If your athlete is on their phone before a game, they’re not “just relaxing.”
They’re training distraction.
Scrolling floods the brain with stimulation.
Comparison.
Highlight reels.
Notifications.
Mental noise.
And then we expect calm focus when the whistle blows.
That’s not how the brain works.
Pregame should prepare the nervous system.
Breathing lowers heart rate.
Visualization primes decision-making.
Music with intention creates rhythm.
Silence builds clarity.
Scrolling builds anxiety.
Routine builds composure.
Athletes who stay calm play confident.
Athletes who overstimulate chase the game instead of controlling it.
This is one of the simplest high-performance habits families can change.
Structure beats stimulation.