Progressing your athlete’s cognitive training plan is crucial for their ongoing improvement and ability to adapt to new challenges. After assessing your athlete’s baseline data, the next important step is to refine and optimize their training plan.

Just as with physical training, the goal when developing the next cognitive training program is to continuously challenge the athlete. If an athlete has shown improvement in all areas, it indicates that their brain has adapted to the current training stimuli, signaling it’s time to move on to a more advanced program. This process of progression ensures that the athlete is always being pushed to enhance their cognitive abilities.

When designing a new training plan, the approach remains consistent, but now you have valuable data to inform your decisions. For example, if the previous training cycle focused on improving attention and inhibition and the data shows that attention tasks are still a struggle for the athlete, you should increase the emphasis on these tasks. You might implement a ratio of 2:1 or 3:1, prioritizing weaker tasks while still maintaining some of the stronger ones.

This strategy ensures that you address the areas needing the most improvement without neglecting the athlete's existing strengths.

A fundamental principle of cognitive training is to focus not only on an athlete’s strengths but, more importantly, on their weaknesses. Athletes often find tasks they are less proficient in to be more mentally tiring and demanding. By concentrating on these weaker areas, you ensure that the athlete continues to face challenging tasks, thereby increasing their cognitive load.

Encouraging athletes to engage with difficult tasks is similar to physical training, where individuals might avoid strenuous exercises in favor of easier ones. However, the more challenging the task, the greater the mental fatigue it induces, leading to significant adaptation and growth. Therefore, it is essential to lean into hard tasks. Consistently tackling these challenging cognitive exercises builds resilience and enhances overall cognitive performance. Additionally, maintaining a structured progression in the training plan is crucial. Clearly outline which cognitive demands to address first and determine how to advance based on regular assessments to ensure continuous improvement.

Structured Progression and Regular Reassessment

The key to effectively progressing a cognitive training plan lies in addressing the athlete's weaknesses while maintaining their strengths. Regular reassessments ensure that the training remains effective and relevant, allowing for continuous adaptation and improvement.