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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

GETTING INTO THE ZONE: MASTERING THE MENTAL GAME


What is it that gets your mind focused, that place, referred to as “the zone” where your focus is locked and your performance is optimal? For Elliot Hagburg, it was the lack of excellent mentoring, that led him to find his own way into the Zone. He not only “got it” but created a manual to train young athletes how to get there as well. I was so impressed with GettingIntoThe Zone, I could not wait to interview co-author Kathy Hagburg, and could not wait to share it at NJGreats.


I recently met with Kathy and she shared her and her son  Elliot’s journey to writing Getting Into The Zone. Kathy had a career in both sales and personal training; Elliot, a recruited, catcher and stand out athlete. As a four year starter, Division 1 catcher he, played for three different Head Coaches.  Despite a less than wonderful experience with college athletics, Elliot decided to help arm young athletes with a guide to strengthening the mind to prepare for any situation both on and off the field. Kathy brought both her sales and training expertise to the table to create the ultimate manual for success.

I read the book in less than an hour, it is not just pages of theory, but an interactive manual. After each principle is presented, the reader is then asked to respond, list or create a response that puts that principle to work. My favorite part of the book is a great example of this. The Hagburgs breakdown of the negative self talk that becomes lodged in the subconscious mind; things that have been spoken over us or about us that we now believe about ourselves. Put simply:

      “Our subconscious minds will act out the story/script we unknowingly provide with     
        our thoughts. A person can study 24/7 and not succeed until he extracts “I’m a
        lousy test taker and plants “I am a terrific test taker”.


Through various written exercises, Getting Into The Zone helps the young athlete succeed no matter what script has been written for them, no matter what circumstances exist in his or her life. I applaud Elliot for having the courage to not only over-come his negative experiences, but to see the need to put this book out there and help others as well. Not to mention Kathy’s support and terrific marketing skills. The real bonus of this book, is not  just the lesson learned. Elliot holds live seminars to deliver this message in a dynamic way. On top of that, he offers the seminar and the book as a fundraising opportunity to youth programs all over New Jersey.

Please take the time to read this book, recommend it to every coach and parent you know.
It was a pleasure meeting Kathy and learning about this tremendous resource. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful Dave Hagburg, Kathy’s husband. I have not had
the pleasure of meeting him yet, but he blogs at Man in an Apron and his love for food and local fare knocks me out. We must write about him in the future. The great state of New Jersey, my home, is a better place with the Hagburg family in it.

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