Harvard's Cardwell Potts and I focus on our next move during a close race at the 2004 College Team Race Nationals The saying goes: "How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice!" It is certainly true in laser sailing, because technique and execution are the only things that seperate the champions from the pack. But what is accomplished in days upon days of practicing boathandling and speed testing? In the past week I've sailed in a three day training session in Massachusets with fellow competitors Emery, Clay, and Ben, and now I am sailing for three more days with the team at my alma mater, Hobart.
The benefit of dedicated practice is that it not only hones the skills and techniques that we use to make our boats go fast, but that it also gives us a daily dose of pure concentration. Practice is a time when we leave behind distrations and enter the "cocoon of concentration", a place where your thinking mind becomes quiet and your actions and instincts take over.
Reknowned basketball coach Phil Jackson writes in his book "Sacred Hoops": "Basketball is a complex dance that requires shifting from one objective to another at lightening speed. To excel, you need to act with a clear mind and be totally focused on what everyone on the floor is doing. Some athletes describe this quality of mind as a 'cocoon of concentration.' But that implies shutting out the world when what you really need to do is become more acutely aware of what's happening right now, this very moment. The secret is not thinking. That doesn't mean being stupid; it means quieting the endless jabbering of thoughts so that you body can do instinctively what it's been trained to do without the mind getting in the way."
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