{"id":9316,"date":"2019-03-08T19:15:26","date_gmt":"2019-03-08T19:15:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/?p=9316"},"modified":"2025-06-06T07:13:18","modified_gmt":"2025-06-06T11:13:18","slug":"how-to-expect-the-unexpected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-expect-the-unexpected\/","title":{"rendered":"Anticipation and 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\/2019\/03\/generic-big.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-9324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/generic-big.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/generic-big-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=\"The_Importance_of_Having_a_Plan_B\"><\/span>The Importance of Having a Plan B<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-expect-the-unexpected\/#The_Importance_of_Having_a_Plan_B\" >The Importance of Having a Plan B<\/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-expect-the-unexpected\/#Preparing_for_the_Unexpected\" >Preparing for the Unexpected: &nbsp;<\/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-expect-the-unexpected\/#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\/how-to-expect-the-unexpected\/#The_Composed_Athlete\" >The Composed Athlete<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>\u2018Expect the unexpected\u2019 is a notion that is good in theory but rarely put into action by athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>unexpected<\/strong> happens all the time in competition but rarely are athletes prepared to deal with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many athletes train and practice expecting to perform under ideal conditions but, when things go slightly wrong, it can generate so much anxiety and ruin competitive performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following examples illustrate how the <strong>unexpected<\/strong> can hurt an athlete\u2019s performance\u2026 a tennis player worked hard for an upcoming tournament.  She felt in top condition and her serves felt powerful and dead on.  But in warm-up, she broke a string on her favorite racquet which mentally threw her off her game in the first set\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or a golfer looked forward to a top tournament all season.  He worked on his putting all season and really put things together the last month.  He felt that he finally put his golf game all together.  Unfortunately the night before the tournament, there was a heavy rainfall which made the greens slick.  He felt so upset because he finally pieced his whole game together and looked forward to shooting his lowest score but, through the first nine holes, he was a bundle of nerves\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Or a basketball player who had been out of commission for two months rehabbing an injured elbow and was excited for her first game back.  She had been watching her teammates play week after week while she was injured and finally was in shape and ready to go.   During warm-up, she felt a twinge in her elbow and was so worried about re-injuring her elbow that she didn\u2019t take a shot the entire game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes, things don\u2019t go as planned but that doesn\u2019t mean things will go badly.  If you practice and plan for different, less-than-optimal circumstances, you will not be totally thrown off your game when the unexpected strikes.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To clarify, uncertainty causes anxiety, so if you understand that optimal circumstances are not guaranteed, you can maintain a sense of calm and still perform well in a variety of adverse conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Preparing for the <strong>unexpected <\/strong>is the method the US Women\u2019s National Team has prepared for the 2019 World Cup.  Head Coach Jill Ellis has tinkered with different lineups, new formations and alternate match strategies to prepare the team for many different contingencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>USWNT defender Becky Sauerbrunn stated she feels better prepared to compete after training for a variety of potential scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SAUERBRUNN<\/strong>: <em>\u201c[Head coach Jill Ellis] said she was going to throw people into formations and into games that maybe they weren\u2019t prepared for and she wanted to see how they reacted, because in a World Cup you never know what you\u2019re going to face, and you\u2019re going to have to be able to take those challenges on and still perform well. And so I feel very strong having gone through that process.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Circumstances change all the time in competitive sports and having a contingency plan in place for when circumstances are not optimal is an effective strategy for being a successful athlete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Preparing_for_the_Unexpected\"><\/span>Preparing for the Unexpected: &nbsp; <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can\u2019t train for every possible scenario but you can learn to be  flexible so you can better manage obstacles are thrown your way. &nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Develop plan B. &#8220;If this happens, I will do this.\u201d&nbsp; &nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by thinking about what might throw off your performance. What  has rattled you in the past, such as opponent cheating or harsh  spectators. &nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think about how you will cope with these challenges&#8211;developing a  positive response to each challenge that helps you stay focused and  composed. &nbsp; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Work on your new coping action during practice.<\/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\" 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\/coping-with-teammates-who-make-mistakes\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-consistent-preparation-is-key-to-performance\/\"><strong>How Consistent Preparation is Key to Performance<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-overcome-adversity-for-athletes\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-preparation-boosts-confidence\/\"><strong>How Preparation Boosts Confidence<\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/3-ways-to-quickly-rebound-from-mistakes\/\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/athletes-who-worry-about-preparation\/\"><strong>Athletes Who Worry About 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_Composed_Athlete\"><\/span>The Composed 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\/2019\/08\/composed-athlete-small.jpg\" alt=\"The Composed Athlete Workbook &amp; Audio\" class=\"wp-image-19327\" style=\"width:200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Composed Athlete\u201d is presented on<strong> 80-minute Audio Programs<\/strong> with a <strong>70-page step-by-step workbook<\/strong> that guides you through the program each day. It\u2019s a complete system for conditioning your mind to have <strong>maximum composure in competitio<\/strong>n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<strong>The Composed Athlete<\/strong>\u201d was developed for <strong>any level coach, parent, or junior to professional athlete<\/strong> 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 your composure\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-8fee86ee\">\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-df6f9eb5 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/the-composed-athlete-cd-program\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">GET DETAILS<\/a>\n\n\n\n<a class=\"gb-button gb-button-9e238db0 gb-button-text\" href=\"https:\/\/shop.peaksports.com\/collections\/the-confident-athlete-series-digital-download\/products\/the-composed-athlete-digital\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">BUY NOW<\/a>\n\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Importance of Having a Plan B \u2018Expect the unexpected\u2019 is a notion that is good in theory but rarely put into action by athletes. The unexpected happens all the time in competition but rarely are athletes prepared to deal with it. Many athletes train and practice expecting to perform under ideal conditions but, when things go slightly &#8230; <a title=\"Anticipation and Mental Preparation\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.peaksports.com\/sports-psychology-blog\/how-to-expect-the-unexpected\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Anticipation and Mental Preparation\">Sport Psychology Article&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9326,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,142,4],"tags":[247],"class_list":["post-9316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mental-game-of-sports","category-sports-psychology-tips","category-mental-toughness-in-sports","tag-mental-toughness-in-sports"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.5.2 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"\u2018Expect the unexpected\u2019 is a notion that is good in theory but rarely put into action by athletes. 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Cohn\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.peaksports.com\\\/sports-psychology-blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/patrick-cohn-mental-coach-web-sq.jpg\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/PeakPerformanceSports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/PeaksportsCoach\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/sportspsychcoach\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@peakperformancesports\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/peaksports\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/MindsetForSports\"],\"description\":\"Mental Performance Coach Dr. Patrick Cohn has helped athletes for over 30 years enhance their performance. 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