Section 1 - The Pre-Game

THE WARM UP

Every successful athlete, corporate CEO, parent, teacher and preacher has some form of a pre-game warm up. You are about to learn how to effectively warm up, create a game plan, practice with a purpose, and make that sequence a daily habit.

You're going to learn... it's in you.

As your athletic mindset coaches, we are here to help you find your passion, your purpose and your integrity in everything you do. Although we'll teach you how to prepare, just know that the training aspect is up to you. Over time this will get easier and become second nature.

Your athletic mindset training starts now!

Athletic mindset COACHES

As yourathletic mindsetcoaches we will guide you with lessons, exercises and tips like a coach would guide an athlete. There are two other personal coaches you need to meet. Now when you read about them for the first time, it may be a little confusing at first. Don't worry though; it will all become very clear as you read on.

And now, Introducing.

-1. Coach INYOU

-2. The coach inside of you

-1. Coach INYOU is your personal guide who is quietly hanging out over your left shoulder, close to your heart. He is "that voice" that speaks to you and that you speak to. You've already been talking to someone for years, and now he has an identity for you to better use and call upon whenever you need coaching.

In our childhood, most of us had an imaginary friend, who some of us even named. We both had one. Linda's was Gonk and Randy's was Matina. Did you have one? In adulthood we simply call that same person the voice of reason, but they really are one and the same. No matter what your age, we all talk to someone. For the purpose of this book that's Coach INYOU.

"Hey Coach, Glad You're Here!"

2. The second coach is the coach inside of you. Simply put, this is YOU, coaching yourself. Coaches everywhere love when students learn about the coach inside of you. They know that athletes must be their own best coach so they can perform at the highest level.

Coach IN YOU and the coach inside of you are YOUR personal coaches.

They are always around for help, advice and guidance.

In life there is right and wrong, and many times when there is no one to turn to for advice, we have to coach ourselves. This book will help you take responsibility for yourself and assume ownership for your actions. The point is... you must BE YOUR OWN COACH!

ROLE MODELS

Parents, siblings, mentors, preachers, teachers and coaches teach us many valuable lessons. These role models have played a critical role in shaping the way we think.

Some role models may have been positive and others not so much. We will be talking a lot about role models later to find out how they have shaped and influenced your life.

HARSH REALITY

It's possible that not all role models have helped you and if they didn't, well. it just may be time for you to let them go and move on. It's okay to do that you know.

Till I was 13, I thought my name was "Shut Up" -Hall of Fame Quarterback, Joe Namath

We are not telling you to stop using role models as a coaches. Just realize that you are not alone. You always have two personal coaches, the coach inside of you, and your imaginary helper, Coach INYOU.

Move forward.start building your LIFE STORY. When you assume responsibility for yourself, you are moving forward with your OWN actions.

Taking action makes YOU the owner of your life story.

COMMON SENSES

Ideas come in through our senses. We have five clearly defined senses that give us information or feedback. Our senses allow us to.

Smell through our nose,

See through our eyes,

Hear through our ears,

Taste through our tongue and

Feel through our skin.

WE OBSERVE, WE AGREE, WE STORE

First we observe it. Once we observe it. we agree or disagree with it, we like it or don't like it, we may judge it, want more of it or less of it.

Our brains very quickly get the message, process it and then feed us information with what we like or don't like about it. Once we get the information, it gets stored until next time we need it, observe it or get triggered (mainly by one of our senses) to remember it.

OMA

Just typing her name gives me a warm feeling. Oma, (which is Grandmother in German) lived with us off and on during most of my childhood years. Even though she passed away in 1985, I have so many wonderful memories of her that make me smile.

Not long ago I was in a department store. Walking by the perfume counter I stopped in my tracks and grinned from ear to ear. There it was. 4711. That was the German Cologne Oma would wear. Before I knew it, the sample jumped off the shelf and into my hands. As I opened the cologne, closed my eyes and smelled the familiar fragrance, I felt goose bumps cover my arms. Memories flooded in. It was like Oma was there, right next to me.

While my senses were heightened, an overwhelming sensation came over me, so much so, that my eyes filled with tears. I knew I had to share this. I took a picture with my phone and sent it to my mom and two sisters. They immediately replied with a, "Thanks Ran" and "Oh, what a great memory, thank you!" Their memories were triggered.

MEMORIES ARE STORED SENSES!

THE SIXTH SENSE

EMOTION!

Without emotions or feelings we would all be walking around like zombies with no unique thoughts of our own. In developing your athletic mindset realize that what you hear, see and especially feel (beneath the skin) helps create your life story. This happens from day one of your life to whatever age you are now, and beyond.

PAY ATTENTION HERE. In building your athletic mindset, this is a huge part to "get". When you tap into your sixth sense, the world becomes your stage and you become the master creator of your life. All of your five senses contribute to emotions.

Emotion is what separates humans from every other species

Our emotions tell us how we feel about something or someone. These emotions are the inside feedback we get from the outside world.

"YES, give me more please. that feels good!"

OR

"NO, I don't like it. that feels bad!"

Your thoughts tell you when you want something and your emotions give you the excitement of wanting it even more. Your emotions have to be engaged in order to put thoughts into action.

Your sixth sense or your emotion is what puts your thought into action. As part of the athletic mindset we are going to teach you how to stop, listen, and say, "What am I feeling and what do I want?" You've got to "feel" it. and sometimes, you need to SHOUT OUT the emotion with PASSION!

SHOW ME THE MONEY!

In the movie Jerry Macguire, Jerry, played by Tom Cruise, is confronted by a dejected athlete/client who doesn't feel Jerry has his best interest at heart. Rod, played by Cuba Gooding Jr., tells Jerry he needs to feel some love.

He said, "I want you to SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

In order to keep Rod as a client, Jerry had to put some emotion into those four words. In the next scene we see, hear and feel Jerry put more passion than the first time: "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

Nope, Rod didn't feel it. Rod only believed what he felt, and he wasn't feeling it.

Rod said, "I need to feel you Jerry."

So Jerry said it louder this time: "SHOW ME THE MONEY!"

"You need to yell it Jerry."

This time Jerry yelled it so loud that the entire office stopped what they...