Afremow - The young champions mind: how to think, train, and thrive like an elite athlete

Also by Jim Afremow:

The Champions Mind

The Champions Comeback

An imprint of Rodale Books

733 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10017

Visit us online at RodaleKids.com.

Copyright 2018 by Jim Afremow

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Book design by Yeon Kim

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-63565-056-3 hardcover
ISBN 978-1-63565-051-8 e-book

If you want to be great, do it.

Theres nothing holding you back.

Its all in your control.

PETE CARROLL

INTRODUCTION:
SIX INCHES FROM TRIUMPH OR DISASTER

CHAPTER ONE:
CHAMPION YOUR LIFE

CHAPTER TWO:
TRAINING YOUR MIND

CHAPTER THREE:
THE ANTIFRAGILE ATHLETE

CHAPTER FOUR:
PLAYING IN THE ZONE

CHAPTER FIVE:
VISUALIZATION ON THE GO

CHAPTER SIX:
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITYMY ZONE OF CONTROL

CHAPTER SEVEN:
YOUR GOLD-MEDAL GAME PLAN

EPILOGUE:
THINKING AND FEELING IS PREPARATION FOR PLAYING LIKE AN MVP

APPENDIX:
Q & A WITH DR. A

Sometimes the biggest problem is in your head. Youve got to believe.

JACK NICKLAUS

D id you know that there is a playing field between your ears? Its about six inches across, bigger than a softball, smaller than a volleyball. How you train and perform on this playing field will determine how you play on an actual field (or court or course). As a young athlete, your brain is developing at a rapid pace. To help you keep up, this book puts you in charge so you can reap the most from what you sow (at practice, on game day, in the classroom).

The aim of the book is to help you create an internal coach for you as an athlete. You will learn how champions succeed day after day. Well tap into their minds so that you can succeed as well. We will explore the champions mind because in the short term and the long run, the mind determines failure or success. Remember, the body plays the game, but the mind decides the result.

A good example is basketball star Russell Westbrooks record year in 2017, when he averaged a triple-double FOR THE ENTIRE SEASON. This had been done only once before, by Oscar Robertson in 1962, and his record held for 52 years. Many thought the Big Os feat of 41 triple-double games in a season was an unbreakable record. Yet Westbrook did it. What was most amazing is that as Westbrook piled up statistics, his opponents KNEW what he was trying to do, but no one could stop him. Why? His champions mind.

In contrast, there are the classic failures (often referred to as a choke or a slump or a loss of confidence and/or concentration), such as what happened in the 2016 Masters golf championship. Defending champion Jordan Spieth was winning by a commanding five strokes heading into the back nine on Sunday. However, the generally unflappable Spieth experienced an epic meltdown by bogeying holes 10 and 11, and then quadruple bogeying 12, the shortest hole on the course, by splashing two consecutive shots into Raes Creek. After finishing in second place, he explained, I didnt take that deep extra breath [that he needed on hole 12]. Under pressure, we can all get quick, tight, and make poor decisions. In other words, we ignore or mistrust the champions mind.

This book is for young athletes (as well as older athletes who are young at heart). You will learn how to peak your performance and avoid mental breakdowns. are adapted from The Champions Mind, but they have been updated and tailored for teens. The other chapters cover new and exciting topics. How the book is organized is summarized below.

body and mind approach. If you want to become the best version of yourself for ongoing success and happiness, you will need to think gold and never settle for silver or bronze.

presents the key mental skills for peak performance, such as goal setting, mental imagery, and self-talk. Most important, a mind-over-matter approach doesnt develop overnight. While these skills can be applied easily to your game-day play, you will follow the same learning process used to develop your physical skills for maximum overall benefits.

introduces readers to the important concept of antifragility. The antifragile athlete seeks out, responds to, and becomes stronger with challenges. You, too, can learn from triumph and disaster and be better the next time out. Several vignettes are provided of young athletes confronting various challenges in their games and lives. In doing so, we will see that it is possible for all of us to respond like champions, get on track, and accomplish our big-picture goals.

examines the zone, or flow state, that usually happens when people are performing at their peak in their chosen activity. In this state of mind, we stop overthinking and start trusting. This is the state of mind we are all looking for! We will hear from elite athletes about their own zone experiences. The chapter offers specific methods, reminders, and practices that can help us get into the zone and stay there.

shares tips on the topics of sports counseling, social media, sleep science, and sports nutrition. Experts in these key areas are interviewed for their practical advice for young athletes.

you how), you should see, hear, and feel victory before you achieve it in competition.

puts it all together into a workable plan. Readers will begin by checking their mental state against the Mental Game Scorecard. Youll learn how to build preperformance readiness routines, how to avoid the three big mental errors athletes often make at major events or on the day of the big game, and how to develop the ability to have an emotionally balanced life. Control what you can control to get the best out of yourself!

Lets start training your mind. A level playing field is necessary for fair playing conditions, so that, in theory, no team or player has an unfair advantage. Thats not true for the playing field between your ears. By training your mind, you can have a real advantage in determining the final score.

Champions are everywhere, you just have to train them properly.

ARTHUR LYDIARD

L ike most teens, you probably have posters in your bedroom of your idols, the so-called chosen ones, chosen by you. Its never too early to be your own idol or champion, as all champions start by developing a winning mind-set. Early on, young minds can absolutely learn to think like world-class athletes and then excel in school, sports and, most important, life.

An aspiring teen mind asks, What separates the top few from the many in any sport?