Focus Creates Change: The Real Science Behind Learning

We talk a lot about “learning through experience.”
Ride enough, try enough, watch enough — and your brain just changes, right?

Not exactly.

Just because you experience something doesn’t mean your brain will change because of it.
That’s one of the biggest myths about learning.
The nervous system doesn’t automatically rewire itself every time you attend a session or watch a demo — unless you’re a very young child whose brain is already in a hyper-plastic state.

For the rest of us, change requires attention.
And not just mild curiosity — but a selective, deliberate shift in attention.

Neural Plasticity Isn’t Passive

Your brain only changes when certain neurochemicals are released — the ones that signal, “Hey, this matters. Remember this.”
Those chemicals (like acetylcholine, dopamine, and norepinephrine) allow the neurons active during an experience to strengthen or weaken their connections. That’s what forms learning.

If attention is scattered or lazy, the signal is weak.
If attention is sharp, the nervous system locks in.

That’s why not every run makes you better — and why some runs feel like breakthroughs.
It’s not about the hours; it’s about the moments that mattered enough for your brain to take notice.

This idea builds on research from neuroscientists such as Dr. Andrew Huberman (Stanford University), who studies how visual focus and attention trigger the neurochemical states that enable learning and change. You can hear more in his Huberman Lab podcast episode on focus and neuroplasticity

Focus Is a Skill You Can Train

This kind of attention starts with awareness — and visual focus is one of the simplest ways to train it.

When your eyes wander freely, scanning around, your brain stays relaxed and open-looped.
But when you lock your eyes on a single point — like the end of a rail, the landing of a jump, or the apex of a turn — your nervous system releases the chemicals required for change.

Your visual world narrows, but your learning potential increases.

You can practice this anywhere.
Pick a single point at roughly the same distance you’d look while snowboarding — maybe the wall across your room, a tree down the street, or the end of a rail in the park.
Hold your gaze for 60–120 seconds without blinking much.
You’ll feel your focus tighten, and that’s the point — you’re priming your brain for learning.

“Where the eyes go, the brain follows.”

Visual focus isn’t just about looking — it’s about telling your nervous system, this is worth changing for.

Applying It on Snow

Use that same principle during demos or movement analysis.
When students visually lock in on a specific movement, their attention amplifies.
They’re not just seeing; they’re encoding.

Encourage them to pick one focal point before a demo or run — not just “watch the turn,” but “watch the exact moment my hips line up with the board” or “focus on where I look before takeoff.”
That precision of attention makes a big difference in how much actually transfers into their riding.

The Takeaway

Experience doesn’t change the brain — attention does.
And attention can be trained, just like balance or edge control.

So next time you’re teaching, training, or learning something new, remember:
It’s not the number of runs you take, but how many of them your brain decided were worth changing for.

— Cam.