Casstevens David - Mind gym: an athletes guide to inner excellence

Advance Praise for Mind Gym

For the past eight years Gary Bat Mack has been a great help to me and my teams. Mind Gym can help you whether youre a player, coach, or manager.

LOU PlNIELLA, MANAGER, SEATTLE MARINERS

Gary Mack draws from decades of expertise and research to provide the most precious gems of performance wisdom. This book will help you perform optimally under pressure and overcome adversities along the way.

PAUL G. STOLTZ, PH.D., AUTHOR OF NATIONAL BESTSELLER ADVERSITY QUOTIENT

I believe building mental muscle is just as important as physical muscle to be a champion. This book belongs in every gym bag.

BILL PEARL, MR. UNIVERSE AND WBBA HALL OF FAME

Once I started reading Mind Gym I couldnt put it down. Its what were all about at the Grand Canyon State Games, which is competition for everyone regardless of age or ability. Anyone who competes will receive something positive from this book.

ERIK WIDMARK, CEO, GRAND CANYON STATE GAMES

As the father of an MVP, I recommend this book to all parents interested in helping their children reach their full potential on and off the field.

KEN GRIFFEY SR., ALL-STAR AND CEO OF GRIFFEY INTERNATIONAL

A home run, touchdown, and slam-dunk all in one.

BOB KRIEGEL, BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND CO-AUTHOR OF INNER SKIING WITH TIM GALLWEY

Everyone receives a certain amount of God-given ability. Our job, as athletes, is to get the most out of that talent. This book provides excellent teachings in training ones mind to reach and maintain peak performance.

MIKE NEIL, GOLD MEDAL WINNER, SYDNEY OLYMPIC GAMES, SUMMER 2000

Who would think mental aspects could be so much fun? This is the simplest, most accurate and entertaining mental coaching book available. Its fun to read and easy to understand.

JIM COLBORN, MAJOR LEAGUE ALL-STAR AND PITCHING COACH

As an avid golfer, I recommend this book to anyone desiring to raise their productivity or to lower their handicap.

DAN QUAYLE, 4-HANDICAPPER AND FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Mind Gym is another example of Garys ability to use stories to coach us through the challenges that life sends our way. It is filled with suggestions that will make athletes, firefighters, teachers, artists, and everyone more positive, productive, and healthy in their personal and work lives. This book will make you a better performer in the game of life.

DENNIS COMPTON, FIRE CHIEF AND AUTHOR OF THE WHEN IN DOUBT, LEAD BOOK SERIES

Whether its board room or locker room, the formula for success is the same. Mind Gym not only should be required reading for every aspiring athlete, but everyone who wishes to excel in their chosen field. I have successfully applied many of the concepts discussed in the book to the operation of our own financial institution.

DAVID HIGHMARK, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, NORTHERN TRUST BANK OF ARIZONA

AN ATHLETES GUIDE TO INNER EXCELLENCE

GARY MACK WITH DAVID CASSTEVENS

FOREWORD BY ALEX RODRIGUEZ

This book is dedicated to all the athletes, coaches, and teams we have had the privilege of working with.

Copyright 2001 by Gary Mack. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07150464-5

MHID: 0-07-150464-8

The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-139597-7, MHID: 0-07-139597-0.

All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark. Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps.

McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative please e-mail us at bulksales@mcgraw-hill.com.

TERMS OF USE

This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (McGraw-Hill) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work. Use of this work is subject to these terms. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hills prior consent. You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited. Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms.

THE WORK IS PROVIDED AS IS. McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. McGraw-Hill and its licensors do not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free. Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom. McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work. Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise.

When I was nine years old growing up in Miami, I dreamed of being a major league baseball player someday. The dream was a little blurry back then, and it disappeared when I quit baseball and took up basketball. I wanted to become the next Magic Johnson or the next Larry Bird. Then one day I was talking with my mother and my older brother, and I realized that there arent too many Dominicans playing in the NBA. So after a two-year layoff, I started playing baseball again, and that picture in my head, that dream, came back to me. That blurry image started taking focus.

I can tell you I wouldnt be where I am now if I hadnt seen myself wearing a big-league uniform long before it happened. I believe in the power of dreams.

I also believe mental preparation goes hand-in-hand with setting goals and hard work. The way I use my mind is the biggest reason Ive been able to enjoy success and play at a high level in a game where you have to prove yourself every day. In sports, as in life, talent will take you just so far. I try to attain goals