| THE MENTAL
SIDE OF SPORTS
PHOENIX, AZ - "It's a feeling of wanting to go
Mach 11 with your hair on fire. I have all this internal
energy. I need to go to the wall and well beyond. Part
of me wants to be the best-better than the best."
These are the words of a top performer describing the
drive that fuels passionate and unrelenting striving
for excellence. Much can be learned from outstanding
athletes. Those who maximize their athletic performance
give us principles and guidelines to follow in this
venture.
Athletics is about jumping farther, hitting a ball better,
lifting a heavier weight, running or skating faster.
However, in times of reflection, we realize that these
are the outward gestures of the mind and spirit that
create the action.
The newly released Reflections on the Mental Side of
Sports (Optimal Performance Institute, $14.95) begins
by exploring basic questions about mental training for
athletes: What is mental training in sports? What are
the signs that it is needed? How can it help?
The second section describes specific mental training
methods, including ways to heighten motivation, achieve
relaxation, deal with performance anxiety, and overcome
mental barriers.
The final part shows how mental training lends a broader
perspective to athletic performance. Sports become a
vehicle for self-development, for exploring possibilities
for maximizing human potential.
Reflections is an informative introduction to mental
training for beginning or seasoned competitors. For
athletes from weekend warriors to world-class performers,
Reflections presents strategies that enhance performance
and expand the athletic experience.
Marie Dalloway, Ph.D., Director of the Optimal Performance
Institute, has done presentations for top-level athletes,
including the U.S. Biathlon Team, the Women's World
Championship Judo Team, the Men's World Championship
Judo Team, and Leslie Deniz, the silver medalist in
the Women's Discus. She has done mental training programs
with coaches and athletes at the Olympic Training Centers
in Lake Placid, New York, and in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Portions of a mental training program she did were nationally
televised by ABC Olympic Sports Coverage.
Reflections on the Mental Side of Sports is available
through Optimal Performance Institute, 320 West Medlock
Drive, #205, Phoenix, AZ 85013. For further information
call 602/274-1889.
Marie Dalloway is available for discussion/interviews
on the topics of performance enhancement training or
concentration skills for athletes.
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