Mind games: determination, doubt and lucky socks: an insider's guide to the psychology of elite athletes

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.