Bring Your 'A' Game : A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness

Mental training is just as important as physical training when it comes to success in sport. And like physical fitness, mental toughness is something that can be taught and learned. Yet many young athletes have not learned the psychological skills needed to develop their best game. This book was written specifically for young athletes interested in improving their performance and reaching their potential in sport. Bring Your "A" Game introduces key strategies for mental training, such as goal setting, pre-performance routines, confidence building, and imagery. Each of the seventeen chapters focuses on a single mental skill and offers key points and exercises designed to reinforce the concepts. The book encourages athletes to incorporate these mental skills into their daily lives and practice sessions so that they become second nature during competition. Whether used at home by student athletes or assigned by coaches as part of team development, Bring Your "A" Game will help young performers develop a plan for success and learn to deal with the challenges of pursuing excellence in sport. Mental training is just as important as physical training when it comes to success in sport. And like physical fitness, mental toughness is something that can be taught and learned. Yet many young athletes have not learned the psychological skills needed to develop their best game. This book was written specifically for young athletes interested in improving their performance and reaching their potential in sport. __Bring Your "A" Game__Whether used at home by student athletes or assigned by coaches as part of team development, will help young performers develop a plan for success and learn to deal with the challenges of pursuing excellence in sport. Mental training is just as important as physical training when it comes to success in sport. This book was written specifically for young athletes interested in improving their performance and reaching their potential in sport. Etnier introduces 17 key strategies for mental training, such as goal setting, pre-performance routines, confidence building, and imagery, and offers key points and exercises designed to reinforce the concepts. The book encourages athletes to incorporate these mental skills into their daily lives and practice sessions so that they become second nature during competition "Bring Your "A" Game introduces key strategies for mental training, such as goal setting, pre-performance routines, confidence building, and imagery. Each of the seventeen chapters focuses on a single mental skill and offers key points and exercises designed to reinforce the concepts, The book encourages athletes to Incorporate these mental skills into their dally lives and practice sessions so that they become second nature during competition."--Jacket What does it take to perform at a high level in sport? Physical characteristics Technical skills and tactical abilities Selecting a coach and team Mental toughness Goal setting Outcome goals versus process goals Attributions Self-talk Controlling the controllables Energy management Pre-performance routines Imagery Burnout Confidence building and maintenance Sacrifices, balance, and dealing with disappointments and adversity Dealing with parents. Bring Your ""A"" Game: A Young Athlete's Guide to Mental Toughness