Sports participation is at an all time high, from recreational to youth athletics to the collegiate Division I level. While these athletes vary greatly in their game, they all share one thing in common: the desire to excel. In The Champion’s Mind, sports psychologist Jim Afremow, PhD, shares the advice he uses with Olympians, professional athletes, even Heisman trophy winners. The plan described in this book details how you can be come a champion, “[...] be vitally engaged in all areas of your game and life by doing your best at what you value most. You will get the job done and rise to the occasion in your championship moments.”
Even among elite athletes, there are those that stand out with their ability to perform in adversity, in the game-deciding moments. These players reveal that it is not just physical talent that makes a star player, superior on-field performance is all about the mental game. Appropriately, the most valuable chapter to me was Chapter 9: Your World Class-Game Plan, in which he details a “Mental Game Scorecard” to self-evaluate and reviews tangible strategies to work on improving your mental game.
But this is not only for integration into your game; sports are a good metaphor for life - we can all be champions in our own lives by showing up and being peak performers in the day to day.
