Crunch Time: How to Be Your Best When It Matters Most

by Rick Peterson, Judd Hoekstra, Billy Beane (Foreword)

An MLB pitching coach and a leadership expert share 6 strategies to help you handle pressure like elite athletes like Michael Jordan and Pedro Martinez.

In his fifteen years as a major league pitching coach, with the “Moneyball” Oakland A’s, New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles, Rick Peterson has coached Hall of Famers, Cy Young winners, and many other elite athletes. In this book, he and bestselling author and leadership expert, Judd Hoekstra make this skill available to everyone. From an insider’s perspective, learn how you too can become a Crunch Time performer and perform your best in all situations. With fascinating behind-the-scenes examples from some of the top names in sports and business, Rick and Judd offer six powerful reframing strategies to help you see a pressure situation with a new perspective so that it shifts from a threat that can make you panic to an opportunity for you to shine. 

With a Forward by “Money Ball” Billy Beane, EVP, Oakland Athletics.

2017 Silver Nautilus Award Winner in the Psychology Category

“Rick helped me unlock potential I didn’t know I had. He has a knack for using humor and anecdotes to enhance his message. I have no doubt that Crunch Time will help you unlock your potential and help you perform at your best under pressure!” —Tom Glavine, Hall of Fame major league pitcher, World Series Champion, and 300 game winner  “Rick and I had many conversations about process optimization and problem-solving. Thankfully he and Judd Hoekstra have now memorialized a practical method for getting out of our own way and easing into the flow that can be applied to any endeavor. Absolutely invaluable stuff. ”—Steven Soderbergh, Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes Film Festival, Academy Award winner for Best Director

Genres: Sports, Self Help, Nonfiction

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Kyle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good practical advice but really missed the potential to be a more comprehensive sports psychology book. Was hoping for a more detailed look at preparation methods across different disciplines. Probably should of read Tools of Titans instead.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has some interesting thoughts but is too focused on anecdotes at times and too verbose. This is why I started to skip the last chapters and to extract the valuable lessons by just reading the summaries. I don't have the feeling to have missed too much and will definitely give the exercises a go when I hit a stressful barrier the next time.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was eager to read this book as Rick Peterson is a renowned pitching coach and sports psychologist who has an excellent reputation for bringing the best out of the baseball pitchers he works with. This book deals primarily with how to excel under pressure. I was particularly interested in learning more about the concept of reframing to reduce stress and avoid self-defeating behavior. Reframing is defined as the "skill of consciously and intentionally thinking about a situation in a new or different way. This, in turn, allows us to shift the meaning we attach to the situation, the actions we take, and the results we achieve. With practice, reframing can be learned by anyone, the authors maintain. Mindfulness, defined as paying attention in a particular way–on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgementally, is the key ingredient.

When stressed, pause and ask yourself "do I want to feel or think this way? Is this fact, fiction or the opinion of others?" Then explore different rational thoughts and choose and act on your best new story. The authors also maintain that trying harder under pressure is counter productive and that humor and laughter can diffuse most tense situations. There are many other useful tips to optimize your performance under pressure, including the necessity to practice in advance situations that you may incur in order to maximize your performance. There are several interesting stories about various baseball situations that help prove the points they make. Some of the writing is rather mundane, but the points they make are quite valid and useful in many situations beyond just sports.

[Tim Genry · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books over the past 12 months, this is a book I will read/listen to on a yearly basis! I think it’s great that so many of the illustrations are sports related but it doesn’t really matter because this book is applicable to all walks of life.
Are you a leader of people? Do you want to make some positive changes? If the answer to either of these is, yes, I recommend you read this book.

[Cher Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read.-a.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you feel threaten. Ask yourself, do you want to be? Reframe your thinking. Learn to try easier

[Noel Lim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on how to reframe your thinking, I loved the “Try easy” concept!

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peterson and Hoekstra offer some practical and helpful suggestions on ways to handle this situation of crunch time, stressed with pressure on a deadline while wanting to be successful. Not only is this a good read, it's a beneficial book that can help to succeed by learning how to handle crunch time better. I recommend it to the reading community.

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Might be interviewing Rick Peterson this week. Weirdly it's the second thing I've read that mentioned and championed Epictetus' beliefs lately.