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Author, John M. Hogg, Ph.D., of Canada has four books in the pipeline for release in 2025. 

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Prior covers and content pages displayed below. Tip: Click to enlarge.

Online Course at Read.SwimISCA.org

See: https://Read.SwimISCA.org/why/mental-skills-for-young-athletes

Older Book Covers

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Author's Tips:

We must not forget the primary aim of the publication is to teach the youngsters to  exhibit their best thinking (cognitions), feelings (emotions) and actions (behaviours) to  cope with the stresses and pressures (anxieties and attention) associated with training and  competition.

Testimonials

The book is a great idea and especially for youth athletes who are learning how to compete better.  The stories are fun and do a good job of pointing out the need to use mental skills with physical training. It is easy reading and the worksheets will be enlightening to young swimmers.

The book blurb follows:

Dr. John Hogg has done a great favor for a multitude of young athletes who have the opportunity to read and use his book, Mental Skills for Young Athletes; A Mental Skills Workbook.  A particular challenge in my coaching experience has been to connect the "mental game" to the physical experience of training and racing for young swimmers. So I liked the premise of the book from the beginning. But, the element which is unique and valuable is the thoroughness of the mental exercises at the end of chapters, seemingly in an attempt to hook every kind of mental challenge for individual athletes.  

The book is also ordered well as it addresses self-awareness from the beginning - moves progressively through a full range of challenges to the mental game - and (again) connects the exercises to real training and competitive situations. 

I highly recommend the book for use by coaches in their training, for athletes' knowledge and for parents' education.

Dudley Duncan
Swimming Hall of Fame Coach
Author: The Art of Swimming and The Game of Racing; Reflections of a USA Swimming Club Coach

"Good sportsmanship is generally defined as showing respect, fairness and grace towards your opponent. Dr. Hogg's book uniquely inverses the concept: the book emphasizes inner good sportsmanship - i.e. athlete's relationship with oneself. This, in my clinical and life-coaching experience, is key. Self-awareness, emotional self-regulation, and mind-management skills are the hidden levers of ultimate performance. While the book is intended for a younger audience, it is full of adult-level performance-enhancing insights."

Pavel Somov, Ph.D., licensed psychologist, speaker and author of Present Perfect and Lotus Effect.

"I think it’s extremely important to teach all children about their mind.  Especially young performers. When you train them to perform at high levels with their bodies or their skills, but failed to prepare their minds to handle the pressure, you set them up for failure in many cases. Especially now that money is in the game. I always say that money makes people funny, and it’s not that funny.  So I think in every way that’s a great concept. 

"I also have noticed from my work with a lot of of the top psychologists that I work with, that for some reason, people don’t value the information as much as they should. I think every child or adult should receive training on the most powerful thing about them – their mind. "

John B. Waldman, President, Fluid Mechanics Inc.

“John Hogg’s approach to mental preparation is second to none. Back in 1992, Mark Tewksbury completed one of John’s workbooks as part of his lead-up to the Barcelona Olympics — and went on to win gold. His methods are proven, practical, and effective. I highly recommend his books.”

Debbie Muir
Olympic Coach for Canada

ISBN

Mental Skills for Young Athletes, Paperback, 978-1-0697697-0-1