To perform at their absolute best, athletes must achieve three goals. First, they must pay attention to the right information relating to the skill to be performed. Second, they must be motivated correctly. Third, they must engage in a positive self-thought process. To be good performers, athletes must process information that is occurring around them.
All sports require an intensity of attention level that is best for that set of skills.
If an athlete is too intense, two things can happen. A golfer who is too unsettled may hit the ball too hard for the green and over-run the cup. A basketball player who is too worried about performance may not be able to see plays developing and throw the ball away. If an athlete is not intense enough for the game, other consequences may follow. When an athlete knows every song the band played, he or she is probably not paying enough attention to the skills of the game.