This is my first attempt at doing a book review so be patient with me. Truth be known I have been a keen observer of Dr. Bhrett McCabe’s teachings and writings for about four years now. Not sure how I discovered Doc McCabe ,but his perspective into the mind of the athlete is very insightful. This is his third book, the first is the Mindside Manifesto, followed by The Game Plan, and now Break Free From Suckville.
Every athlete has been in Suckville at least once in their life, if they haven’t , well then they are just not telling the truth! We know we are there because there is this indescribable feeling of despair, but have never been given the tools to deal with it. Some dated suggestions ( tried them all!) have been to work harder, so we go to practice ground and beat balls until our hands hurt. Go get drunk, feel bad the next day and go to the range and feel worse. Or my personal favorite, go to the Pro Shop and buy something new with the hope it will deliver that magic bullet to put Suckville out of its misery. When you think about it these are not solutions, just Bandages. Until now.
There are 1440 minutes in a day. If we dedicated just 1.0 % or approximately 15 minutes a day working on our mental game just imagine how good we could be? Learning to see struggle from a different perspective and how it can actually make us better. Coaches actually have tool to help their team and themselves deal with struggle and actually be better for it. That is what Break Free From Suckville can do for you and your team.
So, what exactly is Suckville? McCabe defines it as: a state of mind that changes your reality for your past and your perception of the future. It is not a sign of being mentally weak. It is the gap between where you are and where you think you should be. Breaking Free From Suckville requires a simple mental change to improve your performance. It is not complicated. What is does take is understanding struggle and finding a way through it. The book highlights that struggle is an equal opportunity offender. However, we have the power to control our mind and what we let into it. This book will give you the fire power to be a better person, competitor, and short term resident of Suckville.
Listening to a recent podcast I learned Dr. McCabe wrote this book as if he was writing it to himself. He is a two time NCAA baseball National Champion at LSU. He was a pitcher and knows the struggles of individual and team performance. He has been there. Maybe that is why I identified with so deeply with this book and previous offerings.
Every competitive athlete and Coach fights doubt and wonders if they have the talent to succeed, this book is for you.
I am reading it for the second time and adding notes to my first go around, which is something that I highly recommend.
Find the book on Amazon or order it from bhrettmccabe.com
Until next time.
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Between The Ears 