Building a pre-game focus routine
Many athletes use the same short routine before every game to settle in. A concentration grid fits well as one step: it is familiar, it takes a couple of minutes, and it asks for the same kind of attention the game will.
An example routine
- Three slow breaths, standing or sitting.
- One 25-number grid, or a 30-second sprint, on a phone or a printed sheet.
- One cue word the player chooses, such as "next" or "calm".
- Join the team warm-up.
Keep the steps the same from game to game. The value is in the routine being familiar, not in any single step.
Switch on, don't test
A pre-game grid is not the place to chase a personal best. A slow time right before kickoff can rattle a player for no good reason. Online, players can set Timer to Hide before they start, so they focus on the numbers instead of the clock; the time is still saved to their history for later.
Home and away
Phones work anywhere, but a few printed sheets in the kit bag are a good backup for places with no signal or no phones allowed in the locker room.
After the game
A short check-in helps players connect the routine to how the game felt. Did they feel settled at the start? Did their focus drift late in the game? Over a season, that reflection is more useful than any single grid time.
New to grids? Start with How to use concentration grids in sports training.