Table of Contents
Foreword Zach Parise xv
Preface xix
Introduction xxiii
1 The Misconception: Athletics Teach Life Lessons 1
Performance Coaching: What's Wrong with Current Thinking? 5
Three Paths to Consistency-You Choose 7
The Misalignment Between the Experiences of Athletes and the Strategies of Coaches 9
2 Unbounded Effort, Willpower, and Insight 13
What Is the Zone? 15
Finding that Magical Mind-Set 17
The Grind of Willpower 19
Insight versus Strength of Will 22
The Zone and Willpower: A Final Thought 25
3 Coaching, Wisdom, and Success 29
Love and Coaching 32
Developing True Team Players 35
What About the Player's Responsibilities? 37
The Unknown Secret to Engaging Your Team 40
Engagement, Determination, and Compulsion 42
4 Clear Thinking, Resilience, and Life Beyond the Scoreboard 47
What Lies Ahead if We Look Within 50
Sports Psychology "Control" versus the Natural Flow of Thought 53
Shadow Wrestling 56
The Book Is Never Written 58
The True Path to Learning from a Loss 61
Clear Thinking: Essential for Success On and Off the Field 64
5 The Ultimate Coaching Dilemma: An Athlete's State of Mind Versus Behavior 67
Why Focusing on Behavior Guarantees Fallout 70
The Principle of Consciousness and Tiger Woods 74
The Ultimate Explanation for Any Type of Behavior 76
Performance, State of Mind, and the UConn Women 78
6 The Neutrality of the Outside World 83
Life, Life Situations, and Freedom 84
Goals, Rewards, and the Journey 87
Routine and Potential 90
Leaving School with Wisdom 94
7 Sports, Judgment, and Life from the Inside Out 97
The Understanding of an Icon 100
The Resilience to Move Forward 103
The Fallacy of Bulletin-Board Material 105
Judgment and What We Can Learn from the State of Mind of Two Great Players 108
The Negative Effect of Judging 110
8 Mind, Body, and Performance 115
The Only Way Out of Worry 116
The Connection-Explained 118
Why Pain Will Never Lead to Gain 121
The Overlooked Secret to Avoiding Injury 123
9 Every Athlete's Birthright 129
The Only Way to Decide 130
Switch-Hitting 132
The Ridiculously Simple Way to Help Athletes Uncover Insight 134
The Issue with Visualization and Game Film 137
10 The Freedom to Win 143
The Discovery 145
The Rock Game 148
The Principles 151
Your Journey, Your Way-So Long for Now 153
Epilogue: The Only Answer 157
Acknowledgments 161
Appendix: Your Game Plan for the Future 165
Notes 171
Index 175
Contact Information 189