The very best thing a coach can do to help those players is to find out exactly what the zone is and how peak performers get there. I did, though it took years of trying through observation and interviewing peak performers, and plenty of frustrating dead ends. I started with the idea that only top gymnasts could find the zone. It must be some special place, I surmised, found through their physical training and the fact that they are performers. I had it backwards.
Athletes first find the zone, then find peak performances.
If you ever had a chance to ask a gymnast after an incredible performance what they were thinking I guarantee they answered it with one word. I just released myself to it. Finding the Zone For the peak performing gymnasts, finding the zone first requires relaxing every part of the body. Most people seldom experience this state, because their thoughts, especially the judgmental ones, get in the way. For some, it might be the thought that they're too slow, uncoordinated, or weak.