece of equipment&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or you couldn\u2019t find a place that serves your favorite pre-competition meal&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It may feel like all the hard work is going down the tubes in a flash at the most critical moment of your season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>US swimmer Annie Lazor competed in the 100 and 200 breaststroke at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, Lazor who won the bronze medal in the 200 meter breaststroke at the Pan Am Games, has her sights set on the 2016 Olympics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lazor_knows_the_value_of_preparation\"><\/span>Lazor knows the value of preparation.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LAZOR<\/strong>: <em>&#8220;This meet is a great stepping stone towards the 2016 Olympic Games. Pan Ams is just one step below the Olympics, and having a village, other athletes and people who have been to the highest stage around me is great <strong>preparation<\/strong>.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Lazor also knows that <strong>mental toughness<\/strong> training best prepares an athlete for the unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>LAZOR<\/strong>:<em> &#8220;Brett Hawke [Lazor\u2019s coach at Auburn University] has been a great influence to me both in the physical side of swimming as well as the mental side. There&#8217;s always going to be a snag somewhere in a pre-race routine, maybe the beds in the hotel aren&#8217;t comfortable, or the food isn&#8217;t what you expected; Brett has taught us to trust our training and not let anything affect our races.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Mental toughness<\/strong> is that \u201cnothing will deter me from performing my best\u201d mentality. Mental toughness keeps you <strong>focused<\/strong> on going forward with your plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of looking for excuses, mental toughness <strong>focuses<\/strong> on what you need to do at this moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are waiting for the perfect situation, you will never <strong>perform optimally<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There will always be speed bumps and potholes on the road to success. The key is to not turn obstacles into stop signs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mental toughness helps you maneuver and navigate around those little bumps, remain <strong>focused<\/strong> on your objective, and <strong>trust<\/strong> your ability to perform optimally despite the circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strategy_for_Overcoming_the_Unexpected\"><\/span><strong>Strategy for Overcoming the Unexpected<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You should not only physically prepare for that important competition but include mental preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about the potential speed bumps that could occur on competition day. Ask yourself, \u201cAre any of these obstacles insurmountable?\u201d Determine how you will respond if you encounter a speed bump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You won\u2019t be able to predict every potential obstacle but this strategy creates the mindset that you can handle most of those little nuisances that you may experience.<\/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-to-be-mentally-prepared-for-the-unexpected\/\"><strong>How to Be Mentally Prepared for the Unexpected<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-cope-with-unexpected-challenges\/\"><strong>How to Cope With Unexpected Challenges<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-expect-the-unexpected\/\"><strong>Anticipation and Mental Preparation<\/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-css-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Focused_Athlete\"><\/span>The Focused 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\/focused-athlete-teams-small.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3922\" style=\"width:215px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s probably no secret that you have many opportunities<strong> to become distracted<\/strong> in sports. Athletes are bombarded with both internal and external distractions everyday in practice and competition. <strong>Focused athletes<\/strong> are able to get the most from their skills because they are more efficient with practice and more concentrated in competition. Athletes who lack focus <strong>let distractions run wild through their mind and don\u2019t know how to adjust or refocus.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Focused Athlete was developed for any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete who wants to improve performance and gain a competitive edge. It does not matter if you are a fledgling junior athlete; or a seasoned professional, plagued with distractions; or you just wanting to learn how to improve concentration\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Focused Athlete\u201d is a complete system to teach you how to focus like a champion and harness the power of a zone focus every time you step on the playing field, court, track, or course in practice and games!<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-769fef19\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-68fab510 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-focused-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-3043572a gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-focused-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Expect The Unexpected If preparation and planning are the keys to success, what should an athlete do if something interrupts their plan? It happens all the time&#8230; You have trained as hard as you could for months and months preparing for some big competition&#8230; You have honed your strategy&#8230; You feel ready and confident&#8230; Then something unexpected occurs&#8230; &#8230; <a title=\"How To Anticipate The Unexpected And Adjust\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-anticipate-the-unexpected-and-adjust\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about How To Anticipate The Unexpected And Adjust\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[142,40,38,37],"tags":[626,293,654],"class_list":["post-4159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports-psychology-tips","category-mental-preparation","category-pregame-anxiety","category-pregame-stress","tag-athlete-focus-in-sports","tag-concentration-in-sports","tag-preparing-for-the-unexpected"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If preparation and planning are the keys to success, what should an athlete do if something interrupts their plan? 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