The champion's mind : how great athletes think, train, and thrive

221 Pages·2014·1.26 MB·English

by  Afremow

WORLD-CLASS ENDORSEMENTS
“The Champion’s Mind reveals the mental skills and strategies Olympic
champions use to perform their best when it matters most. Dr. Afremow’s
matchless book is a must for athletes and coaches.”
—SHANNON MILLER, Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics and president of Shannon Miller
Lifestyle “I read this book with my eyes wide open, and the content continued to keep them open
at all times. Jim’s advice and tips are very simple and easy to understand. Read only one chapter
at a time and apply it to your approach to tennis, sports, and life.”
—NICK BOLLETTIERI, founder and president of Nick Bollettieri IMG Tennis Academy
“How sweet it is to breathe that rarefied air of a high-performance athlete! How
refreshing it is, as well, to recognize so many of the techniques in Dr.
Afremow’s book that get you to that privileged place. The Champion’s Mind is a
simple, straightforward elixir for the high achiever in all of us.”
—MORTEN ANDERSEN, NFL’s all-time leading scorer and a member of the NFL’s All-Decade
Teams for the 1980s and 1990s “The Champion’s Mind is loaded with great lessons, advice, and
perspectives on how to be successful. It is definitely not a requirement to be an athlete or a coach
in order to benefit from this book. The skills and strategies that Jim provides here are essential in
carving a path to success, no matter what field you are in or what your goals are. I can honestly
say that I have lived by many of the strategies offered in this book, and I can also say I wish I had
lived by more of them. But it’s never too late to be as good as you can be!”
—DAN JANSEN, Olympic gold medalist in speed skating and former world record holder
“The mind is a powerful thing. As a baseball player, the more confidence I have
and the more mentally prepared I am, the better I perform when it matters the
most. The Champion’s Mind will help guide you to reach your potential both on
and off the field!”
—TRAVIS BUCK, MLB outfielder, San Diego Padres
“Athletes who want to learn the secrets of the mental game should read The
Champion’s Mind.”
—CARLI LLOYD, two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2008 U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the
Year “One can always learn from others. The Champion’s Mind holds a wealth of insight as to
how you can become a winner in your everyday life.”
—PHIL MAHRE, Olympic gold medalist in alpine skiing
“It’s amazing to see how Dr. Afremow points out what athletes go through every
day. He describes a lot of situations that I have experienced as well. In this book,
you can find a lot of simple but very useful tips and principles that might help
you improve your performance.”
—BRITTA HEIDEMANN, three-time Olympian in épée fencing and gold medalist at the 2008
Beijing Olympics “The Champion’s Mind is very informative and full of great principles and
guidelines for any athlete who is searching for excellence in their performance.”
—MIKE CANDREA, Olympic gold medal coach of the U.S. softball team and eight-time national
champion coach of the University of Arizona women’s softball team “Athletes can unlock a new
level of performance by learning the power of training their mind as they train their body. From
preparation to rehabilitation to competition, The Champion’s Mind gives the mental guidance
necessary to allow an athlete to reach their full athletic potential. Dr. Afremow’s playbook for
increasing mental strength gives clear direction to make the reader a better athlete, a better
teammate, and a better person.”
—CURT TOMASEVICZ, Olympic gold medalist in four-man bobsled
“We all have an athlete in us; we were all born to run, jump, swim, and compete
in some way or another. The gold medal at an Olympic Games has been declared
as the highest honor to reward discipline, commitment, power, strength, finesse,
passion, precision, patience, speed, and skill, just to name a few. You too can go
for gold in all areas of your life by following Jim’s strategies. Decide what you
want and go after it with all you have to give, every single day. Daily acts of
excellence are the secret. Choose your success today.”
—NATALIE COOK, five-time Olympian in beach volleyball and gold medalist at the 2000 Sydney
Olympics “Do you want to learn how the best in the world got there? In The Champion’s Mind, Jim
distills a myriad of golden Olympic stories into clear tools we all can use. I am positive that you will
read insights in this book that will help you rise to the top of your discipline. If you read this book,
you will be inspired. Thank you, Jim, for writing this book!”
—ADAM KREEK, two-time Olympian in men’s eight rowing and gold medalist at the 2008 Beijing
Olympics “When I read The Champion’s Mind, it quite frankly reminded me of many instances,
mannerisms, and thoughts leading to my Olympic championship, and it has given me many other
wisdoms to pass on to the athletes I now coach. Choose your path, follow your path; any path
worth choosing will have its ups and downs, but The Champion’s Mind will help you with ideas to
keep moving forward on that path. The focus you gain will help you reach the top of whatever you
seek.”
—NICK HYSONG, Olympic gold medalist in the pole vault
“Dr. Afremow hits a grand slam with The Champion’s Mind. Every athlete
should keep a copy of this book in their locker or gym bag.”
—LEAH O’BRIEN-AMICO, three-time Olympic gold medalist for the U.S. softball team
“Dr. Afremow’s training and tips have been an important part of the preparation
and success of our athletes when they take the Wonderlic test at the NFL
combine. In The Champion’s Mind, Dr. Afremow provides simple yet
powerfully effective strategies to help athletes and coaches reach their full
potential.”
—MARK VERSTEGEN, founder and president of Athletes’ Performance and Core Performance

To my wife, Anne, and our daughter, Maria Paz
You were born to be a player.
You were meant to be here.
This moment is yours.
—HERB BROOKS,
coach of the 1980 U.S. Olympic “Miracle on Ice” team
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION:
IF YOU CAN SPOT GREATNESS, YOU’VE GOT GREATNESS
CHAPTER ONE:
BE YOUR OWN CHAMPION
CHAPTER TWO:
MASTER THE MENTAL SKILLS
CHAPTER THREE:
BE IN IT TO WIN IT
CHAPTER FOUR:
THE WISDOM OF A CHAMPION
CHAPTER FIVE:
EXERCISE, NUTRITION, PAIN, INJURIES, AND REGENERATION
CHAPTER SIX:
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR PERSONAL DESTINY
CHAPTER SEVEN:
ZEN IN THE ZONE
CHAPTER EIGHT:
GOLDEN REFLECTIONS
CHAPTER NINE:
YOUR WORLD-CLASS GAME PLAN
CHAPTER TEN:
LONGTERM SURVIVAL OF THE MOST MENTALLY FIT
EPILOGUE:
THE ULTIMATE VICTORY IS YOURS
APPENDIX A: BE A CHAMPION STUDENT-ATHLETE
APPENDIX B: BE A CHAMPION SLEEPER
REFERENCES AND RECOMMENDED READING
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INDEX
FOREWORD
BY JIM CRAIG
Most people remember me as the goalie from the 1980 Olympic “Miracle on
Ice” hockey team. Since then, I have gone on to have a successful sales career of
more than 30 years and have become a sought-after motivational speaker and
sales trainer. I travel the country delivering my messages on winning teamwork
and how to achieve success in business.
Jim got in touch with me after reading my book, Gold Medal Strategies:
Business Lessons from America’s Miracle Team. It combines my years of sales
experience and training with the discipline skills I used during the Olympics and
my NHL career. As I am a gold medalist and experienced sales trainer, Jim
wanted my thoughts on his book.
I was enthusiastic about taking a look at Jim’s book because I have long
recognized the importance that the mind plays in getting to the top of the
podium. The Champion’s Mind is thoughtful, accessible, and engaging. The
chapters are clear and straightforward, and they easily allow the athlete to put
Jim’s suggestions into action right away.
Jim provides expert advice and proven mental techniques for building a step-
by-step improvement plan to accomplish your goals. He does a great job of
teaching. He tells you how you too can become a champion in all aspects of your
game and perform optimally at the most important time. His suggestions are
clear and very readable and easy to remember.
My wife and I have a teenage son and daughter, and they both play sports. To
help them increase their enjoyment of athletics and improve their performance, I
often share with them my favorite quotes and tips that I have collected on sports
and living life. I keep a jar at home filled with these quotes and tips written on
pieces of paper and encourage my kids to pull out and practice a lesson every
day.
Whether you are an athlete, a parent, or a coach, think of this book you now
hold in your hands as your own personal peak-performance jar because The
Champion’s Mind is filled to the brim with golden lessons you will draw on
again and again to maximize your athletic potential. So keep this book handy—