Mind Games: Inspirational Lessons from the World's Biggest Sports Stars - Softcover

Grout, Jeff; Perrin, Sarah

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1841126136 ISBN 13: 9781841126135

Publisher: Capstone, 2004

Synopsis

What makes a winner – in business or in sport? Why do some people consistently break sales targets, cross the line first or hammer the ball in the net with pinpoint accuracy? Natural talent and disciplined training are vital. But with two equally matched professionals, something else makes the difference that provides that extra, champion factor: the mind.

Mind Games looks into the mental processes of sporting stars, identifying the attitudes and approaches that enable them to achieve peak performance, every time, and applies them specifically to the world of business. What are the key mental characteristics that make some people come out on top? How do winners channel adrenalin into controlled power while losers choke? What do sportsmen and women mean when they talk about ′the inner game′, being ′in the zone′ or being ′in the now′? What is it that coaches do to realise the potential they see? What are the lessons that business winners need to learn from sport′s superstars?

Mind Games has the full involvement of over 30 sporting household names, including Sven–Göran Eriksson, Matthew Pinsent, Clive Woodward, Nick Faldo, Jonny Wilkinson. The authors draw on extensive first–hand experiences of acknowledged sporting champions across a range of sports, identifying personal techniques proven to have worked under the pressure of top–level competition. They also draw on the expertise of professional coaches and psychologists who have worked with sportsmen and women.

About this title

About the Author

Jeff Grout is an adviser, commentator and columnist on the subjects of motivation, peak performance, people management, teamwork, recruitment and retention. He is also business manager to Sir Clive Woodward OBE, the England Rugby Coach.

Sarah Perrin is a freelance journalist and writer, contributing regularly to business and professional magazines. She is co–author of Kickstart Your Career and Recruiting Excellence, and author of The Guardian Careers Guide to Accountancy. She is also a qualified NLP practitioner, a technique increasingly used by sporting champions.

From the Back Cover

Life is a mind game. All your aspirations are played out in your head. All your relationships are shaped in your head. Even your career progression depends on your mental approach to the world.

Your mind dictates whether you fulfill your potential or live your life dreaming. In sport it can make the difference between winning and losing. Mind Games shows how to harness this power. It reveals the techniques the world’s biggest sports stars use to cross the line first, score the most points and outwit their opponents.

These lessons are applicable in any area of life, whether you want to be a better parent, achieve more at work or fulfill a lifelong ambition. The mind can be a great ally or a great obstacle. Mind Games shows how the sporting greats have harnessed its potential. Apply their lessons and you’ll find a world of possibility opening up to you.

Life is a mind game. Success is in the head.

"The mental side of sport is massive. Before setting off to Australia for the 2003 World Cup I said that the competition would be won "in the head". It isn’t necessarily the best team or the team with the most talented players that wins games, but the team that can "think correctly under pressure"." From the Foreword by Sir Clive Woodward OBE

From the Inside Flap

What makes a winner? Why do some people consistently hammer the ball in the net with pinpoint accuracy, break their targets at work or achieve ambitious goals? There is one factor that lies behind everything: the mind.

Mind Games looks into the mental processes of sports stars, identifying the attitudes and approaches that enable them to achieve peak performance, every time. It reveals the mental characteristics that make some people come out on top. It shows how winners channel adrenalin into controlled power while losers choke. It explains what sportsmen and women mean when they talk about ‘the inner game’ and being ‘in the zone’. And it shows how you can use these techniques in your own life to get to where you want to be.

Jeff Grout and Sarah Perrin draw on extensive first–hand experiences, identifying personal techniques used by coaches and athletes proven to have worked under the pressure of top–level competition.

Get into the minds of these major names:

• Sir Clive Woodward OBE, England rugby coach
• Sven–Göran Eriksson, England football coach
• Matthew Pinsent, rower, three times Olympic gold medallist
• Jonny Wilkinson, England rugby fly–half, arguably the world’s best kicker
• Sally Gunnell, former Olympic, World, Commonwealth and European 400m hurdles champion
• Ellen MacArthur, fastest woman to sail around the world single–handed
• Roger Black, 4 x 400m World Champion and Olympic silver medallist
• Nick Faldo, Britain’s most successful golfer
• Dr Stephanie Cook, Olympic and World modern pentathlon champion

…and many more.

Edition details

• Publisher: Capstone
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1841126136
• ISBN 13: 9781841126135
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 424