Coaching Affirmations: A Coach's Guide to Improving Individual Performance

by Dan Spainhour

Overview

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein Coach Dan Spainhour explains how affirmations can benefit coaches of every sport at every level. "When I used to hear all the talk about affirmations I had a tendency to think of some New Age feel good stuff that had little to do with coaching. However, the more I investigated the process of affirmations I came to realize maybe it was only the term affirmations that caused me not to take the process seriously. I've always believed in the importance of self-talk and the effects it has on performance. Like most coaches, I posted daily quotes in our locker room for the team to read and recite back during practice. I know motivation is different things for different people and athletes need inspiration that is designed specifically for them. I also believed that as Peter Davies says, "Motivation is like food for the brain, you cannot get enough in one setting." So I started to give my players specific individual statements that I asked them to say to themselves over and over. I would give them new statements at different times throughout the year based upon areas that I wanted to see them improve. I immediately saw results. My players seem more confident and our performance has improved since I instituted this process. And all coaches know the relationship of mental to physical performance. As Bob Knight says, 'Mental is to physical as four is to one.'" About the Author Dan Spainhour has more than 27 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has received numerous awards during his coaching career, including three state championships and 15 coach of the year honors. His teams have collected more than 450 victories. He is the author of several book including: Coach Yourself: A Motivational Guide for Coaches and Leaders and A Season in Words: A Coach's Guide to Motivation from the Preseason to the Postseason.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940012377265
Publisher:	Educational Coaching & Business Communications
Publication date:	07/08/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	160
File size:	13 KB

About the Author

Dan Spainhour has more than 27 years of high school and college coaching experience. He has received numerous awards during his coaching career, including three state championships and 15 coach of the year honors. His teams have collected more than 450 victories. Spainhour has worked on the basketball staff at Florida State University, where he helped lead the Seminoles to the quarterfinals of the National Invitational Tournament in 2005. He also coached at the University of Miami, where he worked under current Florida State coach, Leonard Hamilton. During his time at Miami he helped lead the Hurricanes to their first NCAA tournament appearance in 38 years. He is the founder of Educational Coaching and Business Communications. He is the author of many books and articles including: How To Get Your Child An Athletic Scholarship: The Parent's Ultimate Guide to Recruiting; Coach Yourself: A Motivational Guide for Coaches and Leaders; A Season in Words: A Coach's Guide to Motivation from the Preseason to the Postseason; and How to Run A Basketball Camp: A Guide to a Successful Basketball Camp. Spainhour is a recipient of the Governor's Laurel Wreath Award as an Ambassador of Athletics in the State of North Carolina.