A well-trained brain is the "secret weapon" of every great athlete. When your brain works well, your body works well and your mind works well. The brain is the command centre for all things...including athletic performance.
It was once believed that the brain didn't change much during one's lifetime. That the brain you were born with is the brain you are stuck with. That is no longer supported by current research.
It is now common knowledge that the brain is like
plastic in that it can actually change very quickly.
This concept is known as "neuroplasticity." The brain not only can
change, but it does change constantly. Everything
you do, every thought you have, every emotion you entertain, the food your eat,
the exercise you do, every movement you make...changes your brain.
Neuroplasticity is your friend, if you want to make your athletic performance better. The more you do the right things in the right ways, the more your brain will change to support high level athletic performance.
The brain can change for the better or the worse. The athlete's focus is to drive plasticity in the
direction he wants it to go. That is, in
the direction of high level sports performance.
What is the most important thing you can do to improve your
athletic performance? We believe the answer is "build a better brain". When we find a deficiency in the brain, that
is a brain that is not functioning well in some area...we look for ways to
stimulate and challenge that specific area to make it work better. That's the reason why assessment and reassessment are so important in this work.
Brains are like fingerprints.
They are completely unique to every one of us. Our brains are the result of function, habit,
and injury. We need to focus on the
individuality of people in order to properly train their brain.
When you learn more about the way your brain works, specifically about the things that are less than optimal, you have a target for athletic training. By focusing on the areas in which your brain isn't doing well and improving them, you will find that your athletic performance improves too.