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The Mental Edge for Young Athletes: A World Champion's Mental Toughness Guide for Athletes, Parents, and Coaches in the Digital Age
🎁 THE GIFT THAT TURNS YOUR YOUNG ATHLETE’S NERVES INTO GAME-CHANGING CONFIDENCE! 🎁
You know your kid has the talent.
You see it in practice, in the backyard, when no one is watching.
Then the game starts.
The nerves hit.
They tighten up, play safe, overthink every move, and walk away frustrated and embarrassed.
It’s not a “skill” problem.
It’s their mind under pressure.
This book trains your athlete to turn pressure into a deep focus so they finally play like their true self when it matters most.
Written by two-time world champion, therapist, and internationally recognized mental performance coach, Jeff Greenwald, this clear, practical guide comes from 25 years of helping athletes deal with nerves, self-doubt, and today’s constant phone and social media distractions. He shares real stories, including how he went from getting banned from tournaments at twelve to building a mastery mindset that changed everything.
Your athlete will learn how
Stay calm when nerves spike and turn adrenaline into fuel instead of fear.
Act confident even when they do not feel it, so opponents stop sensing weakness.
Bounce back fast after a mistake instead of spiraling for the rest of the game.
Focus longer and stop letting phones, crowds, or coaches hijack their attention.
Let go of “I should win” thinking that crushes confidence and enjoyment.
Trust their training when the pressure hits so their body can do what it knows.
This is built for busy, distracted young
Short chapters, so your athlete actually reads them.
Simple tools, so they can try them in the very next game or practice.
Real language, so it feels like a coach who gets them, not a dry textbook.
If you want your young athlete to play with more confidence, more composure, and more consistency, this book gives them the mental tools to get there.
🎁 BONUS PARENT GUIDE INCLUDED! 🎁
Support your athlete without adding pressure or starting another argument.
Talk about tough games in a way that builds resilience instead of shame.
Encourage a healthy mindset around winning, losing, and improvement.
Advance Praise for The Mental Edge for Young Athletes:
“An extraordinary guide for athletes and parents.” — Dr. Jim Loehr, Author of The Power of Full Engagement
“Jeff's real-life experience and expertise will help your child take a huge step forward in reaching their potential.” — Brad Gilbert, Author of Winning Ugly, former world No. 5 ATP
Scroll up and click “Add to Cart” now and give them a gift that can change how they compete long after the holidays.
You know your kid has the talent.
You see it in practice, in the backyard, when no one is watching.
Then the game starts.
The nerves hit.
They tighten up, play safe, overthink every move, and walk away frustrated and embarrassed.
It’s not a “skill” problem.
It’s their mind under pressure.
This book trains your athlete to turn pressure into a deep focus so they finally play like their true self when it matters most.
Written by two-time world champion, therapist, and internationally recognized mental performance coach, Jeff Greenwald, this clear, practical guide comes from 25 years of helping athletes deal with nerves, self-doubt, and today’s constant phone and social media distractions. He shares real stories, including how he went from getting banned from tournaments at twelve to building a mastery mindset that changed everything.
Your athlete will learn how
Stay calm when nerves spike and turn adrenaline into fuel instead of fear.
Act confident even when they do not feel it, so opponents stop sensing weakness.
Bounce back fast after a mistake instead of spiraling for the rest of the game.
Focus longer and stop letting phones, crowds, or coaches hijack their attention.
Let go of “I should win” thinking that crushes confidence and enjoyment.
Trust their training when the pressure hits so their body can do what it knows.
This is built for busy, distracted young
Short chapters, so your athlete actually reads them.
Simple tools, so they can try them in the very next game or practice.
Real language, so it feels like a coach who gets them, not a dry textbook.
If you want your young athlete to play with more confidence, more composure, and more consistency, this book gives them the mental tools to get there.
🎁 BONUS PARENT GUIDE INCLUDED! 🎁
Support your athlete without adding pressure or starting another argument.
Talk about tough games in a way that builds resilience instead of shame.
Encourage a healthy mindset around winning, losing, and improvement.
Advance Praise for The Mental Edge for Young Athletes:
“An extraordinary guide for athletes and parents.” — Dr. Jim Loehr, Author of The Power of Full Engagement
“Jeff's real-life experience and expertise will help your child take a huge step forward in reaching their potential.” — Brad Gilbert, Author of Winning Ugly, former world No. 5 ATP
Scroll up and click “Add to Cart” now and give them a gift that can change how they compete long after the holidays.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 2, 2025
About the author
Jeff Greenwald
22 books17 followersJeff Greenwald has published six books, including Shopping for Buddhas (just out in 25th Anniversary edition) , The Size of the World (for which he created the first Internet travel blog) and Snake Lake. His tales and essays appear in many print and online publications. Jeff’s first voyage abroad, at 17, ended in utter disaster, and a host of subsequent mishaps have provided rich fodder for his storytelling career. His critically acclaimed one-man show, “Strange Travel Suggestions,” premiered in San Francisco in 2003. Jeff is also the Executive Director of Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.org), a non-profit dedicated to human rights and environmental protection.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 20, 2025
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
⚽️ have young athletes
🏀 are a coach
📖 enjoy self help non fiction
🤩 want to improve your child’s confidence
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Through short, easy-to-read chapters, this guide brings real conversations with young athletes to life—along with inspiring stories and mindset strategies used by the world’s top competitors. Kids will learn how to bounce back from mistakes, stay focused under pressure, and compete with greater motivation, clarity, and resilience. There is also a parent’s guide with Jeff’s top recommendations on how you can successfully navigate the most challenging moments we face with our young athletes.
While many mental training books for kids offer surface-level advice or rigid checklists, The Mental Edge for Young Athletes goes deeper. It bridges the gap between theory and real-world application—bringing to life the mindset tools used by elite performers in a way that young athletes (and their parents) can truly relate to. With real stories, actionable techniques, and a compassionate voice, this book offers what most guides miss: authenticity, relevance, and lasting impact.
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
This is a great read for both parents of young athletes and young athletes themselves who are looking for a self help, motivational read! It includes great tips for conquering burn out, building self confidence, working hard, and more. My kids are still on the younger side of sports, where things aren’t super competitive yet, but this is a great tool that I’ll be keeping for them for when they are older. I liked that it was mainly focused on the kids, but that it included a section for parents as well!
⚽️ have young athletes
🏀 are a coach
📖 enjoy self help non fiction
🤩 want to improve your child’s confidence
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Through short, easy-to-read chapters, this guide brings real conversations with young athletes to life—along with inspiring stories and mindset strategies used by the world’s top competitors. Kids will learn how to bounce back from mistakes, stay focused under pressure, and compete with greater motivation, clarity, and resilience. There is also a parent’s guide with Jeff’s top recommendations on how you can successfully navigate the most challenging moments we face with our young athletes.
While many mental training books for kids offer surface-level advice or rigid checklists, The Mental Edge for Young Athletes goes deeper. It bridges the gap between theory and real-world application—bringing to life the mindset tools used by elite performers in a way that young athletes (and their parents) can truly relate to. With real stories, actionable techniques, and a compassionate voice, this book offers what most guides miss: authenticity, relevance, and lasting impact.
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
This is a great read for both parents of young athletes and young athletes themselves who are looking for a self help, motivational read! It includes great tips for conquering burn out, building self confidence, working hard, and more. My kids are still on the younger side of sports, where things aren’t super competitive yet, but this is a great tool that I’ll be keeping for them for when they are older. I liked that it was mainly focused on the kids, but that it included a section for parents as well!
September 4, 2025
The Mental Edge for Young Athletes by Jeff Greenwald, MFT is a book for younger athletic people about sports and how to be a good sports player and also how to 'survive' sports teams and how to not burn out. Our author talks about his experiences as a young athlete and as a tennis player. He talks about how competition got the best of him and that was all he focused on and did some unsportsmanlike like behaviors, which most young athletes have seen or done even themselves. This was a great inclusion in the book so younger people can see that they are not the only ones who feel that way. I also thought that the choosing mastery section versus outcome was brilliant. Again athletes in the beginning sometimes choose mastery over outcome as they are not thinking long term, which is true of not just sports but lots of things in life. I feel that this book is a great read for all younger athletes and they should have a copy in every school around the country so that kids can read this book if they are involved in sports!
August 30, 2025
I will be the first to admit that I am not an athlete (unless you count marching band), but I appreciate the advice in this book. The author’s attitude can be summed up in his words, “Being perfect is unnecessary and not the right mindset.” To make this point he gives examples from the lives of athletes he has worked with and also refers to famous athletes who admit that they struggle at times. Quotes from athletes such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are scattered throughout the text.
Various sections of the book deal with: mindset and motivation, confidence and self-belief, focus and attention control, self-regulation and recovery, emotional intelligence and communication, and resilience and adaptability. He also includes a guided visualization exercise and a breath training plan. There is also a parent’s guide to supporting their young athlete. The book itself is written so that athletes can dip into it and read about an issue that is relevant to them. Even if the only message that sinks in is “Perfection is a myth, and even the greatest athletes stumble - often,” then the book will be a good investment. I would recommend it to anyone who has a child involved in athletics.
Various sections of the book deal with: mindset and motivation, confidence and self-belief, focus and attention control, self-regulation and recovery, emotional intelligence and communication, and resilience and adaptability. He also includes a guided visualization exercise and a breath training plan. There is also a parent’s guide to supporting their young athlete. The book itself is written so that athletes can dip into it and read about an issue that is relevant to them. Even if the only message that sinks in is “Perfection is a myth, and even the greatest athletes stumble - often,” then the book will be a good investment. I would recommend it to anyone who has a child involved in athletics.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews