"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! From Focused and Inspired, I am now more aware of the psychological needs of our athletes, how coaches affect them, and how we can integrate joint mental strategies to build confidence and increase winning. Thank you, Lisa! -RICARDO AZEVEDO, 3-Time Olympic Water Polo Coach, Pan Am Games and Asian Games Coach, Technical Director & National Teams Coordinator, Brazilian Federation
About the Author: Author-Illustrator, Lisa Mitzel, has a BA in Psychology, MFA in Writing, and is published in "Routledge Handbook of Applied Sport Psychology." An effective Mental Training Coach, international speaker and educator, Lisa's passion is to work with a deeper understanding of human behavior in performance environments. Lisa is a former Head Coach of Women's Gymnastics at Stanford University, and at the University of Utah, an NCAA All-American, National Champion, and Hall of Fame inductee. She has spoken at TEDx, various sports organizations, and many universities, including Harvard, Stanford, Brown, San Jose State, and Denver University. Her first book, "Focused and On Fire: The Athlete's Guide to Mental Training & Kicking Butt," sparks athletes to be in tune with themselves and how to manage thoughts, feelings, and overcome physical and mental struggles. Lisa teaches athletes, coaches, and parents how to focus on personal awareness, and how to click in to emotional intelligence to increase confidence, self-esteem, and safety. She lives in California and she's very excited to continue speaking, traveling, coaching, and sharing her experiences. Learn more at LisaMitzel.com.