20 Best Books For Athletes (2023 Update)

A mental toughness playbook for athletes, parents, and coaches in sports, and in life, mental toughness matters-even more than raw talent and skill. but young athletes can't develop it, and master other vital aspects of the "inner game," on their own. coaches and parents play a vital role as well. in the mental training guide for elite athletes, david angeron speaks to all three audiences. he draws on his expertise as a sport psychology coach and his background as a college athlete and baseball scout to help readers overcome the fear, doubt, and negativity that derail players and teams.in this book you will learn: – the fundamentals of the "mental master method"- how personality type plays into athletic excellence- how to develop traits like work ethic, grit, and desire- why tools like visualization and imagery and deep breathing help "weaponize" pressure and supercharge your game- how positive energy can change the trajectory of a losing seasonin the mental training guide for elite athletes, angeron will teach you the routines and exercises that great athletes use to take their performance to the next level-whether "next level" for you means making the team for the first time, or moving up to varsity, or being offered your first professional contract. when you practice these regularly and incorporate them into your life, you will be able to set and exceed goals and eventually reach your true potential. packed with self-assessments, exercises, and engaging examples, this book is a must-read for athletes who want to transform their game- and coaches and parents who guide and support them on the journey.

From the elite performance coach who authored the international bestseller relentless and whose clients have included michael jordan, kobe bryant, and dwyane wade, comes this brutally honest formula for winning in business, sports, or any arena where the battle is fiercely unforgiving. in winning, tim grover shows why he is one of the world’s most sought-after mindset experts. drawing on three decades of work with elite competitors, grover strips away the cliches and rah-rah mentality that create mediocrity and challenges you to embrace reality with single-minded intensity. the prize? massive success. whether you’re an athlete with championship dreams, an entrepreneur building a business, a ceo managing an empire, a salesperson closing a deal, or simply a competitor determined to stand in the winner’s circle, winning offers thirteen crucial principles for achieving unbeatable performance. this book reveals the truth about the obstacles and challenges that stand between you and your goals: winning never lies. winning knows your secrets. winning wages war in the battlefield of your mind. winning wants all of you. and more. if you’re addicted to the taste of success and crave more, then you’re ready for winning’s results-driven performance strategy. and if you’re already winning and want to learn how to execute at a level that will establish you as one of the greatest—so you can own not just this moment, but the next, and the next—this book will show you the path.

The secrets of superhuman performance never have the best sportspeople seemed so far removed from the rest of us, their prowess so unfathomable. so how are these extraordinary athletes made? the best reveals how the most incredible sportspeople in the world get to the top and stay there. it is a unique look at the path to sporting greatness; a story of origins, practice, genetics and psychology. packed with gripping personal stories and interviews with top athletes including trevor bauer, elena delle donne, pete sampras, joey votto, steph curry, kurt warner and premier league superstars marcus rashford and jamie carragher, it explains how the best athletes develop the extraordinary skills that allow them to perform remarkable feats under extreme pressure. the best uncovers startling truths of athletic greatness-including why younger siblings have more chance of becoming elite, which towns produce the most superstars, the role of informal play and the best time to be born in the school year. it goes inside the minds of champions to understand what makes them perform during high-octane competition, how to hit a baseball or tennis ball in under 0.5 seconds, the secrets of how the best train and what makes a great leader. the book appeals to all lovers of sport, anyone with an interest in psychology and excellence, the parents of budding athletes, and fans of books like freakonomics, outliers and range.

In the perfect mile, neal bascomb, the new york times bestselling author of faster, presenst the riveting, true story of the three world-class athletes who individually became the first runners to break the four-minute mile.there was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be beyond the limits of human foot speed, and in all of sport it was the elusive holy grail. in 1952, after suffering defeat at the helsinki olympics, three world-class runners each set out to break this barrier. roger bannister was a young english medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur — still driven not just by winning but by the nobility of the pursuit. john landy was the privileged son of a genteel australian family, who as a boy preferred butterfly collecting to running but who trained relentlessly in an almost spiritual attempt to shape his body to this singular task. then there was wes santee, the swaggering american, a kansas farm boy and natural athlete who believed he was just plain better than everybody else.spanning three continents and defying the odds, their collective quest captivated the world and stole headlines from the korean war, the atomic race, and such legendary figures as edmund hillary, willie mays, native dancer, and ben hogan. in the tradition of seabiscuit and chariots of fire, neal bascomb delivers a breathtaking story of unlikely heroes and leaves us with a lasting portrait of the twilight years of the golden age of sport.

The new york times bestseller – with a new afterword added to the paperback – from the author of range: why generalists triumph in a specialized world. in high school, i wondered whether the jamaican americans who made our track team so successful might carry some special speed gene from their tiny island. in college, i ran against kenyans, and wondered whether endurance genes might have traveled with them from east africa. at the same time, i began to notice that a training group on my team could consist of five men who run next to one another, stride for stride, day after day, and nonetheless turn out five entirely different runners. how could this be? the one who made it look so easy. he was the starting quarterback and shortstop; she was the all-state point guard and high-jumper. naturals. or were they? the debate is as old as physical competition. are stars like usain bolt, michael phelps, and serena williams genetic freaks put on earth to dominate their respective sports? or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training? the truth is far messier than a simple dichotomy between nature and nurture. in the decade since the sequencing of the human genome, researchers have slowly begun to uncover how the relationship between biological endowments and a competitor's training environment affects athleticism. sports scientists have gradually entered the era of modern genetic research. in this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success, sports illustrated senior writer david epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving this great riddle. he investigates the so-called 10,000-hour rule to uncover whether rigorous and consistent practice from a young age is the only route to athletic excellence. along the way, epstein dispels many of our perceptions about why top athletes excel. this subject necessarily involves digging deep into sensitive topics like race and gender. through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the arctic circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism.

Having an athletic mindset is something that can be developed. you, too, can develop a champion mindset with this guide to inner excellence. fine athletes and winning teams get into "the zone", a place you can learn to get into more often for your sport. whether you're coaching athletes, or want to follow a proven method that assists you in improving your athletic performance, you'll find tips and techniques that will help you achieve your goals, no matter the sport, inside the seven levels of performance. you will learn about: 1. how to build a trigger to get in the zone 4. how to handle common zone blocks such as loss, injury, and loss of motivation getting in the zone consistently gives you the edge. it involves mental toughness but ends up going well beyond it because it makes performance seem effortless, timeless, creative, and awesome. so that means having your best and most enjoyable performances. and that can define your legacy.

The revised edition of the bestselling chirunning, a groundbreaking program from ultra-marathoner and nationally-known coach danny dreyer, that teaches you how to run faster and farther with less effort, and to prevent and heal injuries for runners of any age or fitness level.in chirunning, danny and katherine dreyer, well-known walking and running coaches, provide powerful insight that transforms running from a high-injury sport to a body-friendly, injury-free fitness phenomenon. chirunning employs the deep power reserves in the core muscles, an approach found in disciplines such as yoga, pilates, and t’ai chi. chirunning enables you to develop a personalized exercise program by blending running with the powerful mind-body principles of t’ai chi: -get aligned: develop great posture and reduce your potential for injury while running, and make knee pain and shin splints a thing of the past. -engage your core: shift the workload from your leg muscles to your core muscles, for efficiency and speed. -add relaxation to your running: learn to focus your mind and relax your body to increase speed and distance. -make it a mindful practice: maintain high performance and make running a mindful, enjoyable life-long practice. it’s easy to learn. transform your running with the ten-step chirunning training program.

High-performance training for sports changed the landscape of athletic conditioning and sports performance when first published in 2014. now the second edition builds on that groundbreaking work with the latest and most effective philosophies, protocols, and programs for developing today's athletes. high-performance training for sports, second edition, features contributions from global leaders in athletic performance training, coaching, and rehabilitation. this all-star team shares the cutting-edge knowledge and techniques they've used with olympians, elite athletes, and teams from professional sport leagues around the world. in addition to fostering athletes' speed, agility, jumping and landing capabilities, and anaerobic and aerobic conditioning, you'll find six new chapters on programming for the in-season and off-season, learning and cueing, and having a positive impact on a training environment. combining the latest science and research with proven training protocols, high-performance training for sports will help you accomplish three critical goals for your athletes: establish and develop resilience cultivate athletic capabilities enhance and sustain performance whether you are seeking to maximize the readiness of high-performance athletes for a season or are assisting athletes who are returning to play after injury, this definitive guide provides the best advice and practices. high-performance training for sports is an essential resource for those who wish to excel as a strength and conditioning coach, trainer, rehabilitator, or athlete. ce exam available! for certified professionals, a companion continuing education exam can be completed after reading this book. the high-performance training for sports online ce exam may be purchased separately or as part of the high-performance training for sports with ce exam package that includes both the book and the exam.

The athlete mental health playbook is a beginner's guide to mental wellness for athletes because players are humans, not robots. growing up around sports and athletes, misty buck learned that expressing emotions were often labeled with phrases like, "stop being weak" or "you're soft." however, when she was a teenager, she endured difficulties and began to experience mental health issues. as she would come to learn, she wasn't the only one struggling who felt like they couldn't show it or talk about it. it took misty many years to learn that mental health issues don't mean you're crazy, weak, or broken and that managing mental wellness truly takes an ongoing mind, body, and soul holistic plan, which is why she is so passionate about sharing those messages and tools today. in the athlete mental health playbook you'll learn: why mental health issues don't make you weak how to bridge the gap between mental toughness and mental health how mental health can affect your body 10 super-powered mindset shifts the book also includes a multitude of hands-on exercises to help you begin to gain peace and clarity.

Instant new york times bestseller the only research-based guide for connecting a plant-based diet with peak athletic performance, featuring interviews with professional athletes who've made the switch from meat to plants. – the plant-based athlete by matt frazier and robert cheeke reveals the incontrovertible proof that the human body does not need meat, eggs, or dairy to be strong. instead, research shows that a consciously calibrated plant-based diet offers the greatest possible recovery times, cell oxidation, injury prevention, and restorative sleep, and allows athletes to train more effectively, with better results. – however, committing to a plant-based diet as an elite athlete, first-time marathoner, or weekend warrior isn't as simple as swapping vegetables for meat. even the slightest food adjustments can impact performance. that's why matt frazier, founder of no meat athlete, and robert cheeke, founder of vegan bodybuilding, wrote this groundbreaking book, to guide those interested in making this important shift in how to do so with the best, most transformative results. – the plant-based athlete offers readers: a persuasive body of evidence for adopting a plant-based lifestyle, with key information about how macronutrients, micronutrients, and calories fuel a body running on plant foods – an entire chapter devoted to protein – why plant sources of protein are preferable over meat, and how plant protein can be used to increase strength, muscle mass, and power60+ delicious and nutritious plant-based recipes, including veggie burger patties, garden meatballs, summer pasta salad, vegan mac & cheese, french toast, acai bowl, and a high-energy smoothie – insights from winning plant-based athletes in nearly every sport including champion ultrarunners rich roll and scott jurek; former nfl player david carter; champion boxers yuri foreman, unsal arik, cam awesome, and vanessa espinoza; and olympic-level swimmers, cyclists, figure skaters, sprinters, and more. – a day in the life of a plant-based athlete – examples of what, when, and how different athletes eat to fuel their varied workouts – an instant classic and mainstay on health and fitness shelves everywhere, the plant-based athlete is the ultimate invitation for joining the growing community of athletes who use plants to power their workouts and their every day.

The undefeated athlete: how to be a champion in any sport is a resource for sports-based youth development. the book is designed to provide amateur athletes in all sports with self-help/motivational information intended to help take their overall performance to the next level. in addition, knowledge is shared on how an athlete can navigate their sports career by effectively using their mind, the most crucial element of any athlete that aspires to be "elite." the words undefeated and champion were chosen as a part of the title for a specific reason. the objective is for the amateur athlete to learn that by having an undefeated mindset with the heart of a champion – they'll be better prepared to handle obstacles they might face and that many of the principles they learn in sports will benefit them in future endeavors in life. athletes will learn the keys to successfully: – becoming a leader on a team- developing more discipline- replacing negative thinking with more positivity- dealing with making mistakes- preventing and handling injuries- committing to better eating habits as an athlete- learning the importance of a good sleep routine- improving their relationships with coaches and teammates *for young athletes ages 10-18 and parents/coaches who want to help young athletes develop a "winning mindset" for sports and beyond*

Olivier doleuze spent 33 years riding horses and winning. – in an extraordinary career he won over 1,400 races around the world. nutrition is key to his success. his ability to get his weight right allowed him to reach the consistently high levels of performance needed to win, again and again and again. – whether you are a beginner cyclist, a hobbyist marathon runner, or a prize winning racer, there is one thing you need, above all else, to be your best. food fuels every aspect of your life, and more than anything, it defines your athletic performance. – in order to become the best or just improve your game, you need the foundations of sports nutrition to establish your regimen for optimal performance. and even if you are just a sports enthusiast, aren't you curious what the professionals eat to maintain their physique? – change the way you think about food. change the way you approach staying in shape. and if you have aspirations for the gold, use this book as a tool to help hone your knowledge and define your routine, body and mind, into a finely tuned machine for breaking records. – the dash to the finish line starts in the kitchen. – everything you eat makes you what you are. eat better, be the best.

Do you have what it takes to compete against the world's most elite athletes? be ready to put in the time, sweat, and tears that it takes. choose which path to take on your journey to athletic excellence. some choices lead to the big leagues, while others introduce other opportunities, or even a fall from grace.

A new york times sports and fitness bestseller an eye-opening exploration of how the human body can best recover and adapt to sports and fitness training. in recent years recovery has become a sports and fitness buzzword. anyone who works out or competes at any level is bombarded with the latest recovery products and services: from drinks and shakes to compression sleeves, foam rollers, electrical muscle stimulators, and sleep trackers. in good to go, acclaimed fivethirtyeight science writer christie aschwanden takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening tour through this strange world. she investigates whether drinking gatorade or beer after training helps or hinders performance; she examines the latest trends among athletes, from nfl star tom brady’s infrared pajamas to gymnast simone biles’ pneumatic compression boots to swimmer michael phelps’s “cupping” ritual; and she tests some of the most controversial methods herself, including cryochambers, float tanks, and infrared saunas. at a time when the latest recovery products and services promise so much, good to go seeks answers to the fundamental question: do any of them actually help the body recover and achieve peak performance?

"focused and inspired" is a shining light in the urgent need to change our sports culture. athletes are tough, yet they feel nervous, frustrated, and confused. when a coach blames or shames, that negativity sticks in their minds, and frequent feelings of vulnerability increase abuse in sports. to thrive and be healthy, athletes need to feel intelligent, valued, and safe! mental training coach, lisa mitzel, steps forward with crucial skills in emotional intelligence and forming a power-balance. for every coach, parent, and leader in athletics, heighten your awareness, make meaningful connections, and awaken a new sports era that is wise, successful, and safe! –inspire athletes by addressing essential psychological & emotional needs –identify verbal and emotional abuse in sports –educate staff to think deeply and apply critical values –lead with calm, clear communication and transparency –increase effective coaching through a positive "partnership" model –promote confidence and safety through a "power-balance" "a revolutionary book to identify and prevent abuse in sports, and value the athlete's voice, daily, on the path to success." -steve kerr, 3-time nba champion head coach, golden state warriors "lisa is a beautiful and eloquent writer, whose message speaks loudly through her insight and years of experience. this book tackles not just the important issue of safety in sports, but also transcends safety in today's human culture. a must-read for everyone." -marcia frederick, 1st female world gymnastics champion, olympian, gymnastics hall of fame, congressional medal recipient, sister survivor of abuse "as an international coach dealing with many cultures, i look for the edge in ways to educate our coaches and heighten our teams performance. lisa's insights are powerful!

It doesn't matter how old you are, what challenges you are facing or what sports you play…if you are someone with a dream, this book will give you the tools to make your dream a reality. kyleigh shares from her heart real life struggles of a 12 year old girl, who just wants to be the best athlete and leader she can be. within these pages she will take the reader by the hand and walk them through step by step how to make important choices on and off the playing field.

It doesn't matter how old you are, what challenges you are facing or what sports you play…if you are someone with a dream, this book will give you the tools to make your dream a reality. kyleigh shares from her heart real life struggles of a 12 year old girl, who just wants to be the best athlete and leader she can be. within these pages she will take the reader by the hand and walk them through step by step how to make important choices on and off the playing field.

You can also get this audiobook for 50% off, 30 day free trial. on your own: top athletes offer advice on making the most of a loss. – audiobook by marty kaminsky (unabridged) – author: marty kaminsky; narrator: highlights for children; format: audio book (digital audiobook download)audiobook,audio book

This book gets to the heart of the great nature vs. nurture debate, and explodes myths about why top sportsmen excel. along the way epstein exposes the flaws in the so-called 10,000-hour rule that states that rigorous practice from a young age is the only route to success. through on-the ground reports at locations ranging from below the equator to above the arctic circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits, epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of sport.

Everyone experiences the changing relationship of body and mind in his or her daily life, and for sportsmen and sportswomen the relationship is especially important. this book presents a program of mental training techniques for competitive sport.