Deep Work: The Focus Cheat Code for Student-Athletes and Coaches

The best results in sport don’t come from grinding nonstop. They come from training smart, with blocks of time fully locked in. Cal Newport calls this “Deep Work.” At RIZE, we call it your mental weight room.

When you protect distraction-free time, you build focus like a muscle. No wasted energy. No attention leaks. Just pure power, going exactly where you need it.

For Student-Athletes: One Block a Day

Think of study the way you think of the gym. You don’t “fit it in,” you reserve it.

• One 60 to 90 minute study practice block every day

• Phone outside the room

• Notes already open before you sit down

• One target concept only

No bouncing between TikTok, texts, and half-finished slides. Just one play. One opponent. One win.

For Family Coaches: Guard Your Own Deep Blocks

Your team feels it when you’re scattered. Schedule two to three deep blocks a week for big tasks like playbooks, recruiting, or admin. Put them on the shared family calendar. Protect them with a literal door-closed rule.

Batch shallow work such as texts, email, or logistics into two set windows per day. That way, attention residue does not bleed into class, film, or family time.

Treat Focus Like a Lift

You wouldn’t walk into the weight room cold. Same goes for your mind.

• Warm-up: 2-minute “first bite” task such as opening the doc or solving one problem

• Work set: Full block, timer on

• Deload: Short walk, stretch, water

• Return: Step back into life with more mental energy, not less

Why This Matters

Deep work turns school, playbooks, and planning into reps of clarity. Over time, those reps stack into wins—on the court, in the classroom, at home.