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From
Theory to Practice
What
I have since come to understand over the past few years is
the importance of giving my mind something to focus on. It
is very easy in a situation where the game is on the line
to let my mind take over. Negative thoughts would begin to
take over, thoughts that said I would never make the shot
or sounds in the crowd that caught my attention. However,
by learning to focus my eyes and give my mind a target I was
able to shut out the distractions around me. In a sense, I
was too caught up in my routine to notice other things going
on. This takes many, many hours of practice, and it is still
a skill I must work on everyday. Just like learning a new
one-on-one move or correcting my shot, learning to focus my
eyes has been a continuous development.
There is always room for improvement in my game and
it is often the little things that make the biggest difference.
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As
a professional player now, I have come to understand even
more the importance of perfecting this skill. The higher I
go in my sport, the less distinction there is in the level
of skill of the players around me. In order to be the best,
I have to have a skill that sets me a part. I truly believe
this has a lot to do with the mental aspect of the game, and
for me that starts on the free throw line. This is a skill
that I can exercise every day that helps to keep my mental
game sharp. When physical skill starts to equal out, mental
skills can often be the defining factor that divides the good
players from the best players.
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According
to Doan, Quiet Eye training gave her the edge in the
Big Leagues.
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The
theory of quiet eye has helped me to become a better all-around
player. There is always room for improvement in my game and
it is often the little things that make the biggest difference.
Becoming a better free throw shooter adds another dimension
to my game and allows me to face the high pressure challenge
on the free throw line with greater confidence. Before learning
of this technique, it was always a guessing game as to why
my free throw shooting was only average. Now I have a very
simple yet profound skill that allows me to monitor my shot.
It takes time to learn this skill and many hours of practice,
but as the saying goes, anything worth having is worth sacrificing
for. 
Leighann
Doan played forward for the University of Calgary from 1996-2001.
She currently plays for Clermont-Ferrand, France.
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Photo:
Bernie Steenbergen
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