"A must have book for equestrian coaches"

BOOK REVIEW  Going Mental In Sport – Excelling Through Mind Management  by Gary Hermansson  Reviewed by Jeanette Garrett from Equine Positive Learning
 
About the Author
 
Gary Hermansson was a presenter at the Equestrian Sport NZ Coach Educators Conference which I attended. Gary has a huge range of sport involvement, as a professional expert, as a sports psychologist and as an athlete in rugby, hockey, cricket, swimming and basketball.
 
A professor and head of Sport and Exercise Science for Massey University and adviser to The NZ Academy of Sport, NZ team psychologist at four Commonwealth Games three Olympic and for the World Equestrian Games in Germany in 2006.
 
Gary is currently co-director of Hermansson – Webb Ass. Ltd. that offers services in counselling, training and performance psychology.
 
This latest book from Gary is for me the best book yet on the “HOW TO” of mind management for all of those in sport – any sport particularly equestrian. This would be of great value to the individual competition rider, a team member, and equestrian sports coach. The key points of mind management which can also be applied to our every day lives, relationships, attitudes and life mind behaviours.
 
This is a mind management model that is well explained as ‘THINKING -- ‘FEELINGS’ – “ACTIONS (TFA) ’ . It gives an understanding of how this impacts on performance and strategies for ‘core mental strength’ which are so vital for good competition ( and life) results.
 
There is plenty of advice on how to set about obtaining ‘core mental strength’ which is easy to apply.
 
The chapter on mind management for those in a team environment was a fascination for me as it only too clearly identifies with the various team dynamics that can and do occur. This included the coach and those involved with each rider (athlete). Strengthening the team with team building, symbols, logos and themes being some of the ways to create good team dynamics.
 
Mind management for a coach has some great quotes  Gary – “In some cases my input has been just to be someone who they can talk to about the work they are doing and the challenges they are grappling with – coaching is often isolated and lonely work and you can find you frequently get lost in your own thinking and strategising” So true of many of our equestrian coaches and for those of us that have worked with a mentor can truly understand the benefits of having a mentor.
 
Assessing your needs as coach is explained with simple diagrams and listed key points and qualities required for success = quote  “What ever the level you coach at, the role is emotionally demanding. You will inevitably invest a lot of yourself in it, and in the athletes (riders & horses) you work with”, and “ Coaches in particular, need a ‘growth mindset’ rather than a ‘fixed mind set’”
 
In short the coach needs to work on themselves mentally and emotionally to be  their best for those they coach. This book shows you ways to work on yourself as a coach
 
Finally  Gary quotes Mark Twain:-
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
Dance like there’s nobody watching.
Work like you don’t need the money and
Love like you’ve never been hurt.
 
All in all a great book that I know I will return to over and over again in the years to come.
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