The Parking Lot Visualization

You read about how elite athletes use mental imagery to perform under pressure. So three weeks ago, in the parking lot of Field 4, you started walking your nine-year-old through it: See the pitcher. See yourself in the box. Feel the bat.

Last Saturday, she struck out on a call that wasn't even close. Walking back to the dugout, her shoulders dropped. You could feel the spiral starting.

But then something shifted. In the car ride home, she closed her eyes without you asking. "I'm seeing the next one," she said quietly. Not angry. Not defeated. Just... ready.

That's not magic. That's a kid learning that her mind is as trainable as her swing. The visualization didn't make the bad call disappear. It gave her something to do with the frustration—a place to redirect it that actually works.

The parking lot sessions probably look ridiculous to other parents. They kind of are. But they're also the difference between a kid who recovers from adversity and one who doesn't. Between someone who can find focus in a chaotic dugout and someone who can't.

Your nine-year-old is learning that confidence isn't something that happens to you. It's something you build.

Read the full story → https://wheretohit.com/dugout/visualization-parking-lot

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Originally published at Mind & Muscle

Train your mind. Dominate your game.