How Can Athletes Notice Attention Drift?

How can athletes notice attention drift?

Notice attention drift by checking where your attention has gone against what the current task needs. A natural pause, such as the start of a drill, gives you time for that brief check. Then return to the relevant information or action, leaving your attention available for play.

Reset editorial team2 min readUpdated September 26, 2026

Based on training by Dr. Braden Brown, PhD
MPC™ Map. Adapted for athletes by the Reset editorial team.

Know what attention is meant to be doing

Sometimes you realize the drill has changed while you were still thinking about the last attempt. Before calling that a failure of focus, get clear about the new job. A defender may need to see their player and the ball. A runner may need the instruction for the next repetition. Attention needs a destination.

Ask your coach when the priority is unclear. Sport often requires your attention to move: from a teammate to the ball, from a signal to the space ahead. A shift can be useful. The question is whether the information you are attending to belongs to what is happening now.

Find your common signs

Look back at one recent drift. Perhaps you were replaying an error, checking the scoreboard or anticipating a selection decision. Brown’s focus material groups distractions around people, outcomes, mistakes and future worries. A category can help you recognize the pattern without needing to analyze every thought.

A sign might be realizing you missed part of an instruction or noticing that you are mentally reviewing an earlier play. Use that observation as a cue to return. Avoid turning it into “I have no focus,” which leaves you without a specific task.

Check at a natural transition

Pick a suitable pause: joining a new drill, preparing for a serve or listening before the next race repetition. Ask, “What matters here?” Identify the instruction, target or decision you need. Then begin.

Do not monitor yourself every second. In a fast possession, keep responding to the game. You can rehearse noticing and returning in a coach-led drill where there is enough time to learn the sequence safely. There is no need to arrange harsh distractions or ask teammates to provoke you.

Record the return

After practice, write one example: “I was thinking about the last shot when the drill changed. I asked for the instruction again and rejoined.” That entry shows both the drift and the response. It does not require pretending you caught the distraction immediately.

Brown’s teaching gives the return a central place. You will not always notice the instant attention moves, but you can learn to recognize a useful way back. Keep one real example from practice. It gives the next attempt a starting point that is more concrete than simply promising to concentrate harder.