Many coaches have heard of the different techniques athletes can use to improve mental performance on the field. We often hear how important it is to use positive self-talk, relaxation skills, positive imagery, and so on. Yet we are often left with many unanswered questions; questions such as where do we start, how do we apply certain strategies, and when should we apply certain strategies. If we’re unsure how to proceed, the process can be confusing. I created the ART of SPET to answer these questions and to prepare coaches to maximize an athlete’s mental toughness on the field. This model really works. It will help good athletes get better. And it will help great athletes become greater.

In reality, solidifying the mental game takes time. While some athletes will benefit from quick-fix solutions, most will require weeks if not months before they solidify mental soundness. The Art of SPET is designed to address both temporary and chronic issues. It teaches anyone working with athletes everything they need to know to build mental resiliency on the field. It is a one-stop-shop organized so it is easy-to-follow and maximizes results. This way, when adversity strikes on the field, athletes will be fully capable of tackling any mental performance obstacle independently in the future.

The Art of SPET will change how you think about sports psychology. Whether you’re a team coach, SPET Coach, Sports Psychologist, Strength and Conditioning coach, personal trainer, physical therapist, an agent, scout, or even a parent, anyone who interacts with athletes will benefit from what this book has to offer. The Art of SPET is written as a step-by-step, beginning-to-end process, but is very flexible in its application. Your relationship with athletes will determine how you apply the information.

For those using this model in its entirety, I refer to you throughout the book as a SPET Coach (Sports Performance Enhancement Trainer). For SPET coaches, chapters one through seven represent individual sessions, usually about one hour per session. Each subsequent chapter builds upon the skills from the previous chapter, so athletes progressively master each skill before moving on to the next. Using this format will produce exceptional results. Results you will be proud of.

As for team coaches, you will have many more options on how to apply SPET tools and techniques. Whether it’s pinpointing a player’s mental weakness, plucking out specific strategies to improve individual player needs, getting the most out of your star player, or applying weekly strategies using a group format, you have the luxury of helping individual athletes and the entire team alike. Moreover, you have the option of creating “mini-packages” that mix-and-match different strategies to concoct individualized formulas for each athlete. Here, the possibilities are limitless.

As for everyone else using The Art of SPET, your newfound knowledge will certainly make you more marketable and expand what you have to offer athletes. Your athletes will appreciate that. For example, a physical fitness trainer may teach a client how to find their “runner’s high” quicker. A strength and conditioning coach may teach an athlete how to self-motivate in an attempt to break their previous deadlift record. Or a scout may recruit athletes who are more mentally sound and better equipped to compete at the next level.

Before we dive in and discuss powerful mental enhancement strategies, chapter one will review ten “critical mental skills” we should consider. I call these mental skills “critical” because based on my research and experience they represent common mental traits shared by the majority of successful athletes. Identifying the ten critical mental skills will be important because they will reveal exactly what athletes need to improve.

In the final chapter of this book (chapter eight) I offer supplemental mental enhancement strategies which I call “Band-Aids.” Band-Aid strategies are designed to target specific critical mental skills, and can be incorporated into the SPET process at any time. When we combine Band-Aids into the SPET process, athletes will improve critical mental skills quicker. I call these strategies “Band-Aids” because they were initially designed to stop the bleeding when athletes experience urgent performance issues. Incorporating Band-Aids allows us to customize our approach for each athlete. And they provide us with dozens of additional tools to consider. I am certain you will find these Band-Aid strategies useful.