Product Description

The author shows athletes how to focus their commitment, overcome obstacles to excellence and achieve greater personal and professional satisfaction. He outlines the seven essential elements of human excellence and detals how one athlete applied them to win an Olympic gold medal. He also provides a step-by-step procedure for planning a personal path to excellence.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #226254 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 242 pages

About the Author
Terry Orlick, PhD, is a world-renowned leader in the applied field of mental training and excellence. A former gymnastics champion and coach, Orlick has served as a sport psychology consultant for the past 28 years to hundreds of Olympic athletes in more than 25 different sports, including alpine skiing, canoeing, figure skating, basketball, and ski jumping. He has acted as a performance enhancement consultant and mental skills coach for several Olympic Games, as well as a consultant for various professional and developmental teams.

Former president of the International Society for Mental Training and Excellence, Orlick has authored more than 20 highly acclaimed books, including Embracing Your Potential (1998 Human Kinetics) and Psyching for Sport (1986 Human Kinetics). He has created innovative programs for children and youth to develop humanistic perspectives and positive mental skills for living, and his two books The Cooperative Sports and Games Book (1978 Pantheon Books) and Feeling Great: Teaching Children to Excel at Living (1998 Creative Bound) have had great impact on children and their quality of life.

Orlick is a professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, Canada, and founder of the innovative new Journal of Excellence. He holds distinguished service awards from numerous Olympic and education associations, as well as a certificate of merit from the Canadian government for distinguished service to the community. He has given lectures on the pursuit of excellence in virtually every corner of the world.

Customer Reviews

Practical-user-friendly psychology of performance manual.
Terry Orlick manages to weave anecdotal examples of how the mind can be the difference between performance and "peak performance". This book is packed with practical exercises, check lists and "how-to's" to learn and apply the mechanics/techniques of sports psychology. Nifty quotes at the beginning of each chapter. WARNING: It won't turn miracles. It will not give you talent you never had or replace hard work.

If you've ever found yourself belaboring a performance error, regularly using negative self-talk or "choking" in those key situations... then this book is for you.

It does require a belief... the belief that mental training will work. "Belief is the mother of reality."

One of the better sports psychology works
One of the better sports psychology works which I have come across. Unlike most of the literature this goes into some fair detail concerning the 'how' rather than just the 'what', that is to say, practical steps for the reader to take for improved mental approach and consequent performance. Well written, too.

Mental Training; not just for Sports but LIFE in general too.
This book has many useful tools not just for athletes but also for individuals seeking something better for their everyday lives.

The best section I thought was on setting goals, the wheel of excellence, maintaining positive perspectives and outlook, and how to deal with distraction control, quest for consistency, etc etc.

These are all very important concepts not just for the athlete in training but also for everyday people seeking a goal or purpose in life, maintaining that path to success, and knowing how to deal with every day bumps and grinds and highs and lows.

Book talks about: - Setting a goal, Make commitment to that goal, & Initiate Action to accomplish your goals. Don't let distractions, criticism, or other people distract you from your path.

Sounds simple? But for most of us we really have to work on it! Takes lots' work and discipline to know what you want, work to towards getting it, and not stray from distractions or criticism.

I can't add more than that or I'd be repeating material from the two glowing & highly acknowledged testaments below.

If you feel the need to follow on & be inspired by more GREAT works like this to motivate you further, you really must read "GOALS!" by Brian Tracy. It'll get you pumped!!