Competitive Fire - Softcover

Clarkson, Michael

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0880118652 ISBN 13: 9780880118651

Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers, 1999

Synopsis

In preparation for this text, Michael Clarkson interviewed many top athletes such as Michael Jordan, Bob Beamon, and Roger Bannister. He concludes that the root of greatness is the reaction of athletes to "fight or flight" situations in competition.

About this title

From the Author

Competitive Fire explores fear and pressure in athletes.
Hello, I'm Michael Clarkson. Competitive Fire is my first in a series of books on how athletes and other people can not only overcome fear, but use it as a powerful force. Once we see that nervousness and pressure are symptoms of fear, we start seeing things through a different lens and are able to become more effective. In sports, fear and anger are great motivators, but also debilitating forces that more often than not lead to choking. Athletes who harness the fight-or-flight hormones from these emotions consistently defeat opponents of equal or greater talent. I am a researcher, coach and daily newspaper reporter. The more I have studied fear and motivation over 11 years, interviewing 1,500 people, including Michael Jordan, Ted Turner and Dan O'Brien, the more it occurs to me that these areas are more complex than we imagined. For example, in sports we have over-simplified what being in the zone means. I have identified four different types of zones: The Arousal Zone, The Painless Zone, The Flow Zone and The Long-Term Zone. All four have over-lapping experiences and hormones such as adrenaline, dopamine and endorphins. When we are enveloped in the pressure of fear, some wacky things occur and I examine phenomena such as tachypsychia in which events seem to happen in slow motion. I also introduce a formula for dealing with fear: Fear to Passion to Dispassionate Response, which alters our mind-body chemistry and allows us to focus our anxiety. This is a good start in a complex science, but it is just the beginning and I hope this book will spark readers' ideas and insights. My second book (Scared to Life) will also include athletes as well as fear management in emergency services, the workplace and everyday life. Please let me know what you think and come with me on this adventure. MPClarky@aol.com 905-822-1111

Edition details

• Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0880118652
• ISBN 13: 9780880118651
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 262