"I was on autopilot."

That's what a rising high school freshman basketball player (we'll call him Damien to protect the innocent) told me earlier this week.

He wasn't talking about his drive to the gym.

He was talking about what happens inside his head when things start to go sideways in a game.

Something doesn't go his way.

He feels bad about himself. His attention turns inward. And then he's stuck — watching the game happen around him instead of competing in it.

Sound familiar?

I had my own autopilot moment this week.

I put four scoops of coffee in the maker. Mindlessly.

My morning routine is four scoops.

But I didn't want four scoops this time. I wanted just two.

I caught myself after dumping four scoops in, emptied the basket, and started over.

A reset.

Here's the thing about a reset, though:

It only works if you notice you needed one in the first place.

That's the piece that many young athletes struggle with the most.

We can work on reset routines all day long.

Breathing techniques.
A cue word or phrase.
A physical action.

Marcus and I have built his.

But if he doesn't have the present-moment awareness to recognize he's on autopilot — the reset never fires.

He doesn't even know he needs it.

Present-moment awareness isn't a switch you flip in a big game.

It's a skill.

Like dribbling.
Or shooting.

You have to practice it off the court.
In practice.
In games.

Our minds are built to wander — to scan for the next threat.

Not lions and tigers.

More like:

What will everyone think if I mess this up?

That kind of threat.

Unfortunately, the mind struggles to recognize the difference.

And if an athlete hasn't trained their awareness before that threat shows up, they'll keep putting four scoops in the pot and wondering why the coffee tastes off.

The ability to respond — instead of react — starts before the moment arrives.

Before I let you go, three questions worth sitting with this week:

1. Does your athlete know what it feels like when they're on autopilot — or does it just happen to them?
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2. If they have a reset routine, have they ever practiced just the first step, recognition?
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3. What's one low-stakes moment this week where they could practice present-moment awareness before a high-stakes moment demands it?

Thank you for reading,

Mike

***

P.S.

Summer is a great time to build new skills. In strength training, it's called periodization.

Young athletes (theoretically) have more time to dedicate to their development.

In some sports, they also have higher-stakes performances upcoming.

If you want to learn how to get the most out of the summer, hit reply or click the big orange button below to learn more.