Gina M. Biegel - Mindfulness for Student Athletes: A Workbook to Help Teens Reduce Stress and Enhance Performance

I have been a longtime proponent and practitioner of the philosophies and exercises presented by Gina Biegel and Todd Corbin. These techniques have allowed my fencers to reach numerous World Junior/Senior Championships, Pan Am Games, and four US Olympic Teams. Moreover, they prepare athletes to succeed in their lives after athletics. I strongly recommend this for all athletes, competitors, family members, coaches, and professional personnel.

William E. Reith , former US Olympic fencing coach, and owner of Alcazar Fencing

Mindfulness for Student Athletes is a one-of-a-kind workbook that will enable athletes of all ages, levels, and sports to take their performance to the next level. The exercises are engaging, thought-provoking, and fun. Biegel and Corbin have masterfully created exercises which build upon each other and, like a road map, guide the student athlete to tone, flex, and strengthen their mental muscles.

Rob Polishook, MA , mental training coach, founder of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group, and author of Tennis Inside the Zone

This book offers student athletes simple, useable skills. Incorporating these skills into practices, competition, and daily life will allow athletes to gain and enhance their performance in every domain.

Amy Saltzman, MD , author of A Still Quiet Place for Athletes

Gina and Todd have created an incredible book for all who want to really learn how to apply mindfulness training to sports. I find their book very helpful when working with athletes at all levels, and recommend it to all who want to break through their barriers and reach new levels in life and sports.

Graham Betchart, MA , mental skills coach and consultant to USA Basketball

Whether its to gain a mental advantage over the competition or to overcome performance anxiety, Mindfulness for Student Athletes can be integrated into every facet of an athletes practice, game, and life.

Pete Kirchmer , director of the University of California, San Diegos Center
for Mindfulness mPEAK Program

This workbook is a fantastic resource not only for student athletes, but also for individuals of all ages pursuing athletic endeavors. It is full of engaging activities as well as powerful messages to help instill confidence, learn how to manage stress, calm the mind, and improve performance. A must-read for student athletes!

Stacie Cooper, MA, PsyD , teen life coach, mindfulness and Pilates instructor, and author of The Masks We Wear

Many professional athletes and Olympic medalists use mindfulness and visualization to enter into a state of flow, to de-stress, and to cultivate greater focus. Now, with this wonderful book, youth can utilize these same amazing techniques to excel at sports and to cultivate the many benefits of mindfulness for their personal lives in the process.

Daniel Rechtschaffen, MFT , director of Transformative Educational Leadership, and author of The Mindful Education Workbook and The Way of Mindful Education

A wonderful book that gives any athlete of any sport a nimble, agile, and yet powerful set of skills to maximize performance and joy from the practice fields to the competitive places they boldly choose to go.

Jeffrey Bernstein, PhD , child and teen psychologist, and author of Mindfulness for Teen Worry and 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child

Biegel and Corbins Mindfulness for Student Athletes is a brilliant workbook for students and coaches. How I wish my own daughter had this resource when she was a high school and collegiate runner. Mental well-being is a well-known key for athletic achievement, but achieving it is easier said than done. Gina and Todd help teens expertly explore the processes through which mental stability and athletic performance merge. Through thirty-two exercises, students learn for themselves how to address thoughts, emotions, senses, body awareness, fear, pressure, gratitude, and so much more. The authors share wisdom from dozens of renown athletes of a wide variety of sports. This accessible book is easy to understand, and students may find it hard to put down. I did!

Laurie Grossman , director of program development and outreach at Inner Explorer, cofounder of Mindful Schools, and coauthor of Master of Mindfulness

Biegel and Corbin have created a masterful workbook to help athletes bring mindfulness into their game and life. Through skill-building exercises and mindful behavior techniques, young athletes can learn to sharpen their focus, turn stress into motivation, and find ease in performance. Mindfulness for Student Athletes is an essential resource for young competitors and their coaches.

Whitney Stewart , mindfulness instructor, and author of Mindful Me and Mindful Kids

The life of a student athlete can be pressure-filled, with high stakes. Gina Biegel and Todd Corbin have created a resource that will be a great support for students hoping to find healthy ways to navigate the stress of competition, stay mentally balanced, and keep their head and heart in the game for all the right reasons.

Jennifer Cohen Harper , mom, author, and founder of Little Flower Yoga and Mindfulness

Sports are fun. At least theyre supposed to be. But a student athlete can easily feel the acute pressure of performance and competition which turns fun into a high-stress situation. That, of course, gets in the way of both enjoyment and results. In Mindfulness for Student Athletes , Gina Biegel and Todd Corbin provide young athletes with a valuable structure and support plan to relieve stress, build confidence, and regain their original enjoyment of sport. A wonderful guidebook.

James Baraz , coauthor of Awakening Joy , and cofounding teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA

Publishers Note

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books

Copyright 2018 by Gina Biegel and Todd Corbin

Instant Help Books

An imprint of New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

5674 Shattuck Avenue

Oakland, CA 94609

www.newharbinger.com

Cover design by Amy Shoup

Acquired by Jess OBrien

Edited by Karen Schader

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file

Contents

dedication

letter to student athletes

letter to coaches, parents, and professionals

1. the mindful athlete: what is mindfulness?

2. developing a sports portfolio

3. your whys: what are your reasons for playing sports?

4. what stresses you? your opponent paper tigers

5. the physical and emotional effects of stress on athletes

6. the athletic stress response

7. being in the zone

8. sport sense awareness: tuning into your senses

9. tuning into your visual anchor points

10. breathing through difficult moments

11. the 3-second rule practice: a mindful centering approach

12. CPR for choke prevention

13. 2BSET model of awareness

14. mindfully drinking sports drinks and water

15. mindfully walking the lines in sports

16. mindful stretching and warm-ups

17. taking a short break: sitting body scan practice