Sports Performance Psychology

Duff Gibson has spent the better part of three decades in a hotbed of Olympic sport. Despite its mischaracterization in popular culture, the mental side of sport is perhaps the most significant aspect, and what very often makes the difference between success and failure, in particular at the highest level. The Tao of Sport explores the commonality amongst elite performers relating to purpose, passion, and growth, as a means to achieving high performance, or as a means to an end in itself.

The Athlete’s Ascent shows how you can harness the wisdom of martial and Zen arts to develop the profound connection between mind, body and breathing that leads to the coveted flow state. Drawing on a lifetime of deep practice, Jayne Storey has streamlined centuries-old disciplines – including Tai Chi and Zazen meditation – into a simple, proven and trusted Performance Practice that helps both amateur and professional athletes ascend to higher levels of enjoyment and performance.

This audiobook takes you back in time to the origins of the Eastern practices, which have long been known to bring mind and body into a seamless whole, and applies them specifically to the game. It offers an alternative to steering the body into certain positions by helping you develop fundamental movement skills, raising your enjoyment and performance levels.

To perform better in any situation - in your career, hobbies, relationships, or in any facet of your life - it is critical to develop psychological skills, which, just like physical abilities, can be taught, learned, and practiced. Both as individuals and as groups, we can tone these psychological skills and use them to heighten awareness, foster talents and technical abilities, and reach peak performance. Mental preparedness and psychological awareness are the keys to thriving in any environment.

As a therapist, physician, and mental coach, Dr. Michael Lardon has dedicated his career to helping athletes understand and better achieve peak performance. In Finding Your Zone, he shares with listeners what he's discovered about reaching the state in which "thoughts and actions are occurring in complete synchronicity" and how this state is accessible to all, not just the few. In 10 key lessons - illustrated by personal anecdotes from his clients - Lardon teaches listeners how to access the zone not only in sports but in all aspects of their lives.

Did you know there is an area of your brain known as the "Lizard Brain" that thinks only about the immediate moment and your means of survival? Yes, in certain circumstances, your "Rational Brain" can effectively "shut down" and you are at the mercy of a reptile... dry-mouthed, sweating, queasy, unable to think clearly - even though you know better. When does the Lizard Brain run the show? It can happen in any number of unfamiliar, uncomfortable, challenging, or "stressful" riding situations. But here's the thing: with the right kind of training, you can learn to manage the reptile within.

Instead of relying on hand-holding by costly medical or performance professionals, Dr. David Meyer PT, DPT, tells you how to save you time, money, agony, and, most importantly, to empower you to utilize a seemingly negative physical challenge as a massive opportunity to retrain your mind, body, and spirit to achieve your fullest potential both on and off the field. Working from the belief that you can learn what he has by taking the time to understand it, Dr. Meyer PT, DPT, offers you his extensive academic training and experience working in Major League Baseball.

Famous three-time Grand Slam winner Arthur Ashe pointed out that many in sports fall victim to “paralysis by analysis”. Athletes on any level can experience the pain of overthinking and sabotaging their performance. Blame many traditional methods of teaching and training. How can we train smarter, not harder? If only our body and mind could perform in a way that’s more natural and instinctive. The best athletes have this quality, but many feel it is simply unattainable for them. I assure you it is not.

Remember the freedom you felt playing golf as a kid? No fear, no worries, no overthinking. You stepped up on the first tee with confidence and excitement, rather than fear and anxiety. You saw every shot as an opportunity to learn or enjoy, rather than a challenge to be overcome. Now imagine playing with that mindset today, but with all the skills, technique, and experience you have gained since. What’s stopping you?

This is a book for any Individual who wants to succeed. This is a book for any Team who wants to thrive. This is a book to help You fulfil your potential. Lessons in success from the front line of performance psychology to help you find your purpose, fulfil your potential, and thrive. During her two decades as a sport psychologist, Dr Kate Hays has been developing ‘The Building Blocks of Success’, a framework which has become a transformative programme for forging a winning mentality in both an individual and group setting.

In BJJ and in life, a strategic mindset matters more than raw talent or skill. It is very difficult for new students and even some experienced fighters to develop aspects of their ‘inner game’ if they don’t have the concepts and methods to play with. In the Champions Mind, best-selling Brazilian Jiu Jitsu coach, Oliver Staark, will teach you the routines and exercises that the greatest Jiu jitsu stars use to take their performance to the next level — whether the ‘next level’ for you means getting onto the mat in your first competition or striving for a win in a professional super fight.

The Winning Element: An Athlete’s Guide to Maximizing Mental & Physical Performance is the ultimate athlete development program! Whether you are looking to make the varsity team or the Olympic team, this book will accelerate your growth, shorten your learning curve, and help you achieve your success faster than you ever imagined. In The Winning Element, Deanna Schneyer shares her framework for peak performance that beautifully blends and balances the mind and the body.

Imagine yourself in the heat of competition, adrenaline pumping through your veins, and the roar of the crowd urging you on. Will you rise to the occasion, unyielding and determined, or succumb to doubt and pressure? Now envision a different scenario. You're in that same intense moment, but this time you embrace the challenge with confidence. You seize the opportunity, push past limits, and achieve greatness.

From polar explorers and politicians to CEOs and sports coaches, we are fascinated with the makeup of leaders. How do they thrive under pressure and inspire others to do the same? How do they establish a culture of long-term success? Performance psychologist Tom Young has worked closely with teams and individuals at the highest level of professional sport. He has seen how leaders in these high-pressure environments communicate, how they maintain focus and respond to challenges.

Are you a young athlete looking to compete with the best? How about a seasoned professional wanting to stay at the top of their game? One of the toughest aspects of being an athlete is consistency; not just performing well at one event, but being the best every time you enter a competition. No matter how hard you train or tweak your diet, you might feel like you’ve hit a plateau. You might not be making any more progress at all. You aren’t alone!

Famous, three-time Grand Slam winner, Arthur Ashe, pointed out that many in sport fall victim to, “paralysis by analysis”. Athletes on any level can experience the pain of overthinking and sabotaging their performance. Blame many traditional methods of teaching and training.

"Rise and Run" is your invitation to embark on a transformative running journey that transcends the ordinary. Experience running as a mindful practice where the rhythm of your breath harmonizes with the beat of your heart, and each step becomes a path to self-discovery and equilibrium. In this audiobook, you'll unravel the art of running with intention, celebrating your victories, and uncovering joy in every stride. Whether you're a seasoned marathoner or a first-time runner, "Rise and Run" is your compass to infuse purpose into your running experience.

This audiobook is about developing winners - providing salespeople with the secrets sports professionals have used over the years to help them win in highly competitive environments. For example, most top golf pros are all virtually equal skill-wise - you couldn’t pass a sliver of paper between their ability, yet only one of them can win each week. Only one can triumph. So what is it that separates them - if not their skills? The answer to this question is as simple as it is profound; it’s all about how they think!

Elite sports have honed time-tested strategies for sustaining peak performance, consistency, and getting results without exhaustion. This practical and illuminating guide offers a fresh perspective on leadership, unleashing an empowering, harmonious approach that’s inspired by elite sports’ proven disciplines.

Dr. Bill Thierfelder knows what it takes to win. As a student at the University of Maryland he dominated the high jump, winning fame as an All-American and Irish national champion. Later he earned his doctorate in sports psychology. He became a private coach and mentor to the world's top athletes...and revealed to them his hard-won secrets for success.