When something is too complex, happens too irregularly to become a habit, or if the athlete is still learning a skill or routine, then their logical decision function comes into play. It is made up of the networks in the brain that help an athlete make great choices, specifically those based in the pre-frontal cortex (involved in decision making, executive functioning, behaviours and planning – but also the area where ADHD creates deficits) and hippocampus (where all your knowledge, learning and experiences are stored). When a choice needs to be made your brain searches through the knowledge and evidence you have on offer with the aim of figuring out the best option to take and tells your body how to do it. It will be where their experience and sporting intelligence makes the difference to their performance.
It they just had the logic and habit functions your athlete would always perform to the level of their potential, the practice they had invested and the fitness they have developed. But we also have another function, a safety function.
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