Mind Games

TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 - WINNER

Mind Games

TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2020 - WINNER

Annie Vernon (Author)

Paperback ~~$17.50~~ $15.75 Hardback ~~$35.00~~ $31.50 Ebook (PDF) $14.00 Ebook (Epub & Mobi) $14.00

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Description

A fascinating insight into the psychology behind elite-level sports.

Mind Games discusses concepts used in sports psychology in a way that is understandable to the watching public, sports fans and sports-haters alike. Annie Vernon draws on her own experiences as an Olympic medalist, interviews with a wide range of people from other sports, and input from experts to answer the question: What is it about our psyche that makes pushing the mind and body to their limits such a basic human desire?

Annie speaks to athletes from a broad spectrum of sports around the globe, including basketball's Shane Battier and John Starks, NFL star Ryan Fitzpatrick, fencer Tim Morehouse, and baseball's Craig Breslow and Tino Martinez, tennis's Judy Murray, polar explorer Ben Saunders, triathlete Chrissie Wellington, skeleton-bob star Lizzy Yarnold, runner Jo Pavey and sailor Ben Ainslie, along with coaches and sports psychologists from both Olympic sports and their professional equivalents.

Whether it be performing under pressure, coping with nerves, teamwork, or building self-belief in the face of adversity, the methods that elite sports-people use are also relevant to everyday life. But sports psychology is still regarded as something of a mystery. How exactly do elite sports performers harness the power of their mind in pursuit of physical perfection?

After looking closely at areas such as motivation, competitiveness, gender, and teamwork, Annie Vernon uncovers the underlying psychological principles behind the sports that everyone enjoys.

Introduction: Science, Magic or Voodoo
1. Chickens or Pigs
2. The Penny's Got to Drop
3. Coming to Violence Over Trivial Pursuits
4. Choosing training over Turkey
5. Personalty
6. The Confidence Wand
7. How to be Tarzan, How to be Jane
8. Race Day, the Moment of Truth
9. Becoming a Carrot Farmer
10. Conclusion

Product details

Published	Sep 15 2020
Format	Paperback
Edition	1st
Extent	288
ISBN	9781472949141
Imprint	Bloomsbury Sport
Dimensions	198 x 129 mm
Publisher	Bloomsbury Publishing

Author

Annie Vernon

Annie Vernon is a former Olympic rower. She was a…

An amazing book that I very much enjoyed.

Simon Mundie, Don't Tell Me the Score (BBC Podcast)
A tour de force of elite sport, nerves, expectation and pressure from all perspectives.

Matthew Pinsent
A fascinating book about the psychology of elite sport… Mind Games explores compelling territory. It asks searching questions about the mentality required to succeed at sport's highest level while mining themes of self-doubt, determination, competitiveness and why “talent needs trauma” to blossom.

Don McRae, the Guardian
There is no better person to shed light on the fascinating subject of sports psychology than two-timed World Champion, Olympian and talented sports journalist, Annie Vernon

Chrissie Wellington OBE
Loved it… I would recommend it to all of you.

Jazmin Sawyers, BBC 5 Live
I played professional rugby for 13 years and it was amazing to read in Mind Games that the doubts and challenges I felt during that time weren't mine alone – they were shared by my peers across different disciplines. I wish I'd had Mind Games as a reference book during my career as I'm sure it would have made me much stronger to know I wasn't alone in my thinking.

Chris Bentley, former professional rugby player