The Pre-Game Routine That Builds Mental Readiness

How Athletes Can Show Up Focused, Confident, and Ready to Perform

You’ve trained hard. You’ve studied the playbook and practiced the drills. Your body is ready — but your mind is racing. Whether it’s nerves, pressure to perform, or just simply overthinking, many athletes step onto the field or court mentally unprepared.

Most pregame routines focus on warming up the body, but neglect preparing the mind. That’s a missed opportunity. Mental readiness is just as important as physical readiness — especially when it comes to consistency, focus, and confidence under pressure.

The good news? With simple, personalized pre-game routines, athletes can show up feeling calm, focused, and ready to perform at their best. Here’s how.

1. Set Your Intention

   Start by identifying how you want to show up. Choose a focus word or phrase that anchors you. Aggressive. Calm and locked in. one play at a time.

   This quick step helps you shift from autopilot into purpose-driven performance.

2. Use Visualization

   Spend a few quiet moments mentally walking through parts of the game. Picture yourself executing skills — making a smart pass, staying calm under pressure, bouncing back after a mistake.

   Visualization activates the same brain pathways used during actual performance. Think of visualization as a mental warm-up.

3. Practice Deep Breathing

   Nerves can trigger shallow breathing and physical tension. Combat that with a simple breathing exercise like:

   Box breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds -> hold for 4 -> exhale for 4 -> hold for 4 (repeat 3-5 times)

4. Positive Self-Talk

   The way you speak to yourself matters. That voice inside your head can be loud. Instead of “What if I mess up?”, try:

   I’ve trained for this. I’m focused and ready. Mistakes don’t define me.

   Write down 2-3 affirmations you can say before every game. Confidence is built by repetition — mental reps included.

5. Stick to a Simple Routine

   Routine creates comfort. That could be listening to a specific song, tying your shoes a certain way, or taking 60 seconds of quiet time before warm-ups.

   This personal routine doesn’t have to be fancy — it needs to be yours.

How Parents & Coaches Can Help

Support your athlete’s mental routine by:

1. Giving them space before the game to focus

2. Encouraging effort, focus, and preparation — not just results

3. Staying calm and grounded yourself (your energy sets the tone)

A confident, focused athlete often reflects the environment around them.

Mental preparation is a skill — and like any skill, it takes practice. A simple pre-performance routine can make a powerful difference in how an athletes performs, responds to pressure, and recovers from mistakes. Encourage your athlete to build their own version of this routine, and notice the change not just in how they play — but in how they feel.