Improved mental ability means improved sports performance. Athletes who excel do so not just because of their physical abilities but because of their mental awareness, preparation, and skills as well. The Mental Athlete will help improve your overall performance by providing the tools, guidance, and practical insight you need to sharpen your mental skills.

This conditioning manual for the mind will help you

• further enhance mental strengths and address weaknesses through effective self-assessments,
• increase confidence in personal abilities and avoid the fear of failure,
• heighten awareness of inner-thought processes and learn ways to improve them, and 
• be free of inhibitions to initiate action and to respond intuitively and positively to challenges. 

No matter what sport you play and at what level you play, you will find this practical, reader-friendly book useful because it not only lets you know what you need to do to improve your mental abilities, but it also shows you how to improve them. It contains exercises, tests, and worksheets that help you move through the steps of mental achievement. 

In addition, The Mental Athlete contains the following features: Sections that cover specific sports and issues

• Sport-specific visualizations for football, soccer, volleyball, and many other sports
• Information on issues such as team building; recovering from injuries; and letting go of mistakes, losses, anger, and fear

Take full advantage of your physical skills by fully developing your mental skills—the aim of The Mental Athlete.
 

Chapter 1. Essentials for Effective Mental Training
Embodying the Essentials
Training Yourself

Chapter 2. Developing Mental Training Skills
Improving Your Competitive Edge
Achieving the Mental Edge

Chapter 3. Gauging Your Mental Aptitude
Measuring Your Aptitude
Putting Your Results Into Perspective

Chapter 4. Taking Steps Toward Positive Thinking
Logging Your Thoughts
Identifying Your Goals
Talking Positively

Chapter 5. Preparing Your Mind and Body for Mental Training
Finding Balance Through Relaxation 
Achieving Your Peak

Chapter 6. Unleashing the Power of the Mind
Beginning to Visualize
Creating a Visualization
Writing a Visualization Script
Visualizing As an Individual 
Visualizing As a Team
Seeing Ahead

Chapter 7. Optimizing Your Performance
Overcoming Burnout
Feeding the Mind

Chapter 8. Troubleshooting Performance Blocks
Negatively Speaking
Facing Your Fears
Taking Risks
Breathing Through a Block
Managing Anger
Feeling External Pressures
Struggling with Illness
Fighting Back Fatigue
Injuring Another Athlete
Psyching Yourself Up
Overcoming Your Blocks

Chapter 9. Mental Training for Specific Needs
Coping with an Injury
Coaching Young Athletes
Being Female

Chapter 10. Mental Training for Life
Getting What You Want Out of Life
Putting a Program Together
Taking the Program With You
Becoming the Best You Can Be