Friday Fuel - 27 June

Hi team,

Subject Line: The Magic of Flow: How Athletes Unlock Their Best

Header: Getting In the Zone – And Staying There

Intro:
Ever seen an athlete so locked in, so dialed, so unstoppable — it’s like they’re moving in slow motion while everyone else scrambles around them? That’s not just talent. That’s flow state.

This week in The Game Changer, we’re diving into this peak mental zone: what it is, how it works, and how the best athletes (and the experts who support them) make it happen.

What Is Flow State?
Flow is that magical moment when an athlete is fully immersed in the task, time fades, self-doubt vanishes, and everything just… clicks.

Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1000 points if you can pronounce it!) coined the term. Think of it as the sweet spot where challenge meets skill — not too hard, not too easy. Just right.

Here is his famous Ted Talk on Flow State:

I can still remember the first time I truly experienced flow. It was a rugby game that mattered deeply to me — I had visualised key moments the night before, and by the time I stepped onto the field, I felt calm, confident, and completely in the moment. Everything just clicked. I played freely, instinctively, and with total control. It felt easy — like the game was unfolding around me, but I was in complete control of it.

That wasn’t the only time. I’ve had similar experiences in golf, batting in cricket, football, basketball — even once during a game of tenpin bowling where I couldn’t miss a strike (and I usually miss plenty!). In those moments, the past and future didn’t exist. There was no pressure, no overthinking. Just full presence, total immersion, and effortless performance.

That’s the power of flow — and once you’ve felt it, you never forget it. In fact these moments stand out when many other games I’ve played are long forgotten. The feeling is intoxicating but not something that is easy to obtain and something that you search for again and again.

He’s a little better than me, 😜, but here is Steph Curry talking about Flow State. Out of all of the athletes I’ve watched - and I’ve watched a lot! - I’m not sure anyone gets into flow state more than he does at the highest level of sport.

Steph Curry on Flow State - check the insane number of three pointers he has taken to become the best shooter ever.

📺️ Watch Flow in Action
Want to see flow state in motion? Here are some jaw-dropping examples:

There are many other examples around the world and throughout sporting history that we could highlight. Think Tiger Woods at his peak, Muhammad Ali in the ring, Serena Williams on the court, Messi on the ball…

These athletes aren’t thinking about their last mistake or the crowd. They’re just doing.

And it’s not just athletes - musicians, dancers, writers, speakers, comedians… anyone can get into flow in their area of passion.

⏳️ Why the Present Moment Matters

Flow only lives in the now. If an athlete is stuck on a missed shot, or worrying about the final score, they’re mentally in the wrong place.

Dr. David Galbraith, one of New Zealand’s top sports psychologists, calls it The Goose Bump Moment and puts it bluntly:

He teaches athletes to train their minds just like their bodies — building habits and living with courage to keep them present, relaxed, focused, and responsive so that they can drop into a fully instinctive performance.

Flow is what athletes feel when they are fully immersed in what they’re doing — mind and body locked in. Top athletes know this and search for it:

“Each point I play is in the now moment. The last point means nothing, the next point means nothing.”
– Billie Jean King, Tennis Legend

“My only goal is to learn how to play one entire game in the present.”
– Alex Rodriguez, MLB Superstar

Being present sounds simple. But for teen athletes, it's tough. They're often worried about a past mistake… or the scoreboard… or who’s watching. These distractions can wreck focus and build pressure — and pressure lives in the past and future, not in the present.

Bobby Jones, one of the greats in golf, once said:
“It’s nothing new or original to say that golf is played one stroke at a time. But it took me years to realize it.”

It’s a lesson we all come to late — unless we start building it early.

🏃 How Experts Help Athletes Find Flow

Flow doesn’t just happen. Coaches, parents, and performance psychologists like Galbraith help athletes get there by:

• Creating clear goals – Flow loves clarity.

• Focusing on controllables – Not winning, but effort, attitude, execution.

• Balancing challenge and skill – Too easy = bored. Too hard = anxious.

• Limiting distractions – Phones off. Mind on.

• Encouraging mindfulness – Breathing, routines, and staying present.

Steven Kotler (author of The Rise of Superman) calls flow “the secret to ultimate human performance.” It’s no wonder so many elite teams now work with mindset coaches.

Listen to Steph Curry talk about being obsessed with details, living the moment in training before going into the game, muscle memory until you get to autopilot and the other things that help him get into Flow State.

🎯 12 Flow State Triggers — and How to Use Them 

Brandon Epstein, a performance coach and founder of Flow State University, outlines 12 powerful triggers that help athletes enter flow. Here’s how each one works:

1. Clear Goals – Knowing exactly what you're aiming to do reduces mental clutter.

2. Immediate Feedback – Athletes adjust in real-time, staying tuned into their performance.

3. Challenge/Skill Balance – Tasks that stretch (but don’t overwhelm) your ability.

4. Concentration – Deep, focused attention without distraction.

5. Time Dilation – Losing track of time as you get immersed (a sign you’re in flow).

6. Loss of Self-Consciousness – Letting go of self-judgment or overthinking.

7. Autonomy – Feeling in control of your actions builds confidence and focus.

8. Intrinsic Motivation – Doing the activity for the joy of it, not for external rewards.

9. Risk – A little pressure or a meaningful challenge increases engagement.

10. Novelty – New drills, experiences, or challenges stimulate curiosity and alertness.

11. Unpredictability – Variability keeps the brain engaged and responsive.

12. Complexity – Engaging enough to require problem-solving or adaptation.

Use these triggers to set the stage for flow, whether it’s training, competition, or even schoolwork.

🏋️‍♀️ Train for Flow Like the Pros Do 

Flow isn’t magic — it’s a muscle. According to Brandon Epstein and the experts at The Flow Centre, athletes can train themselves to access flow more often through deliberate mental conditioning.

Here’s what that looks like:

• 🧠 Priming your brain – Use short visualisation or breathwork sessions before training or competing to shift into a flow-ready state.

• 🔄 Routine + Ritual – Develop simple pre-performance habits (like a certain warm-up song, movement, or phrase) that tell your brain: it’s go time.

• 🗣️ Language matters – Language is powerful Saying “I want to win” adds pressure. Saying “My moment of perfection today was…” invites flow. David Galbraith teaches using a mantra like “Be the Lion”, finding Moments of Perfection and using performance language through questioning to find flow.

• 🕹️ Gamify it – Make small, daily performance goals feel like missions or challenges, keeping things light and energising. If you’ve ever seen Steph Curry train then you know it is super intense and focused but also gamified and fun.

• 🙌 Flow follows focus – The more you practice focusing (without judgment), the easier it becomes to find that flow.

These practices are used by Olympians, Navy SEALs, and peak performers worldwide — but they work just as well for young athletes learning how to trust their training and enjoy the game.

🛠️ What Parents Can Do

1. Talk Process, Not Outcome
   Help them focus on effort, decisions, and what they can control — not just winning.

2. Model Presence
   Be present yourself and live in the moment. Avoid post-game over-analysis. Don’t relive every missed shot. Help them learn, then let go.

3. Slow the Rush
   Rushing kills flow. If you find yourself saying “hurry up” a lot, try shifting to “let’s take our time.”
   
   “The more you hurry, the later you get.”
   

4. Encourage Relaxation, Not Tension
   Remind them: “Quiet mind, quiet body.” Relaxed athletes perform better. Over-trying often leads to under-performing.

5. Keep It Simple
   As one quote puts it:
   
    “Play with your eyes, not your ideas.”
   Help them see the ball. Hit the ball. Trust their training.

💬 Parting Thought

“Learn from the past. Prepare for the future. Perform in the present.”

Being present isn’t passive. It’s a skill that creates focus, confidence, and flow. As a parent, your calm encouragement and modeling of being present can make all the difference — especially on the hard days.

Talk soon,
Ben & Billinda
The Game Changer / Fuelling Youth Athletes

🌟 PS: COMMUNITY SHOUTOUT — DO YOU KNOW STEVEN ADAMS?

Steven Adams is coming home!!

12 seasons in the NBA, with 12,000 giveaways over 12 years — all from the big #12 himself.

The Steven Adams 2025 Community Camps are back this August:

• Christchurch (Selwyn Sports Centre) – 5 August 2025

• New Plymouth (TSB Stadium) – 8 August 2025

• Rotorua (Energy Events Centre) – 12 August 2025

• Auckland (Pullman Arena) – 14 August 2025

Thanks to Steven and Meadow Fresh, these camps are free.

We’d love to explore the possibility of hosting a virtual Q&A with Steven — where youth athletes and fans could join a live Zoom, hear from him directly, and even ask a few questions themselves.

This would follow the same format as our upcoming virtual zoom interview with New Zealand All White and Auckland FC player Francis de Vries next month. We’ve had such a fantastic response from football players, coaches, and fans that we’d love to bring this same experience to basketball lovers too.

👉 If you (or someone you know) has a connection to Steven — or could help us get this in front of his team — we’d be incredibly grateful. Just hit reply or message us directly.

Let’s see if our Game Changer community can make this happen.