I always find it interesting the different pre-game/race rituals of the various athletes we work with. Some are very quiet and keep to themselves before competition. There is not a lot of talk or action. They may be bundled up in layers to stay warm with buds in their ears to block out distractions. And then there are those that can't wait to be let loose. They are bouncing around, loud and may even be a little bit obnoxious. American sprinter Maurice Green comes to mind when I think of this type of athlete. American sprinter Maurice Greene. We all can probably identify with one type or the other. For me, I always preferred to be quiet, calm and at rest before a race. I would go over the race in my head and visualize what a good race would look like, how it would feel and what I wanted to do to ensure success. So what is the goal? The graph below, the Yerkes-Dodson of Arousal and Performance, explains this well. On this graph the x-axis (horizontal) shows the level of emotional arousal from low on the left side and high on the right side. The y-axis (vertical) depicts performance with low at the bottom and high at the top. For maximum performance we should seek a medium level of emotional arousal. In the past, we've heard that we need to 'put on our game face' in order to perform. And for some that appear a little sleepy or lazy this may be the case. But for those are already 'amped' up we may not need more stimulation. You may have seen instances where athletes use smelling salts prior to competition. This would be when an athlete 'feels' they are the left side of the graph, and thus below optimal...