"Doc Ali's website is full of motivational and positive materials for athletes. I purchased a CD that helped with mental visualization and overcoming fears. It was worth every penny! My gymnast listened to the CD the first night and I could see that she was very happy to have another "tool" to help her. I highly recommend any of Doc Ali's materials and am very much looking forward to her visit to Gym World this summer!"
- Kim Milazzo
Parent of a gymnast
Gear
The Athlete Warrior: Advanced Mental Training for the Advanced Athlete-Women's Gymnastics
(Optional Gymnasts Ages 12 and Up)
By Alison Arnold Ph.D.
This workbook is for the optional gymnast who is ready to take their mental training to the next level. They should already be familiar with sport psychology and enjoy thinking "deep". Mental training is no different than physical training. It takes time, commitment, and discipline. Too many gymnasts train an amazing amount of hours physically without ever attending to mental training. All fear, frustration, inconsistency, competition stress, discouragement, anxiety, and anger stems from out of control thinking. Out of control thinking leads to out of control performance. This workbook will help gymnasts discipline their minds just as they discipline their bodies. Mental training is not for "head cases". It is for any gymnast that is committed enough to be her very best.
The exercises in this workbook are aimed to help the gymnast maintain correct mental technique or what we call "tight mind". We define "tight mind" as "in the zone"; feeling confident, effortless, relaxed, excited, and focused. Disciplining the mind takes practice. Just as any gymnast works on maintaining correct technique, pulling the body back to perfection when it is off, disciplining the mind takes the same pain-staking effort.
The Athlete Warrior is for a gymnast that can think deep and is 100% committed to mental training. The foundation of this workbook is Eastern philosophical mind training. The training monks and martial artists are known for. It will not only change an athlete's gymnastics, but change the way they look at life.