In our conversation with Ridgeline High School volleyball coach Jaicee Roden, one principle came through loud and clear: the athletes who rise to the top are the ones who learn to eliminate distractions.

Coach Roden, who has led some of Utah’s most competitive volleyball programs, shared how she’s seen the mental side of sports evolve in the age of constant connection. “Kids today have bigger battles with social media,” she said. “They’re not always sure why they’re doing what they’re doing anymore.”

She pointed to Dr. Craig Manning’s book The Fearless Mind and its formula for high performance:
Potential + Training – Distractions = Performance.

“The elimination of distractions is everything,” Roden explained. “The athletes who can build a better relationship with eliminating distractions are the ones who become elite.”

That’s a perfect example of the E4A principle Win the Hour — the call to be intentional with our time, to focus on what matters most in the moment, and to do what needs to be done rather than be pulled away by what doesn’t.

Coach Roden helps her players identify their distractions — from phones and social media to something more subtle, like perfectionism or self-doubt. “We don’t realize that our own hyper-criticism can be a distraction,” she said. “Good isn’t bad — but good is never great. If we want to be great, we have to rise above good.”

Her players use mental performance tools like Dr. Manning’s High Performance Journal to stay focused on their tasks — not their ego. “Task orientation,” she explained, “is when we know our role and we complete it, no matter how we feel. Ego orientation is when we think, ‘How does this make me look?’ The more we focus on the task, the more we grow.”

Coach Roden’s approach reminds every athlete that greatness isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what matters most, free from distraction. As she said, “Perfection isn’t an option, but progress is.”

So, how can you “Win the Hour”?

• Identify your distractions.
• Make a plan for when you’ll train, study, and rest.
• Focus on your tasks, not your ego.
• And above all — keep your eyes up to the work.

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Credits:
Hosted by Dustin Smith & Shad Martin
Produced by Shad Martin and IMAGINATE STUDIO