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| Scoring the game winning goal against Ghana is a dream for USA soccer's John Brooks. (Photo credit: Huffington Post.) |
It is near impossible for a 21-year-old newbie to shine on
the grandest stage in all of sports.
Yet, that is exactly what American soccer player John Brooks did when he
scored the game winning goal against Ghana during the opening game of this year’s
World Cup.
In a startling post-game revelation, Brooks said that he had
dreamed the very scenario that played out on the pitch. “I told some teammates that I dreamed that I
scored in the 80th minute and we won the game,” Brooks explained in a media
interview. “And now it was the 86th minute and we won.”
Is Brooks’ premonition an indication of some sort of
clairvoyance or divine talent?
Probably not. It’s
most likely merely a coincidence.
Yet, Brooks’ experience and his resulting success in
competition is an important lesson for athletes at all levels. By visualizing a positive outcome, you can
create the expectation that when an opportunity to excel presents itself your
performance will be at the optimal level.
I have written extensively on this blog about the use of
visualization and hypnosis by athletes to enhance performance, improve
endurance and more quickly recover from injury.
Here are a few articles worth checking out:
Talent, training, endurance and hard work put Brooks on the
field during the World Cup. It was his
mental preparation though that allowed him to realize his full potential.
