P.A.C.E. (Perception, Activation, Concentration, Execution) - Following Team USA`s successful performances at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, coaches and athletes are already preparing for their upcoming season of competitions. What are the next steps to take in readying athletes for performance excellence? After competing in the Olympic Games, athletes have consistently reported that, for their next Games experience, they would: a) focus more on sport psychology and mental preparation; b) avoid overtraining/under-recovery and get more rest; c) work with their coaches to optimize their physical training/preparation; and d) find ways to be better prepared to deal with distractions (Gould, Greenleaf, Guinan, Dieffenbach, & McCann, 2001; Gould, Greenleaf, Chung, & Guinan, 2002). The P.A.C.E. performance program addresses these concerns by enabling coaches to enhance their athletes` psychological skills at the same time they are improving their athletes` physical, technical, and tactical sports skills. Incorporating the P.A.C.E. performance program into the periodized training schedule can help your athletes peak for performance by training them to focus on the right things, at the right time, every time.
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