Personal Experience: Flow

Personally, I have experienced flow being an athlete. Also known as being in the zone, athletes often experience flow. As a pitcher for Christopher Newport University baseball team I experienced flow during games where I would pitch into the later innings. One would think that as the game progressed, I would feel tired or my arm would feel weak. Surprisingly, the longer I pitched in games, the less I felt the pain or exhaustion. Compared to the simple task of walking for long distance hikers, I had the simple task of throwing strikes as a pitcher. There were times when I was on the mound and background noise would vanish, all my concentration and focus was on the action of throwing the pitch. The consistent routine of throwing pitch after pitch began to blend in with one another and time felt as though it was speeding up. The games in which I would pitch seemed to end much quicker than the games in which I would not pitch. My best pitching performances felt as though they were the quickest games and are highlighted with faint memories; often times it is difficult to remember certain plays or individual situations. Reflection on my performance would not occur until after the games as self-conscious thoughts would hinder my flow experience and disrupt my well-being on the mound. Only after coming out of games did my adrenaline wear off and the flow experience stopped. It was then that I could feel the physical demands of pitching and was able to reflect on my own performance.