📌 Introduction

📢 The pre-competition briefing is a key moment where the coach or mental trainer gives the final instructions and instills an optimal mindset in the athlete or team. A good briefing reassures, motivates, and refocuses attention on the essentials to optimize performance.

⚠️ Common mistakes of a poor briefing:

❌ Too much technical information that overloads the athlete mentally.

❌ A speech focused on the fear of failure rather than on success.

❌ Lack of clarity on objectives and game/race strategy.

❌ Absence of management of the athlete's emotions and stress.

🎯 Objectives of this section:

✅ Build a structured and effective briefing to optimize performance.

✅ Apply appropriate motivational communication techniques.

✅ Prepare a clear, concise, and impactful speech to positively influence the athlete's mental state.

1️⃣ Understand the psychological impact of the briefing

📌 A pre-competition briefing must activate three fundamental elements for performance:

🔹 1. Clarity (What should the athlete do?)

📢 The athlete must know exactly what they need to execute without cognitive overload.

✅ Elements to include:

🔲 Remind the game or race strategy (simple and direct).

🔲 Specify the specific instructions for each athlete.

🔲 Emphasize the key points to apply.

💡 Example:

⚽ Football → "Your role today: ensure the first defensive line and quickly launch transitions."

🔹 2. Energy (How to create a powerful mindset?)

📢 The athlete must feel a surge of motivation and determination.

✅ Elements to include:

🔲 An energizing speech (dynamic tone, powerful words).

🔲 Acknowledgment of the athlete and their potential.

🔲 A focus on confidence and determination.

💡 Example:

🏀 Basketball → "You are ready for this moment. You have worked hard. Trust your instincts and impose your game from the first minutes!"

🔹 3. Emotional control (Managing stress and emotions before performance)

📢 The athlete must remain focused and relaxed.

✅ Elements to include:

🔲 A quick guided breathing to calm tensions.

🔲 A reminder of mental routines to stay centered.

🔲 A final mental anchor to stabilize emotion and convert it into power.

💡 Example:

🎾 Tennis → "Breathe deeply. Feel that energy within you. Visualize yourself succeeding in your first point."

2️⃣ Structure of a pre-competition briefing

📌 A good briefing follows a precise structure to be effective.

3️⃣ Simulation of a pre-competition briefing: Concrete example

🎯 Situation:A boxer is about to step into the ring for a decisive fight. He feels excitement but also stress at the thought of the experienced opponent he is facing.

📌 Pre-fight briefing:

🔹 Introduction:"You have prepared for this fight. Every training session, every sacrifice has brought you here. You are ready."

🔹 Objective of the fight:"You must impose your rhythm from the first round. Don’t give him time to settle in."

🔹 Game plan:"Use your jab to keep distance. Work in combinations and exit immediately after each attack."

🔹 Mental boost and motivation:"Look at where you are today. This is your fight, your moment. No one can take it away from you."

🔹 Emotion management:"Breathe. Feel that energy within you. Transform every beat of your heart into strength. Channel it."

🔹 Last impactful phrase:"Step into that ring and impose your game!"

📌 Practical exercise: Build a pre-competition briefing

🎯 Mission: Write a briefing tailored to an athlete in a real or fictional situation.

🔹 Step 1 : Define the athlete and their context.➡️ ________________________________________________________

🔹 Step 2 : Write the six steps of the briefing.

1️⃣ Introduction:➡️ ________________________________________________________

2️⃣ Objective of the competition:➡️ ________________________________________________________

3️⃣ Game plan or strategy:➡️ ________________________________________________________

4️⃣ Mental boost and motivation:➡️ ________________________________________________________

5️⃣ Emotion management:➡️ ________________________________________________________

6️⃣ Last impactful phrase:➡️ ________________________________________________________

📝 Conclusion

📌 Key message: A good briefing directly influences the athlete's performance.

"The right words before a competition can turn the tide of a match. Make them count."