RESULTS
These results were achieved at the following 13 cricket associations:
"Your relaxation exercises were helpful because my focus was more on what I needed to do. When I was putting on my pads before going out to bat, I would do your exercises to relax my mind. The most useful thing was learning that if you are happy, then you're healthy, and if you are healthy, you perform well. Cricket is related to our life. So if I am doing cricket well, then I'll be happy, and if I am happy, then I'll be healthy. However, when I was selected and took someone else's place. The media and 80% of the people were after me. They were posting negative things about me on Facebook, Twitter, and all social media. They were even texting me and abusing me and my family. They would say things like ‘He’s not a good player.’ So I ignored them and did my hard work and showed them that I am good. Inside of me I said, 'I will do it. I can do it. I need to believe in myself, be brave, and go ahead.'"
Afsar Zazai
National Men's Cricketer
Afghanistan Cricket Board
Afghanistan
"I learnt a lot of things, like NESTS. If I follow NESTS I will be completely at the top level. If I don’t do even one thing in NESTS, then I aren’t going to do as well. I need to do all 5 NESTS and consistently. Likewise, if I want to be a good top player, then I need to be disciplined. I learnt how self-belief and confidence is very important. If you keep working hard, hard, hard, but you are not mentally strong, then you can't achieve what you want. Both, working hard and mental things like self-belief are important. If I work 24 hours in the nets, but I don't believe in myself, then that work means nothing."
Hashmatullah Shahidi
National Men's Cricketer
Afghanistan Cricket Board
Afghanistan
"The best thing we have done is taught me how to handle pressure better. Helping me create a vision of what I want to do in a match, before having the match, has helped me prepare well for matches. That was very beneficial for me. By mentally visualising, I am able to stay one step ahead. It helps me not be rushed or scared."
Naveen UI Haq
Senior Men's Cricketer
Afghanistan Cricket Board
Afghanistan
"I was thinking that I was under pressure. So your confidence information was useful, as when I think of my career I realise that when I did well I was confident, but when I was not confident I didn't do well. I believe that to handle the pressure, my confidence needs to be on a high level. I need to live like a legend. I need to serve myself and serve my nation (respect myself and take care of myself). I am a 1-man army who is the captain of himself. I learnt that NESTS is important for every life and a healthy life. I have to be strict on my thoughts and adopt them. I have to do it practically. I need to adopt the good things and leave the bad things. I should stick to NESTS, to be better than a normal person, if I want to be a super athlete. I know it’s not easy to be a good athlete, but I have to persist to improve my NESTS. We should realise that we are not a common people, we are serving a nation, and we should analyse ourselves, as we are representing 30 million people to the world."
Sharafuddin Ashraf
National Men's Cricketer
Afghanistan Cricket Board
Afghanistan
"When I first saw you I thought you were just wasting our time. We thought that it was just something funny. However, I found out that psychology is a big subject and that if we sit with you and train with you we can change about 50% of our life and future career. I use to be very worried about a lot of things, but now I am trying to follow a timetable. I use to give up, but now I am tougher. I use to do gym 1 time, but now I do it 2 times per day and with more pleasure. I've had three months with you, but I wish I was with you when I was a player, because I've learnt a lot from you. I am sure that if you had trained me then, I could have been one of the best players in the cricket world. I got a lot of things from you. I now take full advantage of your cricket lessons for my professional and private live. So when I get worried I have to stay calm and relaxed, especially as a coach during matches and when they make mistakes or misbehave. I need to think about the right idea."
KhaliqDad Noori
National Bowling Coach
Afghanistan Cricket Board
Afghanistan
"I didn't know what we would do, but I knew that if I could control my nerves, then I can perform really well, like great players. We have done lots of sessions. I've learnt lots of things, including strange things like breathing on my back with my legs on a chair. I liked your breathing technique because when I concentrate on it, negative thoughts do not come. The most useful thing we did was to learn how to leave fear and prevent negative thinking. In tough situations I can think positive. My concentration is better. In the past if I bowled a bad ball I felt bad, but now I am calmer and come back stronger. I have learnt to believe in myself, work hard, practice properly, and think positive all the time. I should never, ever tell ‘I can't’, but instead think positive all the time, believe in my potential, work towards my maximum potential, don't over-show how good I am, and enjoy the happy life."
Sajedul Islam
National Men's Cricketer
Bangladesh Cricket Board
"The information I got from you was amazing. For instance, the words you told me in the net gave me the direction of what I should do as a batsman. It gave me the upper hand over the bowler. I felt energetic and empowered from within. Likewise, the additions we made to my approach to the field routine when I am about to bat are brilliant. You didn't change my routine, but the additions remind me of four brilliant words that give me success. It gives me strength. I can now feel what I use to only think. The NOISE affirmation you helped me create is also brilliant. It defines what I want and what I want to do. The words I chose are appropriate words. They are the formula of success. Your Thriving Habit is cool because it will keep reminding me of my targets and help me to achieve it. It's very hard for me to have a negative thought now. I'm more optimistic, enthusiastic, energetic, and positive now. Some of the things you taught me were not to say 'NO' or 'I can't'; that doubt and negativity may come, but I need to stay emotionally stable; always be the guy who tries and says, 'I can, I do'; and that I shouldn't be fearful of doing new things. Probably the most useful thing we did was the breathing exercises. I immediately feel a feeling of relaxation with your breathing technique. It gave me focus, calmness, peace, and I found it very nice. It helps, like all the techniques, to focus on what you want and not looking at negativity."
Shahriar Nafees
National Men's Cricketer
Bangladesh Cricket Board
Since training with Adrian:
86 not out (off 57 balls)
55 (off 34 balls) in 1st BPL match
63 (off 43 balls) in 2nd BPL match
65 (off 58 balls) in 3rd BPL match
"Your sessions were a lot of use. You could see it in my face that I didn't get enough sleep when we did the session on sleep. My sleeping is now changed. When I wake up in the morning I am more energized. I'm going to bed at an appropriate time now. I'm now waking up without my alarm clock. I'm not rushing now, as I'm getting enough sleep. You give me a new perspective to do things. For instance, how to be calm, how to achieve something, and stop negatives breaking me down. The main message for me is that I need to believe in myself, so that I can do anything that comes my way. If I believe in myself, nothing will be too big to take on. I'm not going to back down. So I need to do what I do best, run in and bowl and get wickets. The session on goals helped, as I was not sure how to set goals. I had rough goals, but now I know how to use numbers and a time line. The thing that touched me the most was the session on smoking, alcohol, and sexually transmitted diseases. They will shorten my cricket career. My smoking haunts me the most. If I don’t stop smoking today, then I won’t be able to play for as many years. I should be able to play cricket for another 7 years, but if I don’t quit smoking I won’t make it. If I focus on what I want on life and forget about the rest, I will reach my goals."
Charl Cyster
Senior Men's Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
Paarl, South Africa
"NESTS (Nutrition, Exercise, Sleep, Thinking, Social support) can improve my performance. Before you told me about this I didn't do anything about it. Now I try to sleep 8+ hours sleep per night, eat healthier, and think more positively about things. For instance, on Friday something happened that I would have been pissed off with, but I wasn't. I understood the situation better and so I stayed calm. I liked the confidence session as confidence is key. Believe in myself. If I am confident I will have the self-belief to achieve what I want. I am very laid back. For instance, when I will know something is done wrong in the team, as I am the youngster in the team, I tend to go with other peoples’ opinions. By being proactive I will be a better person and achieve everything I want to in life. I have to stop being laid back and make things happen for myself. I need to give my opinions as well. Your sessions on smoking really spooked me. I have to stop if I want to succeed in cricket. The main messages is that I not only can improve my performances, but my health as well, and I'll be a happier person. I need to cut out all the negative people in my life and surround myself with positive people. I need to avoid POT; I need to stop over-thinking. I do that a lot. When I go out to bat I over-think. I need to stop that and just go out and do it. I need to do the 5-minute routine and implement my vision and mission every day."
Curtley Louw
Senior Men's Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
Paarl, South Africa
"I wasn't a guy to talk about such things. Before the sessions began, my thinking was, 'I don't need to do these. I can do other things with my time.' However, I now want to be here, because the stuff you are saying helps me, not just in my cricket life, but in my personal life. I now actually want to be here. The most useful thing we have done is talk about thinking. Sometimes I have been in a negative mind-set. I have worried about the future, but now I am clear in my mind where I am going. I now know what I want and how to get there. I've changed my thinking due to this. I've stopped thinking negative. I stopped telling myself, 'I can't do this'. I tell myself, 'I can do this'. As a result, I'm calmer now. I'm more professional. In the space of only three weeks I am different. My friends see a difference in me. I only had a vision prior to you; no mission. I never use to think about a mission. My mission was only to work hard. I never thought about quitting smoking, bad habits, negative thinking and stuff like that. I only thought about working hard. After seeing you, I am clear. I've got the tools from you. I now know what I need to do to get my vision and to improve my life as well. I know where I have to work harder and what sacrifices I have to do to get where I want to go. The main message for me is you have to be hard. If you are soft, you are going to fade away in the negative world. Once you are hard, you will only see obstacles as something to overcome. So I need to take more control of my life and the responsibility on myself."
Ferisco Adams
Captain, Senior Men's Team
Boland Cricket Association
(And Cape Cobras Franchise Cricketer)
Paarl, South Africa
"I've seen changes in myself due to this training. Your ambition inspired me a lot. It can't be easy to do what you do. Your interest is to improve peoples' lives. It's a unique love. To perform at the best of my ability I now understand that I need to be mentally tough and happy. I am trying to implement this five minutes before training sessions. Practising with the right discipline is important. If I can improve my mental approach by 1 percent, then I increase my cricket by 1 percent. It is stuff that I can take out of cricket as well, to be a better human; be better mentally for whatever life throws at you. For instance, the session on confidence helps increase my performances in a massive way. That is why we should fake reality sometimes to achieve and boost our confidence, until a point that I don’t have to fake it anymore."
Lizaard Williams
Senior Men's Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
(And Cape Cobras Franchise Cricketer)
Paarl, South Africa
"I don’t think that you are aware of how powerful this training is. It's a life-changer. It's beyond just learning about cricket mental toughness. It shapes your character. It can actually lengthen your life, especially when we talked about lifestyle habits, the fear response, etc. You've changed my whole outlook on life. I now take more ownership of my success journey not only as a cricketer, but as a person too. I used to have excuses about back issues, so avoided running, but now I do more jogging. In my most recent match I got 3 for 28 in 10 overs, 56 not out, and hit the winning runs because for a week after you trained me about neuroticism and emotional stability I thought carefully about and applied mental stability. I now understand myself better and stay mentally calm. Everything we have learned has been good. Each topic teaches me a different tool to use. I have even more conviction in my belief that in order to be successful, or a cut above the rest in what you do, you have to be willing to make sacrifices. Successful people are always willing to make sacrifices and can see a bigger picture than the luxuries they are sacrificing. There is no shortcut to the top."
Nkululeko Serame
Senior Men's Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
(And Cape Cobras Franchise Cricketer)
Paarl, South Africa
"I didn't know anything about you before you arrived. So I wasn't sure what we would be doing. For instance, I didn't know that some of the sessions involved things like how sleep affects us. However, from the very beginning it clicked for me. The whole thing of there is no such thing as stress, it’s just actually fear, helped me. I honestly doubt myself when I am playing cricket. I often over-think certain situations. I often ask people what I did wrong in a situation. So I am constantly looking for faults in my technique and in my game and generally when big moments do come, I tend to initially be wary about them, but then I look forward to them. So the whole thing about fear and me not wanting bad things to happen, it just made me realise that I shouldn't fear opportunities, but rather I should embrace them. I agree with you about not doing POT (avoid Perfectionism and Over-Thinking). Although I am fairly confident in my abilities, I over-think a lot. I am extremely technical about certain things, specifically related to cricket, and yet often I've noticed that the times when I play the best are when I am not thinking. My best days are when it feels like a blur; when I simply don’t recall what I did. So I need to stop over-thinking. The two sessions on sleep impacted me a lot. I saw the difference today actually in the gym, as I got more sleep. Generally I struggle to complete the warm-up in the gym, whereas today I got into a rhythm and I stopped thinking about time and how quick I had to run. My breathing was very smooth and I did double the number of minutes of jogging, even though I haven’t jogged in three weeks. This was a big jump and the extra sleep helped me a lot. I've done your breathing a lot and now do it while doing other things and with visualisation. It allows me to be calmer. By being calm, I can be in control of my life. The meditation also helps to relax and clear my mind. I have made some changes in my day to day life. For instance, I use to be very abrupt with someone, but after one of your sessions about phrasing words, I have tried to do something about that. Having set tasks and goals to achieve each day and then recapping them at the end of the day, definitely helped me to achieve my tasks better. On the last day of your sessions I completed a questionnaire on mental toughness. If I had completed it on the first day, I would have scored 5 out of 36 less marks. I must enjoy challenges and look to shine in these moments."
Reeve Cyster
Senior Men's Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
Paarl, South Africa
"Your work has been fantastic to be honest. And I will always be thankful for our sessions. These sessions taught me many things like the need to be mentally strong so that I can fulfil my potential; change is not easy, but I need to embrace change to fulfil my potential; lead by example and set the benchmark high; fear less, be courageous; put an end to negative thoughts; be positive all the time and be in control of my emotions and my destiny; and nobody’s doubts should get in the way of my dreams. But the main message was that I need to believe in myself, not only when I am doing well, but in the more challenging times. As a result, you channelled me to think exclusively for myself. You made me aware of all the good things I did to get where I am and so I will show faith and carry on. prior to seeing you I scored two ducks. Since the training I have scored 64, 62 not out, and 76 with the Cape Cobras franchise team."
Simon Khomari
Senior Men's Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
(And Cape Cobras Franchise Cricketer)
Paarl, South Africa
"I loved it. Each and every inch of it. I really think it will help me, not only as a cricketer, but an individual in this world. It boosted my confidence. I can now look past issues in my head and I learnt to calm myself down. My breathing when running is now better as I am so much more relaxed. You've improved my communication skills; I've got to be more confident when I talk and believe I can conquer anything when I put my mind to it. We haven't been socialising like this as a team, but now we communicate well as a team. Things I will remember in the future are, 'Confidence is everything, always keep a positive mind-set, believe you can and you will.'"
Andre Janse Van Rensburg
Under 19 Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
Paarl, South Africa
"It was very introspective. There was a lot of information and best of all it was in-depth with facts. Sometimes people want to give you information and not give you a chance to think and make your own decisions. You give us a chance to express ourselves. You showed the statistics, gave your opinions, and you allowed us to express our opinions. The confidence information will stick with me the most. I wanted to be perfect and right now, but now I feel more relaxed. I see my future as bright. The guys definitely learnt things. The boys made jokes about the material indicating that they understood the material and were taking something from it."
Vezokuhle Mntungwa
Under 19 Cricketer
Boland Cricket Association
Paarl, South Africa
"All of the cricketers took positives from your training sessions. I know this, as I spoke to their fathers. One of the fathers said that his son was engaged and excited about your sessions. Not only are they sitting in your sessions on Sundays, but they elected to come. They want to be here. They were very engaged and focused. I personally liked the optimism session, as it was a fresh way of looking at optimism. I haven’t thought about it in your way. For instance, I have read Winston Churchill’s quote many times in the past, but you transported me into the moment. I actually felt like I was on one of the benches when Winston was talking. I also liked the way you captured the five thinking styles that are most important for performance."
James Fortuin
CEO
Boland Cricket Association
Paarl, South Africa
"The financial resources of BCA are limited and most of the money goes towards improvement of technical and playing aspects of cricket. Hence, we haven’t engaged any long-term sport psychology consultants. Having previously worked in the higher realms of cricket and seeing other sport psychologists work with their players, I have noticed that the mental aspect of playing cricket is really important, especially in terms of long-term goal-setting and inter-match psychological issues. Being able to manage your playing career and being able to cope mentally with varying match scenarios is fundamentally important to all cricketers. In the last decade or so the most successful cricket nations have displayed very strong mental fortitude in how they achieve success on and off the playing field. Psychological skills have to become habit if we are going to take Botswana places on the global stage. You helped the players open up and talk about their lives. As a result, they are now ready to take their performance to another level. You opened up a new world to the players as to how they can look at cricket. For instance, goal-setting has become very cliché and yet my players really did not know how to set goals. You showed them how to do it. Players and laypeople alike do know about it, but to have someone like you come in and break it down and give them a template to work from is invaluable. If my Batswana players now see successful overseas cricket players performing on the world stage, it won’t be so much a mystery as to how they coped mentally and how they got there in the first place. You came with a fresh and vocal approach. Batswana are not used to someone being so engaging, but they listened and interacted well. They found it interesting and something they can put into practice. For instance, you got one of our youngest players to open up in front of the senior players and display a sense of confidence that I had never seen before."
Arjun Menon
Head Coach and High Performance Manager
Botswana Cricket Association
"This was huge. I don’t think you understand how big a difference you are making. We have always gone with a good team, but we have had a soft underbelly. This experience will transform a lot of players’ lives. It will make them stronger people and handle pressures in life and on the sports field better. You have helped us turn up as a different team and different players. I think it was very interesting and different. I believed everything you said. For instance, you were trying to remove our fears so that we don’t have limitations and help us believe that the sky is the limit. I believe in God and your message is similar to the bible. For instance, Mark 9, Verse 23 says, ‘If you believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ I enjoyed the breathing exercises, because it is not very often that you are able to do things without concentrating on a whole lot of things. Yesterday I had a few troubles, but the breathing exercises allowed me to lose myself and get out of the negative moment – definitely. For instance, I had some anxiety about a decision I had to make, but the breathing really relaxed me a lot. It’s so true, that when you think in a certain way, the outcome will most likely head in that direction. If you go out there thinking, ‘oh my goodness there’s a lot to do,’ instead of thinking, ‘let’s get out there and just have fun,’ then you are already half way out. I like the way you joke around the players, as you put them at ease. You make everyone feel a part of the team."
Karabo Modise
Captain, Botswana Senior Men’s Cricket Team
Botswana Cricket Association
"The sessions were good as I learnt a lot. People were participating and they were giving good answers. The best thing you did was that you helped everyone understand what you were doing. You went over and over enough times so we understood. You taught things that we can use with different kinds of athletes. At first some of the audience were nervous, but after a while they became more confident. The younger audience members were impressive, as after only one session they could do your techniques without any problems."
Innocent Chando
Coach, Botswana U19 Women's Cricket Team
Botswana Cricket Association
"It was an eye-opener. Our girls haven't experienced psychology sessions so it will change their mind-set about the way they act. They will think more positively and think twice about what they will do. Same for me as well. As a captain I tend to question myself after I make decisions, but now I'll have a second to think about what I will do using the diaphragmatic breathing technique and then I'll feel more confident with my decision. The players were having fun doing the exercises. They were confused initially, but then they gave it a go, as they realized your techniques could help them not only in cricket, but in their social lives."
Shameelah Mosweu
Captain, Botswana U19 Women's Cricket Team
Botswana Cricket Association
"It’s all different stuff and it’s all been useful. In the past I haven’t set goals for myself. I've tried my best, however if I set my mind to something I can achieve it. Hence, I need to believe more in myself and what I want to achieve. I now very much see the point of knowing what I am all about and setting goals for myself. I see it nice and useful to see what I want to become. Your sessions have been very helpful just to see my life and the whole world in a more positive way and to be more positive as a person and be happy. I like the happiness part of it; happiness controls your life. If I see the good in things I'll be happy. In every bad situation there is always some good you can take out of it. Hence, I should not worry about fear. Play every situation on it’s merits. The main message for me is to see the good in things and if I am happy and hardier I'll get so much more out of life. It’s not what happens in your life, but how you handle it. So I need to not have any fear and treat every situation as it comes. I need to see situations in a positive way and not obviously the negative. It’s also important not to blow things out of proportion. Don’t make big things out of small things that don’t really matter."
Bernard Scholtz
Senior Men's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"You are inspiring. You made me believe you. You didn't bullshit. I wouldn't compare us as the same, but I see a lot of how I act in you. I feel at ease with you. As a person you've done something right to help me open to such things. You've made me more aware of how I can be calmer and react better in every situation that I am going to be. In the past I reacted too much, but in certain situations I now stop and ask myself, ‘What can I do to make the situation better and diffuse the situation.” This has been something I wanted to do, but never knew how to do it. This will make me a better person in everything that I do. Cricket is who I am. It’s a massive part of my life and yet in the last two seasons I have not written down any goals. I have been playing because I liked it, but I haven’t done the right things to move in the direction I want to. Now, however, I’m more positive. I don’t complain now. I keep my mouth shut and just do what I have to do. That change was not easy for me, as I like talking. I like NESTS. It’s something I need to do more. It’s a useful trigger. It makes such a difference. If I do NESTS 100 percent right, then I will be truly professional. What we do as a cricketer and a person is basically all about that. It allows me to have energy and then there is no break in concentration and it allows me to be 100 percent on the ball. If I can get my NESTS 100% perfect and work on my SONS and get that 100% perfect, then I will be the complete sportsman that I want to be."
Jan Frylinck
Senior Men's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"Once I start something I don’t stop, but I don’t always start things when I need to. Starting is the hardest part. As a result of this training I don’t do as many stupid things now, such as making rushed decisions, and I don’t overthink. Confidence is everything. Everything I do, everything I think. There is no other way, but confidence to be successful. Therefore, I need to think confident, act confident and be confident. I need to have a growth mind-set, always be willing to learn, and ‘fake it to you make it’ and then my life will be successful. Your sessions are really interesting. It’s a lot different from other psychologists. You take me out of my comfort zone, especially with memorizing things. But if I am hardier, I'll become happier and more confident, and I'll do things better. I need to challenge myself more. I haven’t been doing that a lot. I started last year with trail running, but it got boring, even though it helped me with my fitness. So, I need to keep doing what’s better for me. After the first session I decided I needed to see you, as I can see you as a challenge. I learnt that I can achieve anything if I believe that I can do it. I am more positive than when I first saw you. I don’t see ‘bad’ things happening as a negative, but rather something that I can overcome."
Johannes Smit (JJ)
Senior Men's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"The sessions are good. I've learnt a lot about myself. Every session is different. It’s never boring. The information, proof, evidence, and pictures makes it really interesting. It’s very detailed. I've never taken the mental side of cricket seriously, but you've shown me how it can improve my cricket and make me a better person. I liked the session on 'stress'/fear, as I can perceive things differently and not label it as 'stress'. In pressure situations I can be calmer. I really need to work on mental toughness. For instance, if I become hardier it will not only improve my happiness and my quality of living (life standards) and thus I need to practice to become hardier by pursuing my own moral compass. It will help me express myself better. Sometimes I say things that I don’t mean. You are intense; you make me focus all the time. The main message for me is to become hardier. As I’m more optimistic now and am having more positive thoughts, I can definitely become hardier."
Lohandre Louwrens
Senior Men's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"I now want to make my dreams a reality. You have made me realise that I have been limiting myself. When I was in South Africa, especially as a Namibian, I was scared of failure. It stuck since those days. I am now not frightened to conquer my fears. I have never had these thoughts before. You've made me realise that there is more than one way to be successful. You've made me tougher, definitely less fearful, more confident, and more excited about the challenges ahead. In the past, when I studied, it was all about passing, but now I want to be up to 70 percent. I now understand that I am good enough to be a success in cricket and so I want to test myself against the best in the world and not take the easy way out. I want to reach my true potential. I now want to be a success in business as well. I really enjoyed your sessions. You give me a different perspective, especially for my cricket career. You have taught me how to conduct GOAT HOURS each month. So I will complete four hours each month observing winners such as Steve Waugh, Virat Kohli, Elon Musk, Keanu Reeves, and Will Smith for 2 hours per day, for 2 days per person per month, by reading on the internet. You've opened another door. Every one tells you to work hard, but they don’t always tell you to think about these things. I really liked the sessions about hardiness and confidence as they opened my mind a bit better. Since seeing you I'm not having naps and I'm getting an extra 45 to 60 minutes of sleep and as a result when I wake up I feel good, really good. I concentrate longer, have more energy, and don't want to stop working. I'm not watching as much television either. It's working nicely. I have lots of energy and feel very positive. I don't have road rage any longer. I'm calmer."
Stephen Baard
Senior Men's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"I need to focus on what I really want. So I need to know what I want and then I need to focus on what I need to do, and not be bothered by all the little things that would usually bother me. So it all comes down to believing in my abilities and myself. When I get my mind right, I'll get all the confidence I need. As a result, I will focus on what matters, ignore the rest, and then everything else will take care of itself. For me the main message is how important the small little things are in order to achieve whatever goal I want to achieve. We often neglect one or two of them and you wouldn't think they would actually have such a big impact. It also boils down to the fact that all these little things when added together make a huge difference. I must have a growth mind-set in order to gain a lot of confidence to believe that I can do what I set out to do. I will do my NESTS and become the best player/person I can be."
Tangeni Lungameni
Senior Men's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"I've changed in lots of ways. When I sit back and think about all the sessions I realise just how much my lifestyle, my thoughts, the input I put into my work, and my training has changed. I'm eating healthier, especially more fruits and vegetables. Even in the nets I've changed. I’m not over-excited any more in the nets. I’m not scared to play the shots that I want to play. I’m doing the things you told me to do like play dominantly and hit the ball cleaner. I feel more relaxed, even in an argument. And this all started with a simple mind-set of turning my world around, especially the NOISE affirmation I created that really turned my world around. I thought that you were going to talk about my history and what I’m struggling with like a normal psychologist. You didn't ask anything like that. You saw the person that is here and we started to change that. You don’t judge me. You accept me for who I am and work with me. Your sessions were awesome. It was inspiring. I could immediately see that I was going to have a positive outcome. You have a passion for it. You are here to change my mind-set and you are doing it because you love it. I can see the simple things: you are always on time, you’re doing 10 to 12 hours per day and not complaining. The most useful thing you did for me was change the word from ‘I can’t’ to ‘I can do it.’ I get shivers now (like a “wow” moment”) about knowing that I can. No excuses! That is similar to the NOISE Sentence I created, ‘The work that I put in is going to determine my outcome/future. The same with my thoughts.’ In other words, my mind-set has changed in my work, my lifestyle, my thoughts, and how I change. In the past I believed ‘anything is possible’, but I saw all the negative consequences. Now I now believe anything is possible. I don’t worry about unnecessary stuff like, at work, as much. I take criticism better now because I am accepting that I am not always right and that I need to keep learning. You challenged me mentally to know that I need to become a better player, better teammate, and a better family member. You made me think about being a better example for the team. As a result, I also realised that you were correct and I have changed the way I think, train and play the game of cricket."
Anneri Van Schoor
Captain, Senior Women's Team
Cricket Namibia
"I am actually learning a lot of things that I am not doing, but need to be doing in my life. For instance, I need to stop over-thinking situations that aren't complicated and instead I need to overcome my fears and control the controllable. I especially liked the self-esteem information because in the past when someone said something bad about me, I would think a lot about it. Now however it’s only in the back of my mind for a few minutes because in the end it only matters what I think about myself. One thing that you said really stood out to me, is how a female cricketer has not been selected for the national South African team because she isn't willing to change. I am definitely willing to change and I am definitely changing. If I am not studying and doing my assignments, then I go to bed at 10 o’clock, but in the past I use to go to bed at about 11. In the past I use to get up at 6, but now I get up at 7:30 or 8. I’m not as tired as I use to be and I’m not as grumpy as I use to be, especially as I’m not a morning person, but I have to get up in the morning. I want to change my nutrition the most, so I now eat healthier, e.g., keep away from the sodas. If my eating habits are healthier, then I will be healthier and happier, especially as an athlete. I haven’t thought about any negative things today. When I get up I try and attack my assignments. If I’m mentally strong I can go through any obstacles life throws at me. I think if I train myself to think positive thoughts, each day will be better than the last.” I liked doing the questions we had to answer about our toughness, positive mind set etc. And the three words we have to say to our self before we go onto the field, it really helps me to calm and relax."
Kayleen Green
Senior Women's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"After the first session we had, I told myself not to think negatively and started to think more positively. As a result, more positive things have started to happen to me. I tend to be scared about things that I can’t control, so I work myself up unnecessarily. I looked at all your slides and realised that I don’t need to work myself up and get scared. I’m not thinking negatively as much now. I really like your sessions, even though you take me out of my comfort zone. I wouldn't have done this if you hadn't come to Namibia. You opened up my mind and I now think about things more intensely. I've opened up. I was extremely introverted and thus talking in front of the group initially was hard, but I wanted people to hear my opinion. I was sick of only hearing other people's ideas and opinions. Because you made me think more confidently and I opened up. I like the breathing exercises, as I'm peaceful when I do it. I've never felt anything like that before. I really liked it. The main message for me is to be confident in whatever I do. At the end of the day, it's my choice and no one else's. I can decide if I want to be confident or not. No one can decide that for me."
Reehana Khan
Senior Women's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"One day I was in the nets and frustrated. My mind was so occupied that I could not concentrate on what people were saying. I was feeling emotions and anger. I thought about the training afterwards and then realised that if I was mentally tougher, I wouldn't have felt as if I was bombarded by all the advice I was being given. You have helped me to understand that I have to go the extra mile and train the mental side to be extraordinary. As a player, I can really go far. In the past when I did something wrong I became frustrated and angry easily, but today in the nets even though I couldn't get something right, I didn't get angry, as I now understand that I don't need to get angry about these things. Your session on back pain made me think. At first I didn't want to believe you, but I was actually mind blown. It's been a year and 3 months since I got injured in a match. Since then I have not bowled a decent ball without pain. I convinced myself the injury was due to overuse. However, due to your training, I now see how it's due to fear and cortisol. Since the injury I worried a lot about what people thought about me and if I was over-exaggerating the pain. Since training with you I don't worry anymore and I know what I'm capable of. In the past when I went out to bat I stood 'stressed'. So when you said it was not stress, then I changed how I thought about it. I now remind myself that fear is only real when I do not understand the power I have over it. I liked all the examples you used in mental toughness. I had most of the answers wrong, because I was still feeling doubtful. But you immediately made me realise that I don’t have to feel this way. Each session was necessary."
Yasmeen Khan
Senior Women's Cricketer
Cricket Namibia
"As a young player myself, I needed guidance. I did not see myself as an athlete, especially as I was not tall. After my first year of playing at the London Cricket Academy I realised that I was too negative about myself. If I had had someone like you back then I would have been a much better person and cricketer. I have realised that some of the positive things I’m doing, maybe not at the level you are talking about, will make me a better person and coach. I like that you have helped me to realise that to be a better person and coach we all have it in us. We just have too many doubts. You have made me realise that if we get enough sleep, exercise, have good social support, then I have a better choice in succeeding in whatever I choose to it. I never thought sleep was important and could have such an impact on everything else we do. I’m getting 8 to 9 hours sleep, whereas I was getting 6 hours sleep. I am exercising better. I feel more like a youngster. I think the boys have been through many coaches and psychologists, but no one but you has gone into detail about how off the field stuff can have such a huge impact on the field. I think they gained how to improve their lifestyle, such as diet, nutrition, sleep, exercise etc and how have a positive attitude towards everything they do. I've seen good changes in the players. For instance, one of the players seems calmer and more focused. He doesn't focus on things he can't control any more. Since you arrived his performance has improved from 40% to 75%. You made him realise what it takes to perform no matter where he plays. Another one of the players never use to do extra. He would never turn up first or train on his own. He even gets to the gym before me and anyone else. That tells me that what you have done has got him to realise that it must come from him."
"I thought this could be helpful as I had never worked with a sport psychologist one-on-one and so thought this may take me to a better position. During our first brief five minute meeting I thought you really believed in yourself and 'I'll see what it's all about.' The confidence that you show is your talent and gift to get people's attention. You got my attention, I listen, and I learn. What you have warrants your confidence. I feel that my dreams are now very achievable. I know that working on these mental things will definitely help me reach my goals and dreams. Being a conscientious person will improve my relationships, health and success in sport. Changing a few little things will make a big difference. I need to be clear in my mind, peaceful, at ease, and focus on positive thoughts. The diaphragmatic breathing you taught me clears my mind and puts my body at ease. Doing the breathing every day and taking the responsibility to execute the breathing on my own will result in me being relaxed and peaceful naturally, resulting in better health and decisions. I know that I can control my thoughts, focus on what matters, and use this to achieve my dreams."
Kirwin Christoffels
Senior Men's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"You're very good. I'm walking out to the crease without butterflies and nerves. I'm no longer unsure of my game. I move freely from ball one and see the ball more clearly. I don't feel stuck in the crease like I did in the past. The main message is just to think positively, think big, and know anything is possible if you place all the right fundamentals together. You need to work hard, but feed off others who think you can't do something and prove them wrong. All of the material hit home in one way or another. They have made me clearer in my thought processes. They all work hand in hand. As we had done so many sessions I am used to who you are and thus I'm more comfortable with working with you. I'm able to zone into what I want to achieve and not focus on anything else that could distract me from achieving my goals. I didn't think I was going to get to that stage. I learnt that being absolutely calm in my own skin and having the ability to focus on what I want to achieve without being distracted easily, I can significantly improve my chances of performing at the highest level. Hence, I can achieve my main goals. The message is simple: completely back myself. Back myself fully and that confidence is really important to have as a person if you want to achieve your goals, but having said that you have to be realistic. So understand the difference between confidence and being too ego-driven (e.g., arrogant)."
Onke Nyaku
Senior Men's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"I wanted to do these sessions with you. I wanted to see if you could change my mind-set in general. I was stuck in a habit of doing things my way and not thinking about others and the team at times. Things were going in the downward spiral and so I escaped from reality until I did not know who I was. I wasn't always making great choices. This has been going on for 2 to 3 years. Your sessions made me think about what I have been putting in my body. You have given me perspective. I now understand that stubbornness will not take me far. I now know more about the consequences of my actions. And now I think about my actions before carrying them out. I've definitely decreased my alcohol consumption massively. I also don't feel I need to be so reckless. I'm more empathic and basically thinking about my decisions more than just reacting. I'm exercising more. The small sacrifices that I make, by for example stopping fast food and drinking fizzy drinks, will set me to a more positive life."
Dumisani Magala
Academy Men's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"The two most interesting sessions were the 'stress' and the breathing one. I hear people every day say, 'stress, stress, stress.' All of Port Elizabeth is talking about a mythical creature. Many people say you can't control your tenseness and 'stress', but you can. I was doing the breathing with the NOISE affirmation I made, while batting, and I felt more confident. In fact, the one mistake I made I got bowled out and that was when I didn't do the breathing. I am approaching challenges in a more structured and positive way. Instead of looking at things negatively, I am looking at things in a more positive way. Funnily enough in a recent situation that I would have seen as negative and getting emotional, I could not see any negative things in it. I felt positive. Understanding that 'stress' doesn't exist was useful because it made me understand that I was making situations worse. I thought about your idea about perception long and hard. I need to lose the weight, get fitter, approach the game in a more positive way, and become more disciplined. I took your running programme and am now up to the fourth week. I feel more active in my general life. I'm eating much better. Coming to these psychology sessions means that I am eating less and eat a good breakfast. I'm getting more sleep. And probably the most important my self-esteem is high, but when I was playing cricket I was doubting myself. In the last match, however, I did not doubt myself even once. I actually felt really good."
Jarryd Lookwhy
Academy Men's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"I want to be successful. I want to get all the resources I can so I can create a winning recipe that works for me. I always use to question what I do. I use to wonder if I do the correct things. You are helping me to see things clearer. When it comes to tough situations and identify if it really is fearful or something I can actually control. You are helping me to stay calm and not fear things. I'm calmer. I trust that I can get through things better. I need to work on sleep. I've always thought I could work on less, but now I understand that I should not sacrifice my needs. I was getting 7 hours sleep, but due to you I now understand that I need 9 hours sleep, and I'm now getting 8 to 9 hours. I'm more focused on my long-term plans, simply because of discussing my goals, and putting them on paper. I now have more accountability. Talking to you about my goals and how to define my goals allowed me to narrow down my goals more accurately. I now know where I am in my journey and I now know how far I have already come, through positive thoughts. When I have a really busy day, breathing techniques help me to stay calm and clear my thoughts. I now have more confidence since seeing you. I now say, 'Just do it! Don't overthink it and don't complicate it. If other people can score off these bowlers, then so can I. So just do it.' I'm now doing your breathing 3 to 4 times per days. Today I played out of my socks. It was the best I have ever bowled. I got 5 wickets for 28 runs in 9.4 overs. I got the guy on 100 first ball and it was a maiden. I felt like I was one with my run-up and the ball. I could have done my run-up with my eyes closed. I didn't have to aim, it just pitched where I wanted it to land. Today I didn't overthink my bowling action and trusted my abilities. I was not thinking, 'Maybe my hips aren't pushing forward. Maybe I am falling over. Maybe my wrist wasn't coming down straight.' Between overs in my first spell I was doing diaphragmatic breathing at third man to help me stay relaxed to ensure that I continue to perform at a high level. This week I bowled to the Indian national team and the South African national team very well. Today I said, 'You've done it all week, don't think about it and back yourself.' I felt relaxed and never felt under pressure, and I was excited to play. I didn't think about my bowling action, just what the batsman was going to do and executed accordingly. I did not notice time. I didn't feel rushed and I did not feel like I needed to take my time. I was in that zone of everything snowballing and things were just happening as they should."
Joshua Dodd
Academy Men's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"A lot of what you have done has made sense to me and fits into my life. It's worth it to keep doing it. The thing that has stuck with me the most is that, I am in control! I like being in control of situations and the happiest times are when I am in control. The main message is 'I am in control of the way I perceive events in my life and a positive perception over these events will lead to greater happiness and more success.' You have given me a bit of an affirmation that I will attract a great partner, as my friends are confident, outgoing, and have high self-esteems. In my kind of life, I like a relaxed life. I like the beach. It puts everything at ease. The intensity is high in cricket, but it's something that I like. So I like the diaphragmatic breathing. It may only be for a minute, but everything slows down and then I go again. It’s an activity that is short, quick, puts me at ease, but for longer than that one minute. I can relax for all the activities and situations I am going to take on in my day ahead. Listening instead of talking has helped me learn a lot. I am confident so therefore I will perform. The mediation creates a clearer mind and allows me to focus on the goals I set, which means that I will see myself realizing these goals and achieving them will create happiness for me."
Joshua Van Heerdan
Captain, Academy Cricket Team
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"The impact of your sessions came quickly. You got me more optimistic and see things from a different angle. For example, in the first week of a recent T20 tournament I went for 20 in one over and instead of seeing it as bad, I saw it as an opportunity to grow mentally. I then remained positive and backed my ability even more in the following games of the tournament. As a result, I brought my economy down to eventually average only 6 runs per over for the whole tournament. The things you teach are important for my development as a cricketer and in my personal life. So far it has helped me see things in a different positive manner. For instance, understanding that fear exists and that I need to stand up to my fear. I am grateful for that. Fear is something you create, how you perceive things. Hence, I need to be more positive and see things from a more positive angle. I need to have less negative thoughts that will affect my performances, remain positive, and believe in myself, whilst still accepting failure as a learning curve and then moving on from it. I like the way all your material comes together: NESTS, sleep, fear and how small things can make a big difference. I don't want to overthink, I just want to back myself when I'm at my mark and execute. If I do the breathing exercises regularly, it will get me in the zone, focus on positive and neutral thoughts, and also get me into the positive mind-set for the day. It will take all the neurotic thoughts away and remind me of my goals that I have set out to achieve and that I need to work harder to achieve."
Kyle Jacobs
Academy Men's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"During the first session I thought it was a waste of time, but after the confidence session I realised it really made a difference. I've changed a great deal. The session I remember the most was about how I must trust myself, because when doubt sets in, I mess up. I've had problems about not trusting myself in the past. I wish I had that session and the one on confidence earlier, then I could have had a better mind-set when approaching a game or just anything that is happening in my life. At university I am more confident when speaking and talking to people. Last year I was not doing things like this. I can see how much I have improved in talking to people and not get scared. I am now able to talk to my team mates without worrying too much, whereas before I didn't make that much of an effort because I was too scared I might say or do the wrong things. This definitely helped bring me closer to my team mates and trusting them more. I used to get in to my mind a lot and overthink and that lead me to not performing as well. My bowling and fielding has improved since seeing you. Usually when fielding in the past I would get scared about dropping a catch, or misfielding, or letting the team down, but now I have more confidence. I'm not over-thinking things as much. I now go up to the captain and ask her, 'I want to try something different, please let me bowl.' I'm more motivated to do things now. I now look at things with a different perspective. I'm being more positive. I feel like there is more than one solution or more than one answer, whereas before I would just assume things. I would not ask about things or question them, but I am now asking, 'Why is it happening?' I'm now approaching things head on, instead of ignoring things. I'm not jumping to conclusions. I'm doing more things now and not just laying around. In the past I would procrastinate about my assignments. I no longer use the word 'stress.' I'm exercising more. I'm going for more runs. I had a gym contract, but I wasn't going, but now I am. I'm now not drinking fizzy drinks. I've reduced eating fast food. As a result, I'm more eager to train with my coach now as I am fitter."
Anneke Kapp
Senior Women's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"The combination of your PowerPoints and conversations helped me think differently. And it's not only been in a cricketing way, but in a personal way as well. Holy shit, I felt the effects of the breathing exercises. When I do the breathing exercises, I feel relaxed, handle situations better, and make better decisions. I can feel my muscles just relaxing. I did not think something that simple can improve the way I think about stuff and improve a situation in a good way. I have a better mind-set of what I want to achieve. I need to be more responsible and I know what I want to achieve. I liked the I-messages, as I can come across over the phone as a bit rude, but after that session I am thinking about not sounding so rude and in a better way. I can be happy in any situation in my life, I just have to be choose to be happy and positive – it’s my choice. I can improve. So summing up the sessions, I need to be positive in life. If I am positive, I will fear less and thus I will be more confident in the things that I do. And if I am confident I will be more positive. So I have to block out my own neuroticism, as that will help me achieve my goals, and be positive. Even if I see something in a negative way, I must make the best out of that situation."
Jana Nell
Captain, Women's T20 Team
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"The main message is simple: be positive. Because of the things we go through, such as challenges, negativity creeps up, but I need to look at the situation and find positivity in it. Many times I will really beat myself up, even if I did something good. I don't congratulate myself much when I do well, but I beat myself when I fail. So stop looking negatively and instead concentrate on what I am capable of and how good I am. The thing that got through to me the most was, never to use the two words ‘I can't.' Those words limit you. They also put you in your comfort zone. Sometimes you dream of something, but there is a risk, so it's easy to let those words pop up, as risk is scary and a 50-50. Hence, we try to be in our comfort zone. I have been putting up walls around me and those words are 'I can't' when I have so much in me that I can do. Every time I listen to you I compare what has been happening to my life in the past. I've used those two words ('I can't') quite a lot in my life. They became an obstacle to me. I've realised I've been the one that has been holding myself back. Go for my dreams because there is nothing that is a stumbling block beside me. By trusting myself I can do it, go for what I believe in, and make it happen."
Kutala Swayi
Senior Women's Cricketer
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"Your sessions are a wonderful way to not only reflect on oneself and be open to one's shortfalls and improve on that, but also think about doing better what I already do well. The optimism and internal locus of control sessions made a big impression on me. I haven’t always believed in myself and my capabilities. I struggle to get a positive mind-set. I got a job because I was the best candidate, but I don't always notice my great attributes. These sessions made me see the good inside of me. You make me think about things, instead of just reacting; take a step back, figure out a way of how to deal with the situation, instead of making it worse. I am now more confident about the decisions I make and I have a clearer direction of where I'm going and what I'm wanting to achieve out of live. I've started jogging because of you and I sleep better. I need to decide what values are most important to me and work towards them. I need to remind myself that I can always improve myself and always strive to be a better me. The more I do the Thriving Habit routine the calmer I will be and the more the clearer my dreams, ambitions, and goals will become and I will achieve them. I see things differently and even though I see myself as being mature, I really think your sessions made me even more mature. I would really like to see more of what you can offer, as I believe more sessions with you, will make me an even better person and you will push me to see even greater heights for myself. I am capable of so much more in life, and I really believe your sessions will lead me in the right direction of becoming the best me. I would like to do these sessions from the start again as I think there is so much value in your sessions, that by doing it again, everything will fall into place even better and I will see it as a whole and each session gives meaning to next. You really have been a live changing experience."
Lanette Pienaar
Captain, Women's 50-Overs Team
Eastern Province Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"Your sessions are really relevant to cricket. When I get tired in cricket I breathe too much and my performance gets worst. But if I am able to slow my breathing down I am able to get back on track. When I play bad shots, I sometimes say bad things, and then the opponents hear it and use that to their advantage. But if I can do it in my head, then they won’t hear. Some times when fielding I lose concentration, but with your techniques I am able to concentrate better. I liked the newspaper article exercise about thinking and feeling. It helps me stay on track and go the extra mile. Exposing myself to negative things I can get down, but when seeing positive things I think right and do not ponder negativity as much. So you helped me push harder. I need to think about the game that I want and not think about negative things."
Eugene King
Development Officer
Ghana Cricket Association
"Most of the guys were saying, ‘we need someone like you to be with the team.’ You know for some time now the players haven’t had such an experience that you provided. They are not use to someone getting them so involved and interacting with each other. The players tell me that they have gained confidence and are playing their lives both on and of the pitch more effectively. These guys are relatively young and so they sometimes won’t ask before they reason. They fail to think enough; – 'I shouldn't have hit that shot.' You gave them a consciousness of when to apply certain shots on the cricket pitch and in real life. They now see the point of making right decisions at the right time, especially under pressure."
Francis Asare
General Secretary
Ghana Cricket Association
"These sessions have been what we have been waiting for. We have the skills and everything to play good cricket. But somewhere along the lines we lack the mental toughness to really take us forward. The way we approach the game has only been about hitting balls and getting wickets. We are now mentally tougher due to you. We can now bowl more overs in an accurate manner without getting hit over the wall. I liked your NESTS. As a player we lack the nutrition aspect; although the exercise component has been good; we don’t spend the amount of time we need to on sleep; the thinking has been positive, but not strong; and the social support has been average. It is hard to change habits, but we will use your motto of, ‘perfect practice makes perfect,’ so that we can compete against our brothers in other countries. So in the future we will add your techniques to our practice and games. We will spend more time with our friends and colleagues in a more positive manner so that we can deliver better on the field."
Lawrence Ahadzi
National Men’s Cricketer
Ghana Cricket Association
"I learnt from this training that mental strength is very important in helping us improve our performance. For things to happen we need to change the things we are doing wrong. It will take time, but with small, small steps, change is possible for the better. I am the sum of my training. It all depends on me. If I want to do it, then I can do it. The information you gave showed that small changes can make a real big difference. Like sleeping an extra two hours showed increased performance by 9 percent and reaction time improved. Everything is related to happiness; if you are happy, everything will fit into place nicely. And when you are not happy, you tend to do the things that damage you. It's been fun. We did sessions for four hours and we didn't realize it went that long. It just went like that. Time flies when you are enjoying yourself. I also learnt that I can help people by understanding them more by looking at myself. In the words of the Beatles, 'Help me, help you.'"
Derek Dureisingam
Malaysia National Male Cricketer
Malaysia Cricket Association
"At first I was going with the motion when the coach told me that a psychologist was coming and that I had to do some sessions with you. But then, after the first session about being happy, I was excited to go for further sessions. What I liked the most is all the facts that you showed us, along with the specific topics. A lot of the research you showed was very good because the relationships between the variables you talked about were very high. Thus, it made me believe and then it made me want to know more. I became more interested. I'm a player who has always been aggressive, but due to these sessions I've become more relaxed and am able to plan my game accordingly with the team better. My coach recently said to me, 'I like the way you bat now. It's sensible and you look calm.' In the past I would sweep my very first ball, as it's my favourite shot. However, now I have a better batting plan. For instance, in the last match I scored 77 runs off 51 balls. I started off playing singles and then started to play my scoring shots once I got my eye in and had the feeling that I could really play my shots. I hit 11 fours and 2 sixes. I now say to myself, 'I am in control and I'm able to control the situation better.'"
Mohd Shafiq Mohd Sharif
Malaysia National Male Cricketer
Malaysia Cricket Association
"When I heard about you I was in Chennai, India, and I thought it was going to be boring. But after the fifth session I realized that you meant business. I remember the first session with you and you said you were different from all other sport psychologists. You proved it! Whatever you said and the slides you showed us all made sense. For instance, we have never scored 400, but after your sessions I feel our players are more confident and believe they can do it. Two of our batsman scored hundreds and another made 70 plus in a recent match where we scored 407. Everything you did was new. I learnt we shouldn't be afraid of changing ourselves. If we need to change something in our lives, we should try and if it doesn't work out, then we can go back to our normal ways of doing things. We should take changes in life in a positive way. I usually get very angry about things, even small things, but after you showed us that happy people make wiser decisions, I applied what you said. I also realized that sleep is very much more important than we think it is. Just a few hours of extra sleep can help me improve my performance which will eventually help the team. Other things I have learnt are: I am responsible for any mistakes that I do; instead of blaming others I should be responsible for the mistakes that I have done, taking it as a learning curve, and not repeat it in the future; and it is good to be an extrovert, but we need to have a limit for everything we do and we should know the consequences that we would need to face if we do something wrong. Hence, I am responsible for what I say, what I think, and what I do. The most important thing that I need to believe in is that I can. At last I've learnt that nothing is stopping me from improving ourselves besides myself. All I have to do is believe in my capabilities and strive towards greater heights. As the saying goes, 'If you never try, then you will never know what you are capable of!'"
Pavandeep Singh
Malaysia National Male Cricketer
Malaysia Cricket Association
"You helped me in your own unique way by being creative, hard-working, and kind. Before you, I was scared and didn't believe in myself. You helped me believe in myself, especially because of your material and the practical exercises like breathing. I found it interesting because your information is new. No-one has told me these things. And you made it easier for me by translating your material into Bahasa. I liked your evidence. The PCPAM information helped me set a plan for the SEA games in 2017 and be in the national team. I have to set plans and believe I can achieve my goals. I can also help others to change by mastering the stages of change and having more knowledge about changes. Every day I memorise the PCPAM information to help me change. One of the players scored a hundred after your classes. That hundred was totally different from what he does every day. He was more patient in the center and is taking on more responsibility. Another one of the players is believing in himself more."
Vimallan Palaniandy
Under 19 Malaysia Cricketer
Malaysia Cricket Association
"The most important thing I have learnt from you is to believe in myself. If I believe in myself, then I have a positive vibe in me and that's when things start to turn around. Before these sessions, I never thought we could get into Division 1, but then I thought to myself, 'Why does he keep emphasizing the word 'believe' and 'believing in myself'?' So then I thought, 'Let's try. There's no harm in trying.' I am now slowly believing in myself more. Before you came, no one emphasized the things you discussed. For instance, I didn't know about the need for ten hours sleep. You made me go back and think about things. It made sense. Other things I have learnt are: don't waste time thinking about negative things, get your act together, and move towards the positive route; it is totally up to me if I want to achieve my goals; and after this I think I would like to grow some guts and try being an extrovert. If I follow what you said then I really can change. Many things you said were new to me and so I was able to take it as a challenge. For instance, I already knew that there are different steps in order to be happy, but I learnt that it's important to follow them and be honest with ourselves. I enjoy the sessions, as I am learning new things. I liked the big group sessions, as they were funny and enjoyable. We talk about many of your things away from you. We went to a Christmas Party and we were talking about your PCPAM. The way you conduct your classes is fun. If it was boring, we would never talk about it. I'm like a camel being brought to drink water by my owner, which in this case is Adrian, at a lake. So the water is right in front of me, but now it's purely up to me if I want to drink the water or not. In other words, Adrian has already provided the staircase to success. It is totally up to me if I want to follow the route or not."
Virandeep Singh
Malaysia National Male Cricketer
Malaysia Cricket Association
"The group sessions helped with teamwork. Initially the staff thought it would be useless, but by the end of it they found it hundred percent useful. If the working environment is good, then you'll be happy. From that you can become positive and creative in your thinking. It helped me actually want to change. It helped me become more positive. The main message for me is to manage your life, think positive, less negative, and do it. Everyone needs to have a mission statement and a vision statement if they want to be the best. I need to have a vision. Then I need to achieve that vision. The work I do should be work I like to do. So it's all about: be a better person. The way that I think effects how I achieve my goals. I can change, but not too fast. Instead, do it in a small way. I need to think positive, then follow with actions. It taught me a lot; I need to take care of my health, control my thinking, and change to encourage ourselves to be more positive and have good teamwork, and must have a goal to achieve."
Mia Syazlyn Zainon
Finance Executive
Malaysia Cricket Association
"Your sessions have definitely made me realise that I can help people and myself for the better. Sometimes we hold back and so I liked the information on courage. I need to be brave and understand why I need to change. If we are sincere, then why not go ahead and do it. I've learnt that it's not easy to change, as people don't want to change. It's normal for a person not to change and there's nothing wrong with that. If you know that, then you can help them. To make changes you must know the stages of change of each individual and apply techniques according to each individual's needs. It has given me the confidence that we can change. The studies you showed me convinced me that I don't have to wait to change; you gave me the confidence to change. We tend focus on cricket skills as if they are the only factors for performance enhancement. We think that getting the boys to catch 100 balls, or hitting 200 shots, or sending the boys on attachments to other countries will improve performance, but many fail to realize that there are other factors that need to be developed such as sleep, rest, social support, and nutrition. What molds a cricketer and a better person is all these other things as well. For instance, social support is a vital link in having a better life. I now know that I need to organize myself, the importance of social support, sleep, how to change, and the importance of belief. But I can't make changes in my life, or to anyone else's life, if I myself don't believe and practice all that I've learnt. I have to make these a priority."
Ramani Batumalai
Development Officer and Coach/Umpire Educator
Malaysia Cricket Association
"I find this all interesting as I wanted to learn and wanted to change. If a person knows they have a flaw and they need to change that flaw, then when you hear this information in a simple manner, it gives a big impact. I knew about this earlier, but I didn't know the effective way to go about doing this. As a Hindu, we say our Guru will come to guide us when we are ready to change. So I look it in that manner. You show ways in a simple and effective method. I've read books about change, but to actually put it into action in my daily life has been difficult because what I read was only theory. What you did was put things in a simple form, with simple steps, which you need to do in a daily manner, which gives positive results. I was able to list three of my weakest points and then list what I needed to do. It was easy because of the way you teach and all the information you provided. Like when you say it's hard, but you can change, and be honest to myself. I had the answers inside of me, but didn't know how to tap them out. I just found the answer."
Subanantha Nagasingam
Event Coordinator
Malaysia Cricket Association
"There are certain things in life that we already know, but we're not using. Adrian brings out those potentials inside us. For instance, everyone knows that happiness is everything in life, but still we worry. Fear disturbs our confidence levels, but if a person becomes hardy, they will most probably not experience fear, increase their confidence level, achieve their goals and this will end up in success and happiness, which is the ultimate goal in life. As a physiotherapist becomes hardier, they'll have more confidence in handling a patient and doing assessments of their symptoms. Likewise, if our cricketers or anyone in life becomes hardier, they will have a better performance overall. So the message is always be happy and approach things positively. After your sessions I have become more positive. I started to go more deeper in my studies. I wanted to be a pro in my assessment so I have read more textbooks. I have downloaded the latest textbooks. Before I saw you I really wanted to study and update my knowledge, but my laziness was saying, 'I've already finished my college seven years back.'"
Yuvaraj Karuppannan
Physiotherapist
Malaysia Cricket Association
"Something you mentioned which I thought was the most important thing, which is a major part of cricket, is the fact that your teammates and organisation in your teammates need to have confidence in you. That is something that got to me because I can relate to that. If a captain or player comes up to me and says not to do something (e.g., don't bowl short and wide) that only makes me think about it. Instead, we should focus on the positive and technical things we need to do – not what we shouldn't do. When the opposite happens, we feel it. Players drop their heads and perform poorer. I've liked everything you've done. I can relate to the information. I understand people much better now and thus can help people better. I feel if I can make a difference, not only can I change my performances, but I can impact my teammates positively. Everything I have learned can be summed up into two simple words that will allow me to achieve my goals. This will enable me to become successful and most importantly, achieve the happiness I desire. Furthermore, it is not the actual situation that determines the outcome of performance but rather the thinking that applies to it. Therefore I will strive to stay confident and think positive. When I do the breathing exercise you taught me I think about things more rationally. The meditation exercises produce an amazing feeling. It's like a shock of a calm wave. I feel just like, 'Ahhh man, I can now sleep for 3 days' and I don't think about any problems."
Julian Soutter
Senior Men's Cricketer
North West Cricket
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"I'm more aware of myself, my emotions and my thoughts. I'm more understanding and so I can change in a certain way. The confidence section helped me narrow things down a bit. I try and think about the confidence material you told me in the middle at the non-strikers end. Constant self-affirmations has helped by making me realise that I build for the moment. Sometimes I tended to doubt myself or the position I was in. I am now not doing that. I don't put as much pressure on myself to compare myself against others. Hence, it's reduced the number of thoughts I have in the middle. It's important that I focus on positive thoughts and feeling happy, rather than dwelling on negatives. I need to only think positive and going through my NOISE affirmation whenever I feel any panic."
Lesego Senokwane
Senior Men's Cricketer
North West Cricket
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"When I saw you I at times saw it as difficult for me to set goals for the upcoming Lions season, as I am a fringe player and with that comes some uncertainties. I now see how I can adjust my goals to fit the situation I am in. I can write them in a way that works or me. I saw that I can achieve my long-term goals by having a clearer plan and approaching them accordingly. It's a hell of a lot simpler when you break the goals down. All of a sudden it became realistic. I went from, 'Will I be able to play for the Proteas?' to 'It's not as far-fetched as I thought'. A key message is to never give up. If I don't stop working at something, then I can achieve it. I'm not generally negative, but I can be more positive after looking at your optimism section. As a result, I won't get down on myself. I'm sometimes my own worst enemy as I'm too hard on myself. If I can recognise the negative moments sooner and change them into positive, paired along with the activities in TRIPE, then I allow myself to be in a more positive mind-set more often than not."
Wihan Lubbe
Senior Men's Cricketer
North West Cricket
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"The sessions are fun. I can be myself. I don't have to worry if I am saying the right thing. I actually want to be here for the sessions. I tell my friends when I am with you that I am with the 'Brain Doctor'. The sessions all add up. For instance, what I got from Serena and Venus Williams' dad is that by never saying 'I can't', he's really saying if you say 'I can't' then you have lost the race before you have even started. That is similar to real life cricket. On one of my worst games in Australia I was agitated. I was the junior in the team on my first international tour. Someone made a slight comment and that was the worst thing to say. My body became tense from the first ball. I was fighting with my head, because my inside voice was saying, 'just get off the park.' I dropped two catches and was fumbling everything. In my best games I just played. I even told my batting partners, 'just play'. I was playing so calm and played really well. So the real message is to have calmness and clear thoughts. If I say 'don't do something' then I'll possibly end up doing something and I'll be frustrated with myself. So instead I need to just keep going, think positive, live for myself to benefit others around me, and see myself as who I am: a woman who is confident in what I do, driven to succeed, and believes anything is possible. I get what I work for."
Sinalo Jafta
Senior Women's Cricketer
North West Cricket
(And South African Proteas Cricketer)
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"After talking to you I feel ten pounds lighter. I felt that I wanted to get some things off my chest. It's therapeutic. It helps me if I talk about the things I want to do and I believe it more if I tell you and it gives me confidence that I can do it again. So I just want to make a difference. I want to make a difference in someone’s life every day. I don't want to do things the same way. I don't want to make a difference in peoples' lives in the same manner as everyone else. You made me believe in myself all over again. You made me believe that dreaming big is never a mistake. When I came to see you I felt like I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. I'm studying law and it's very hard. I have only imagined myself being a legal advisor, but my passion lies with cricket. Coming to see you has helped me determine what I live for. When I started dreaming about playing for my country, I knew it was going to need hard work, but I didn't think I had to have a whole lot of patience too. Every session makes me realise how impatient I am as a human being and it pushes me to work harder."
Tokelo Mosala
Senior Women's Cricketer
North West Cricket
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"As a player I quickly realised that I threw myself down the river with the hype of going out and that affected performance. At the end of seasons I realised I had not been the best. As a result, I learnt that I should not lose track of my priorities. You have literally given my players a short cut, so instead of learning the hard way in 2 to 3 years, wasting opportunities, they can learn in just a few sessions. This brings you back to being a kid with life disciplines that unfortunately fall apart. What you do enhances what I do by helping me to stick to old school principles (e.g., smiling, greeting people, cleaning after ourselves). You make me think twice about cigarettes and looking after my body. We don't usually look after our body, but then it can be too late. Your sessions are an eye-opener for the players. The guys think sometimes we are picking on them by getting them to behave appropriately. However, they have changed the way they see things due to you. Everyone has to concentrate in your sessions, as they never know when they are going to be asked a question."
Jimmy Kgamadi
Coach, Academy Team
North West Cricket
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"1. First there is no such thing as stress. It is just a matter of how I perceive it. 2. I have to learn to think about the situation, before I label it. 3. Fear less about things that I can't control. 4. I have learned that getting enough sleep, exercise, positive thoughts, nutrition, and social support is important. It has a big impact on how I handle certain situations. 5. Believing in myself, will let me accomplish tasks. 6. I should not label today as bad. I should rather think of it, as today was only more challenging than the day before and tomorrow may come and I will be ready for it."
Charlene De Lange
Procurement Administrator and Receptionist
North West Cricket
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"I tend to get very emotional when I get into situations. I like to walk a clear route and I'm a control freak. So when I do not feel in control, I can totally lose it. It can’t focus and get panic attacks. These sessions are my lifeline. It gave me a clearer vision and perception as to how to analyse situations, step back, and not take them so personally. I see the situations now as things that shall past. As a result I feel calmer, focused, and that I can handle situations better. There is no such thing as stress! It all comes down to how I perceive things. I can't change anything crossing my path, but I can choose how I react to it. I need to stop doubting myself and being my worst enemy! I need to stay focused and gain more confidence in my capabilities. I need to look after myself – physically, mentally, and emotionally if I want to have a happier life!"
Frieda Pretorius
Financial Manager
North West Cricket
Potchefstroom, South Africa
"The players know that the mental and the physical factors are correlated with each other. If you are physically fit, but not mentally fit, you can’t do your hundred percent effort in any sport. They grasped your ideas and interacted with you in an enjoyable manner. I liked how you showed us how to overcome barriers in life and do things in a better way. Most of the players don’t speak English well, so you needed to use translators. Both of the women you used translated well and as a result at least 60 to 70 percent of the players understood very clearly what you were teaching and as a result we have become mentally stronger."
Anil Yadav
Coach Under 16 Boys Team
Rajasthan Cricket Association
Jaipur, India
"As a person you are very frank and open with us. Hence the players don’t hesitate to approach you. You behave more like a friend than a coach. Although my English was only good enough to understand 50 to 55 percent of the things you said, you taught me how to become calmer and focus better. I especially liked your PMR, meditation, and mental imagery techniques. You helped me relax and then I got so good at it, you made me do it in front of the boy’s team and I could do it."
Babita Meena
Under 19 Female Cricketer
Rajasthan Cricket Association
Jaipur, India
"I especially liked the aura you created. I really got positive vibes from you before you even introduced yourself – peppy and nice. I think it’s awesome that you were so approachable. You used a translator well and when you didn't use one, you were very clear and emphasized the more important points. Everyone thought there was stress. I'm sure that even if the players didn't fully understand due to English problems, they now all understand that there is no such as stress. You were very practical. For instance, you called people to interact, you took us to the field to show us how to use the techniques, and you ensured that everyone got the breathing exercise right. I hope our association brings you back to improve our play."
Danielle Xzara Sharma
Under 19 Female Cricketer
Rajasthan Cricket Association
Jaipur, India
"I really got some concepts clear regarding coordination between mind, body, and soul. We used to think that if someone got injured or needed a rehab program, we would work only on that specific area, but now I understand that I if I can combine the treatment with things like diaphragmatic breathing, then the results will be better. I liked the session on 'stress' because you helped me change my perception and my way of thinking."
Deep Tomar
Physiotherapist
Rajasthan Cricket Association
Jaipur, India
"Your approach is very enthusiastic and thus the players were actively involved. This made them curious and helped stimulate them to try and work out what your message was. A lot of our players don’t have a sound educational background, but could understand what you’re saying. On top of that they are young and so they have not experienced a great deal in life and so don't understand fully things like stress. The players could do and understand the practical things you taught such as the breathing exercises. The players understood the concept of single-mindedness, as they get easily distracted. I liked the 3-minute routine you gave us. It's very simple and non-time-consuming. Time-consuming activities distract players, so your routine is exceptional."
Jaya Sharma
Coach Senior and Under 19 female Teams
(And Indian National Player)
Rajasthan Cricket Association
Jaipur, India
"You did a really a great job for us. No-one has taught us these things. We don’t concentrate in our games. I would make bad shots because of lack of focus on the game. My coach use to tell me to choose the right ball to hit, but I didn't do it well, but we now know how to concentrate in games because of you. Using a translator helped well and thus even the players who didn't understand English ended up understanding 75% of the material. You removed the meaning of 'stress' from my mind and that helped me focus on the most important things in life and will make me a better player. I really liked how you taught us on the field. You made the techniques practical by teaching us how to do the techniques while fielding, batting, and bowling. I can now relax on the field. You are a very excellent teacher of this and I wish that more people in the world could have the opportunity to have the experience I had."
Shubham Giri
Under 19 Cricketer
Rajasthan Cricket Association
Jaipur, India
"I think it's great to do a psychological programme like this, as talking reduces my pressures and gives me a new way of looking at things. I touched a blind area. In other words, I have never concentrated on such things before, even though I knew they were important to my game. The most useful thing we did was talk about fear, as I learnt that fear makes everything, such as my targets, impossible. I now hate the word 'stress', especially as many people always use the word 'stress'. I also learnt that happiness is important; if I'm happy, my mindset and body language is positive. Similarly, sleep is also important; I get more concentration. Right from the first session I did with you I thought that I might get something special from you that would benefit me. As the sessions progressed my thinking pattern and lifestyle changed. Because of you I have gone from getting 7 hours sleep to 8 to 8 plus hours sleep each night. Hence, for players like us who are not sure if they want to train mentally, I would say, get out of your normal lifestyle and thinking pattern and give it a go. I don’t now fear things. So when I bowl and get hit, I now think about it more positively, so then I'll bowl the next ball better. Other things I learnt include changing is not easy and doesn't occur in a short period of time; when I need to change something there needs to be an action plan and I have to work at the things that I need to change; and I should always make my cricket life better through concentrating and having a tough mindset. For instance, when I walk to the middle to bat I need to ensure that I play normally by being cool and relaxed and to keep in mind,'not to throw my wicket away'."
Dasun Shanaka
Sri Lanka A Team Cricketer
Sri Lanka Cricket
"I liked what you and I did. I learnt a lot of things from you. I learnt what happiness is, how we can be a happy person, and how to change. I now know how to manage problems better. Your sessions are very useful for my cricket life. My concentration is now better. Recently I batted all 50 overs in a one day match. I also have more patience now. In the past I have scored 99 and 49, but now I am going past 100. Before your sessions I use to be very aggressive and could only bat 35 overs, but now I believe I can bat all 50 overs many times. The teammates and coaches believe I can do this as well. I have more confidence now due to you. As a result, in the last week I scored 143. I feel you are my good friend and thus the best thing we did was the personal sessions as I can talk to you freely and honestly."
Chamari Athapaththu
Vice-Captain
Sri Lanka Women's National Cricket Team
Sri Lanka Cricket
"Thank you so much for your support. Your positive words healed me a lot. I believe that I can do well when I get a chance. I'm so glad I worked with you. In your sessions I learnt that if I want to achieve my goals, I need to be happy. I understand that being happy will help me focus on what I have to do, improve my skills, get me into the next World Cup team, and do everything well. Change is difficult, but it is possible to do. However, because of fear, we are not always able to do things that we have to do. If I am able to manage the stages of change, then I will be able to change my attitudes, feelings, and behavior. If I want to improve myself, then I need a proper plan explaining what I need to do (to improve my performance, and succeed in life). I need to believe in myself, take advice from others, and change my mistakes. I can give positive things to others to improve their lives and get many positive things from them. The beginning is a bit difficult, but if I try day by day I can improve a lot."
Oshadhi Ranasinghe
National Woman's Cricketer
Sri Lanka Cricket
"As a coach I have to genuinely love what I am doing and want to help my cricketers. I want to see myself pushing them to a higher level. My joy is to see them growing. Hence, your sessions were useful as you made me think about how I must work out what will work for me the best; I must not fear change; that I must determine what category of change I want to stay in; and the more courage I have, the more I will be a risk taker. I am not frightened to take risks because I can always go back to my old habits, but if I take more risks, then I will benefit more. I liked your PCPAM information. Sometimes people want to make changes, but they are frightened to change, but the PCPAM explains it all. When the boys understand the PCPAM, then it decreases their resistance. As a result, they will then believe more positive things than negative things. I can now start my sessions with the diaphragmatic breathing and meditation. So as a coach I need to cultivate good habits. In other words, be on the professional side; not the amateur side. For the cricketers and me, cricket is not a destination. It's a journey. There's nothing called retirement. As soon as you think about retirement, you put a barrier up and you stop. So don't put barriers up and stop there. Always look for a change for your future!"
Roger Wijesuriya
Coach, Under 19 Men's Team
Sri Lanka Cricket
"Your ways of teaching made me realise the importance of understanding people's behaviour and how to handle unreasonable situations. Your material has helped me understand how to be a better person and help my players be better people and better cricketers. The players you worked with liked the knowledge they gained from you. The players know that they are better thinkers, have more knowledge of living life with a broader purpose, and believe they can put what you told them into practice in New Zealand. They are also helping the other boys. As a result, the other boys are inquisitive about what we are doing. Your information such as health tips, that there is no such thing as stress, the stages of change, and the importance of sleep, helped me help the cricketers and my family members. In fact, I spoke to my son about how there is no such thing as stress. I found the individual sessions especially useful as I was more relaxed and can ask you questions and argue for the betterment of understanding the material. The group sessions helped me understand how the boys were reacting to you, how much they understood, and if they are gaining."
Romesh Kaluwitharana
Coach, National Men's A Team
Sri Lanka Cricket
"I have worked with other sport psychologists, so I knew that it would help me a lot. I like learning things so when I was told about this I was not afraid to see you. I enjoyed the sessions. Your approach made me relax, especially because of the way you explain things. You don't make it too complicated. You helped me help the cricketers take the next step to the next level. The cricketers have talent, but don't know how to use the talent. So getting them to believe in themselves and make small changes is important. Things I have learnt included happiness is important to have a healthy life; you need to have confidence in yourself and you don't have to be carried away; think of tomorrow; to make a change takes time; there is a possibility that you can change, but it takes time, and you have to work on the stages of change (PCPAM); and I should be able to take a few risks to improve the standard of the cricketers plus myself. In other words, if we make up our minds and believe in whatever we are doing and enjoy it, then we can easily change our lifestyle and have a better understanding in life."
Roy Dias
Specialised Batting Consultant
Sri Lanka Cricket
"Use Adrian! You don’t know what you are missing. He is better than I thought he would be – honestly! We have worked with local psychologists, but your way of communicating and getting things into people's minds is far better. You know how to put things across to people very simply. You are very blunt and are not afraid to say what you have to say. I appreciate that. I was excited to have you help the team, as I didn't know what you could do, but I wanted to know what it was all about. It surprised me how deep psychology was and how much there was to know. I now know you help in so many ways. I see how there is so much to learn from you. I didn't understand that my thinking was so involved in everything I do. If you had come earlier it would have been even better, as you helped every one; the team and me. You helped us individually in our personal life and as a team. I really liked the session we did on the five stages of change, as I am often times in pre-contemplation and contemplation. It helped me get out of those two stages. As we have to change people at SLC, you taught me I have to change myself first; and that's what happened. You helped me physically and mentally. Your NESTS has helped me a lot even in my day-to-day work. I use to have a temper, but I am now more controlled. I get more sleep now. That's been very good. I concentrate on my work better now and do my day-to-day professional work better. The session on there is no such thing as stress helped me overcome some of my fears and it helped the players go out to bat in the middle. It's huge. The example you gave of the Indian bowler really blended well, as she is player of the moment, they faced her in 2013, and they realized they don't have to fear her. The senior girls were very happy with you. They gained a lot of knowledge and liked your sessions. Some told me they wish they had more time with you. They are playing more as a unit, are happier as a team, are overcoming some of their doubts, and looking at things more positively. They learnt what happiness is, what happiness is all about, and they need to be happy to perform as an individual and within the team. The group sessions went off very well. Even the junior players are working better as a team, especially as the senior players are helping them understand the material. The players have even set up a Viber group account and send your material to everyone on it."
Vanessa De Silva
Manager, Women's Cricket
Sri Lanka Cricket
"I was motivated by your sessions. I picked up a lot of things that I didn't know. I now try to finish my given task on the day without delays. The PCPAM gave me a lot of good tips towards change. I think and concentrate
more on what I really want to do. The breathing exercise helped me concentrate on my day to day work, organise myself, and stop my mind from being distracted. I was able to understand change and how to organise myself towards being more open and change the way I deal with things. I have more positive thoughts towards my actions now. If I want to do something, I understand that I need to do it right now. I have discussed your tips with other people around SLC. Most of the people do not work towards one goal. Instead, they work towards their own agenda. Thus, your tips helped us think about working towards the same goal. I hope that, like me, other people who attended your sessions are also working towards the same goal using your good tips."
Gayathri Wickramasinghe
Marketing and Communications Secretary
Sri Lanka Cricket
"Initially I was clueless as to how you planned to go about doing your job, as I knew that language was going to be a barrier. I really liked what you did. You didn't ever use an outside interpreter. Instead, you got an interpreter from the crowd, even if their English wasn't great. I really appreciated your effort to learn some Sinhala words. At first I thought counseling the administrators was pointless, because the players and administrators are separate elements. We never thought we could have them together in training like this. This was the first time a sport psychologist focused on anyone but the players. You believed that we contribute to the player's performance and the administrators now believe that as well. Over the months, I observed you are very enthusiastic about your approach. I am a trainer myself, but I was impressed. The way you communicated was really amazing. You captured the audience. You show slides, give role plays, and thus had the audience participating. You kept them interested. The complexity level of the material was appropriate. The basics and substance was there. They took it very seriously."
Lasitha Mendis
Manager of Human resources
Sri Lanka Cricket
"As a civil engineer, the information on disasters due to lack of sleep, struck my original beliefs. I now have changed the working hours of my technical staff. They use to work late hours and then turn up early in the morning. I inculcated the material you gave into my language, so that they gained. I now make sure they get enough sleep and that they relax enough to perform one hundred percent. Personally, I have cut down my television watching. I now focus more attention on my health, due to learning the importance of maintaining my health. I believe health is wealth now, otherwise you'll have to spend your wealth on your health. I can handle a lot of multi-tasking, but due to you, I now focus more on the urgent and important activities and drop other non-urgent and non-important matters aside, so as to give the full attention (100 percent and not 75 percent) to what matters. I now understand the importance of giving one hundred percent to my priorities at work and my life. I have more confidence to chase after my big dreams!"
Prasanna Jinaratne
Chief Engineer
Sri Lanka Cricket
"The audience was interested in what you said. You gave them a chance to discuss the material. We have heard that we need to sleep, but no one taught us the dangers of not getting enough sleep. I had a chat with some of my friends and they didn't know it as well. I didn't understand how psychology could be useful for us. I thought it was only for the players, but then I started to learn that it could help us in our lives. I thought there was stress, but I didn't know it is fear and how fear could affect my life. So now I know how to control fear. I learnt a lot of other things from you, such as if I get two or more important things, then I need to prioritise them so that my work life is more organised. As a result, I can finish my job properly and without fear. So it all comes back to how I react. If I respond quickly to something, then I don't feel fear unless it's an accident. If I can perceive no fear, then there are no responses. I also learnt how unnecessary fear can damage any part of my body. It all comes back to how I control my fears and situations."
"In the past I have 'stressed' myself out with things I can't control. So the session on 'stress' really stuck, especially as I think I can now work through it. I now understand that there is no such thing as 'stress', it's just the way I perceive things and see things. So I need to look at daily life differently. If I feel 'stressed', then I need to face up to my fears. In other words, stay positive, speak positive to myself, and think positive to myself. It's important to do this because what I think about is very important for my body. In any situation stay positive! The 'Think Big' session got me to realise not only that I should think big and anything is possible, but train my mind and body to get what I want. I realise that if I train my mind, then I can work on the fear/'stress'. I have seen a lot of changes in one of the Warriors you have been training. Another one of the cricketers has been excited to try these things. Likewise, I am now trying to stay positive."
Aya Gyamane
Cricketer
Warriors Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"The thing that grabbed my attention was NESTS, because I always believed in the same principles, like being happy improves performance. But your sessions made me realise that I was far from where I needed to beto be at the top level. I needed to do things differently, but I didn't know what to do. After working with you, it is now very evident what I need to do. I need to push my boundaries, when it comes to comfort zones. People are scared to change and are not prepared to step outside their comfort zones, but I need to get out of my bubble, be open to change, and keep doing this. It basically comes down to NESTS. In fact, I need to improve on each department in the NESTS formula. I actually lacked NESTS. For instance, in the past I haven't done as well as I should, especially with sleep. I now make sure that I get 8+ hours of sleep in a day, at the right time in the day, and have a routine. This improves basically all departments of my life. Likewise, I can improve the T in NESTS. I can always improve my thinking, like getting rid of negative thinking and developing ways of overcoming fears. So I need to find courage, become mentally tough and hardy. As a result, I will perceive my situations as a challenge and think positively about them. The research proof you show me is useful and your teaching is useful, but I especially liked your stories. I find your stories and talking about the topics helps the most, as I have a relationship with you, not with someone whose name is on a research study. I now know what I want and how to get there. Doing these 34 sessions have helped me answer a lot of questions, know what I stand for, not allow things to interfere with my dreams, and understand my destiny is in my own hands. So now I have a no-excuses policy, as I have to make it happen."
Edward Moore
Cricketer
Warriors Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"It's all thanks to you. You've added a lot of value to my life, especially how I approach life. I'm moving forward here. It's a good positive. I feel way better now. My mind has changed from what I thought about before I saw you to now. I am now clearer about what I want to do and what I say. And I feel that I have more responsibility to do that. The session on hardiness got to me, as I realised that I have not been as switched on as I needed to be, as my mind had been distracted. I tended to overthink a lot, but now I realise that I have been fighting against myself, instead of perceiving things in a more positive way. I realise how much my set mind-set needed to change for me to be able to grow it, and thus I could not trust myself as much. But now I realise that if I can grow my mind, then I'm able to trust myself more and have confidence in myself. It's hard for me to over-think now. It's hard to think that I would be this kind of person when we started the sessions. The sessions on quality of sleep also got to me. I realised that I wasn't getting enough sleep. Since then, I have slept for nine hours. I went to sleep about 9 and woke up at about half past 6 and I felt great. In order to get better, I need to be and stay accountable for my own actions."
Lesiba Ngoebe
Cricketer
Warriors Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"Since it was the first time to see a psychologist, I just thought that, 'I don’t want to come.' But I didn't think I had a choice, as coach asked me to go see you. The session about drinking and smoking touched me, as I've been to drinking a lot and the last time I was drinking I put on a lot of weight. I was drinking on Thursdays to Sundays and I would get take-aways. The other one that got into me was the confidence session. There are times when I don't have confidence, I always doubt myself. So now I will have confidence in myself and think positive and forget about everything else and just put the focus in what I want to do. I need to believe in myself. Each and every mission I want to accomplish, I can accomplish. It's all in my mind and in my heart."
Sithembile Langa
Cricketer
Warriors Cricket
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
"You showed me another side of life. It’s like I learnt to look at life differently. Talking about 'stress' and how to overcome things. I liked the information about focusing on what’s important. Many times I have had distractions and I forget about what I should focus on. Hence, remembering what to focus on was important. Sometimes I come to games with challenges in life, like not having breakfast, but I now know that I can change my game and life, by focusing on what matters (not breakfast). I am gaining a clearer mind about what I want to do and what I want to achieve. So I need to be in control and be positive. Every situation has two sides to choose the positive and the negative, so overcome my fears and choose the positive."
Brian Chari
National Men's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"The way you communicate and install the belief in the person you are working with is the best thing about what you and I did. Confidence plays a big part in our lives, so if we go in to it with the right attitude and belief we'll produce positive results. As long as I accept that there is no such thing as stress, a lot of challenges I come across will no longer be problems, but will be opportunities for a better life. I felt a lot of weight drop off my shoulders in the first session. I learnt that if I am mentally in a good space with happy thoughts I will make better decisions. What I learnt is that there is always a better route to look at things. I feel a lot of time we sort of give ourselves an excuse to say we are stressed and yet our negative thoughts can be easily avoided, by just accepting the situation in front of us and understanding that we can always ‘break the barriers we put on ourselves’."
Chamu Chibhabha
National Men's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"The sessions were definitely worthwhile because they made me realise that there is no such thing as a positive or a negative event, just EVENTS which WE LABEL as such. The situation is really just how I see it and I will only feel pressure if I start fearing that my skill level is not adequate enough to cope with the challenge in front of me, i.e., only if I start doubting or second guessing myself. The sessions also served to reinforce the fact that if I can dream it or see it in my mind and continue to believe in myself and persevere, I will become an unstoppable force and I will achieve all those dreams. Lastly I really enjoyed your energy and enthusiasm in how you conducted the sessions."
Hamilton Masakadza
Captain, National Men's Team
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"The most useful thing we did was learn there is no such thing as stress. It’s vital because if by understanding this, I can relax more and make a positive, informed decision that will lead to better performances in my game. The difference between the best in the world and myself is not the skill factor, but the ability to make use of my mental state to the fullest and in a positive way. Therefore, I choose my destiny regardless of what life throws at me. I always have a choice and thus I need to relax more in uncomfortable situations and thus make better decisions. If I am confident, then I will focus on what I need to and ignore the rest."
John Nyumbu
National Men's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"Because of the sessions I have learnt that it’s not what people say about me, but to take my time and think things through. That will make me become a better person and a trust-worthy person. It’s just about taking one day at a time. Despite what happens in the day, I need to get to where I want to be. So I have to understand that I have so much more control in my life than I think. I should never premeditate stuff, but instead take one day as it comes, never think about tomorrow, and first deal with today. I use to thing about problems, instead of looking for solutions, but now I can focus on things clearer."
Luke Jongwe
National Men's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"The sessions have been really good. I've enjoyed how certain things that don't appear obvious, really are obvious when presented simply. You brought on many a-ha moments. For example, you showed me a t-shirt that said, 'Thinking too much causes problem's and that was me for a very long time. I use to do what you told me to avoid: POT (Avoid Perfectionism and Over-Thinking). I was doing POT in order to boost my self-esteem. For instance, I used to want to play certain shots perfectly. I also had huge expectations of myself and from others. When I failed to meet those high expectations I over-thought my failures. Now, I've been turning POT off, as I won’t get to my true potential with POT. I can't live my life like POT. One thing I have done is adapt the Shona sentence 'handidye sadza kumba kwavo' to help me not worry about the negative stuff people say about me. As a result, I'm more confident in myself and my abilities. I trust myself better and am performing better in training. What you said was quite striking; if I manage to stay positive and not think a bowler will dominate me, but look to play on merit and score, then I can deal with negative thoughts better and not let them affect me. One thing that really stands out to me is a greater realisation of the importance of perception in terms of the choices I make. It’s been a big point. Another thing is being more aware of my thoughts and having positive thoughts. It’s much better to face problems head on and not shy away from them. So being hardy definitely gets me to look at life more positively. It’s more fulfilling. It makes me grow as a person and build character."
Regis Chakabva
National Men's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"In one word: Incredible. You got me to think out of the box and realise that some of the things that were difficult in the past were really the way I perceived things. You got me to look at things in a simple way and not, as in the past, in a negative way. To be honest it’s mind-blowing. You got me to think deeper. The main message for me was: I have to believe in myself, so that I have confidence, so that I can overcome everything. You showed me the way of how to perceive things to come up with a positive end result. I make it easier on myself if I perceive a situation as positive or fun. It's all about the way I understand, look at, and perceive a certain situation. The hardier I am, the easier things become for me. If I have confidence, I will achieve what I want to achieve. I can ignite a powerful feeling of achievement if I believe in myself. I am more open-minded to the possibility that change can happen for the better, as this builds good character."
Richmond Mutumbami
National Men's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"I honestly believe the boys have the information within them, but it takes someone gifted to bring those ideas to the surface. A lot of your information was useful, but the breathing technique was most useful. It can get you through a lot of things, be it when you are going to go out to bat, when you’re batting. It wasn't a brand new idea, as we know about the importance of breathing to handle life, but you showed me practically how to do it. I look at a lot of the guys and notice their lack of self-belief. If we can get them to believe that they belong at this level, then we will get better performances out of them. If we truly believe in ourselves and our skills, then we are unstoppable irrespective of perceived challenges or perceived obstacles. Therefore, we need to think before we act, believe in oneself, believe in one's abilities, keep it simple, and do the job at hand."
Wayne James
Assistant Coach, National Men's A Team
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"I never thought I could be part of the Number 1 team in the world, but now I know there is nothing stopping us. This is surprising as I am a very optimistic woman, almost bordering on a dreamer. You have made me now believe for the first time that my goals for the team are now possible; it’s not looking as foggy. Some of the women, including myself, are thinking more positively due to you. This will take one of the women’s games in particular to the next level. If I can change the way I think, the others can. You made us stronger mentally. You helped us work through difficult situations. The impact you made was eye-opening in that you helped me raise the blinds to be a better all-round cricketer. Hence, if you trained me 2 hours per day for a longer period I think I could double my batting average. The rest of the team and our support staff definitely need to work with you in order to take our cricket to the next level."
Sharne Mayers
Captain, National Women's Team
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"I realised that I had low self-esteem hence I always doubted myself and tend to overthink, but I have learnt that everything starts in the mind and it’s how I perceive situations that matter. As a top batsmen I have now learnt that batting, as well as in life, I have to have a clear mind and focus on the positive. The more I succeed in small goals I make for myself, the more I become more confident and the more I score and put my team in a better position of winning. In my life, being negative is not an option anymore, because once I see things as positive, I can only work my hardest at making it even better. The most useful thing I learnt from you was the information about being tough in the mind; it’s always, always how I perceive things. We will always have bad situations, but I've learnt to see these as opportunities to make myself a better person."
Ashley Ndiraya
National Women's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"You gave me the tools to be mentally tough. I've played cricket for 13 years. Hence, I've learnt lots of things from videos, coaching, fitness training etc. As a result, I had got to a saturation point where I knew almost all of the technical things. So it’s now more mental for me than technical. You showed me how to be mentally tough and deal with my emotions, especially when batting. The words that really spoke to me in your sessions were happy, perceive, don’t feel fearful, cortisol, confident, back ourselves up, and mental toughness because I can form a logical sentence from them. When we are happy, we can perceive things in a good way, regardless of whether they are positive or negative. In turn, we feel less fearful and we don’t sabotage ourselves by producing cortisol in our bodies, which boosts our confidence and makes us believe that we need to back ourselves and be mentally tough. In other words, the thing I learnt the most from you is happiness rests on how well we perceive things that happen to us. We have to trust ourselves enough to bring about excellent results for our team. The following I created really does it for me. It hits the nail on the head: Never underestimate the power of a happy and mentally strong individual. Even when the body is faint or beat up, the mind carries with it the key to opening the crucial door of success."
Mary-Anne Musonda
National Women's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"I have been playing cricket for 10 years now. I would like to think that by now I would be somewhere better. But I have gone through a lot as a player and it affected my performance. Working with Adrian made me realise how important it is to be mentally tough; to be able to block all that is stopping me from being the best. I have learnt how to be confident, how to address situations and most importantly how to be happy. He is making a difference and I would love it if we worked with him more. Most of all I learnt I need to change the way I think. If I do change the way I think then my confidence, mentally toughness, and the way I handle life will improve."
Christabel Chatonzwa
National Women's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"You knocked some sense into me. Due to you I’m handling situations in cricket and away from cricket better now. After having a session with you I realise it’s all about how I perceive things. Honestly most of the things in the sessions were like, ‘You got me there and you got me there.’ In the past we all go through situations, but after these sessions I realised that it was nothing (nothing at all) and all about how I perceived things. So I should stay happy, stay calm (not get afraid unless necessary), stay confident, stick to the positives, believe in myself, and encourage my teammates to do the same. If I handle situations in a positive way, then I will live a healthy life. So it all comes down to happiness, non-fearing, confidence, hardiness, and my perception leading me to being successful and having a healthy life."
Susan Kudzibatira
National Women's Cricketer
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"I actually thought I was going to see a shrink and it wasn't going to be fun. I figured you are a psychologist, so you probably know a lot about psychology, but you probably don’t know about cricket umpiring. However, you actually make it easy to relate to you, your content, and my field. You don’t tell me what to do, but draw things out of me. You make suggestions and at the end of sessions you get me to say what I've learnt in my own words, opposed to telling me what to do. If we don’t feel in control, then we are not likely to do it, but you let me take control of how the sessions go, without derailing the actual objectives of what we should be doing. For instance, with akathe one-arm push-up confidence exercise, you didn't say, 'Because it's easy for me, it should be easy for you', but instead you built my confidence up, got me to try it, without putting me on the spot about it. I also like how you've actually applied your material to yourself in many fields. For example, your experience in martial arts and personal training. Having done many sessions, I look forward to doing more. They have really helped and it has come at the right time. I really like the GPCA session because when we are thrown into the deep end it can result in us freezing up, reducing our confidence and performance. But when we are guided into things, we take time to build our confidence, and our confidence grows. So it gives me a firm foundation to start from, so if I don’t do well on one day, I don’t lose everything, but instead just lose one brick. In the past when I have problems I haven’t handled them always well, but I am changing my attitude. I address the elephant in the room so to speak. I face my challenges head on, instead of thinking they will go away. That is good because I learnt that most of our physiological problems are caused by the mental, so if I can get my psyche right, then the physical will usually work itself out. When I am happy I remember better, am more focused, and perform better. On the other hand, fear is not good for my health. So I should take it easy in life and if I can change a situation, then I should work on it. If not, let go and move on."
Langton Rusere
Umpire
Zimbabwe Cricket Board
"The athletes loved you. They kept asking me to organize more sessions. Your sessions helped the kids question their training and be more accountable and responsible. They became more self-motivated (internal motivation) opposed to coach-motivated (external motivation). I saw a huge role model thing going on between you and one of the children. He came up to me and said, 'I love this, can I create another session.’ You allowed everyone to talk and their opinions were never considered right or wrong. Your questioning helped them think on a completely different level. They started to explore things that they originally thought were obvious and then they realised that it was not so obvious and that they could use their minds to look at more than just what was in your slides. It caused a trigger of becoming more exploratory and not just accepting. Likewise, the adults suddenly realized that it was not all about going up and down a pool to become an elite athlete. They started to realize that the relationship between the mind and the body is also important. You opened up a whole new paradigm for the adults with regards to education in sports and the importance of working holistically. You made me view choices differently. When I had a tough time with some of my friends, you made me question whether I am choosing things. I viewed it initially as I had no choice, but you brought to the forefront that I had choices and I was making choices. Now I question what I should do and that I have choices. I am now not saying that I have no choice, but am unpacking what’s in front of me and seeing that I do have a choice. I liked how one time you took us outside and got us to have a lot of fun learning about the stages of change model. It got us to be incredibly interactive while learning. I also enjoyed your ability to work with a very mixed and diverse group of people within the same group session. Everyone got something out of what was discussed. There are a fair amount of things you teach that I can use in my training sessions. I'll remember your acronyms such as NESTS and PCPAM many years from now as they were put in a form that will stick in my brain. Many of your things I am now using with my swimmers. For instance, I am now going to push the importance of NESTS with my athletes and for them to understand that everything is up to their choice. I now get them to realize that I am not there to force them, but rather as a facilitator."
"Your psychology course is needed, especially implementing it with juniors, so that they grow up with it and become stronger and able to understand the importance of balancing life with their football career. Initially they were reluctant to attend because they did not know what was going on. They didn't know what psychology is. But over time they became more interested It really helped the players a lot as there was a real improvement in the way they started reacting to different situations, such as on the field. They gained more confidence. They use to have low self-esteem, but now they are really there in terms of their approach to the game. It really gave them confidence and self-belief in achieving whatever they want to achieve. For example, some of the players are from the rural areas and so when they come to the city they lack confidence. But after your sessions they began opening up and chatting to their colleagues freely as they gained a new approach towards life. They now even mix with the players from Gaborone. One of the players was really quiet, but he is now opening up, lively, and happy. They were feeling that they were not good enough, but we have matched them against stronger players and they are doing better due to your sessions. Even the coaches noticed this. For instance, the Under 20 coach noticed this and he also noticed how one of the players was being negative and did not want to be part of the team. He was drifting away from the coaches, but because you helped him he is now becoming an integral member of their team. You even affected the captain who is now doing his role more effectively."
Raizor Tsatsilebe
Under 20 Team Manager
Botswana Football Association
"If your sessions were more of an everyday thing it would actually benefit the association very much. We are losing games and our problems are not because we are not talented, but rather because of the ways we are perceiving some things. We usually lack confidence and don’t believe we are good enough. Most of the players believe this. For instance, we think players from Spain are better than us, but that’s not always the case. But the truth is, you are only as good as you think you are. The breathing techniques and the Stop technique were really useful. They were match related and we need them almost every 10 minutes in training and in a game. We are trying your techniques and they are working. I haven’t actually been angry or sad for more than 5 minutes since you taught us the techniques. The guys listened to you and in fact they were actually responding better with you than the coaches. A more permanent psychology program should be put in place here at BFA because football is 75 percent psychology and 25 percent what you can do with your feet. As much as we use the breathing techniques to avoid the negativity, we must be put in an environment that is positive – you can feel positive energy in a place when everyone is happy. Likewise, I think it should be compulsory for coaches to do a psychology course, or even just a mini-psychology course so they can learn about negativity and positivity."
Letlhogonolo Masigo
Under 20 National Footballer
Botswana Football Association
"It helps to have confidence in soccer as you won’t be disturbed by anything unimportant. I've learnt to overcome negative things by thinking positively. I've learnt to ignore things that stress me out on the soccer field. For instance, when people say negative things I no longer worry about what they say. I am now thinking positive, positive, positive. Helping us to understand that there was no such thing as stress really helped me. This gave me confidence in everything I do."
Thero Asele
Under 20 National Footballer
Botswana Football Association
"When I first came to see you I was nervous because I was wondering why I was here, but after the first session I began to concentrate more as I tried your techniques and everything worked perfectly. After rehearsing your techniques I couldn't wait to come back to see you. I don't like to be anxious, so when you talked about how there is no such thing as stress I paid more attention. You helped me to learn how to overcome fear. I have used your techniques in two games now and they worked. When the players and coaches were shouting at me it was confusing, but my performance didn't go down because I used your techniques – I did the right thing. The Stop technique was the most effective as I was able to ignore negative things. I would like to thank the BFA for bringing you to us as it helped us improve. That really showed that they would like to see us prosper. I would like them to organize such things more often such as every camp, or better still have it part of our training 52 weeks a year, so that we can become a stronger football team and country."
Unobatsha Mbaiwa
Under 20 National Footballer
Botswana Football Association
"Your sessions were a big mind-opener to us at the Botswana National Olympic Committee. Personally, the thing I learnt the most was that I can be in control depending upon how I perceive situations. In other words, my perception is what I am. Your techniques and information are something that definitely needs to be continued in order for us to see the proper benefits. Sport is ninety percent mental. I learnt that as an athlete first-hand. But we don’t have a sport psychologist in our organisation, even though sport psychology is very much needed in Botswana sports. One of the reasons for not having someone like you is because sports administrators don’t understand the true benefit you can make, as many often think that sport psychologists are only about pumping athletes up. They don’t understand the importance of other aspects of sport psychology. That is a pity as you made psychology easy to understand. You were not complicated, but instead you broke things down into simple messages. Our athletes really needed your help. They certainly need help handling pressure. For instance, many got very anxious just doing a fitness test in the past. A lot of them do not have goals and dream goals. And they certainly don’t have them written down, even though we need them to do this. Some of the athletes and coaches did not have a high level of English proficiency, but you simplified it for them. As a result, they warmed up to you very quickly. Your demeanor was ideal, especially as you made yourself part of them, and thus they felt as if they were talking to a peer. You did not need to use ice breakers as you broke down any potential barriers by interacting with the coaches and athletes immediately and making them laugh."
Tapiwa Marobela
Programmes Officer-Technical
Botswana National Olympic Committee
"I've learnt a lot. I’m using what you have told me to make me more relaxed. I have noticed that I’m paying attention to my social live more. I've also learnt not to treat everyone the same way. As a result I see how it builds confidence. I feel more confident talking to people – definitely. I have seen that in my personal life – it helps. Sometimes when I stand up in front of people I am nervous, but now I can be more calm."
Ketlwaelo Rahube
Basketball coach
Botswana National Olympic Committee
"The relaxation exercises were amazing. I never thought that breathing would make me so calm. I thought, 'Okay, I'll give it a go.' I can’t really explain how well it works. It's just amazing. It really works. I found it very easy to learn and very easy to teach other people. You could see the expression in the faces of the other people that it was really working with them as well."
Mohammed Ameen Jada
Mixed martial arts and kick-boxing coach
Botswana National Olympic Committee
"Having a sport psychologist on a regular basis will help me in many ways such as having a different way of seeing things in tennis and playing to the best of my ability. Your techniques are really effective and really working. You made me realize what really brings me down and that I should own my fears. I now have a clear idea of how to overcome my weaknesses and overcome them. You helped me to work on turning my weaknesses into my strengths so that I can perform better on the court. I've realized that there is no such thing as stress, but that it’s my fears that hold me back. Before I saw you I use to think that things that were difficult to obtain were stressful, but now I know better. Your visualisation exercises helped me have a more positive mindset on the court and be calm in difficult situations. You made me be able to do things with the tennis ball more effectively. I now believe I am able to get my way on the court more often."
Dimpho Wilfred Legoreng
Botswana national tennis player
Botswana Tennis Association
"My biggest problem is mental. For instance, I sometimes don’t believe in myself and think I am going to lose. I have gone into matches and got scared after the first serve, but now I know that I can say to myself, ‘there is another two sets to go’ and hence I can think positive. I should look at the positive aspects of situations. An opponent may be getting anxious and hence going fast, but I can turn that around and take my time. The exercises for breathing and calming ourselves down and not thinking negative thoughts when I’m in certain situations was very useful because I now know what to do. I try your breathing exercises and they work. They really calmed me. Upgrading my confidence with regular sport psychology sessions would be very helpful."
Kaone Montshioa
Botswana national tennis player
Botswana Tennis Association
"I see the real importance of what you are teaching for competition. The techniques help us relax before we get on the mats. I liked your NOISE and NESTS acronyms, as they are the basic ingredients for life. They are simple and easy to follow, and not hard to memorise."
Keith Ver
Assistant Coach and 66kg Judo Competitor
De La Salle University Judo Varsity Team
Manila, Philippines
"I've learnt a lot. I'm using what you have told me to make me more relaxed. I have noticed that I'm paying attention to my social live more. I've also learnt not to treat everyone the same way. As a result I see how it builds confidence. I feel more confident talking to people – definitely. I have seen that in my personal life – it helps. Sometimes when I stand up in front of people I am nervous, but now I can be more calm."
Mia Baguisi
Under 57, Women Judo Competitor
De La Salle University Judo Varsity Team
Manila, Philippines
"The exercises were very helpful. I've used the diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscular relaxation, and meditation a lot. It helps players focus and not only in sport, but also in general life. They are life-long exercises that should be practiced every day. The players told me you gave them a more specific way to focus and perform better. For instance, everyone knows we should think positive, but our players did not know how to do that and how to remove negative thoughts. Your techniques were very specific and can be performed very easily."
Samson R. Bernales
Head Coach
De La Salle University Judo Varsity Team
Manila, Philippines
"You achieved a lot in your sessions. I gained substantially, especially learning about diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscular relaxation, and meditation. I'll practice these techniques to eternity, because I tried them and as a consequence I had better sleep. It sure helped me relax. You taught me what psychology can do for me personally, what it can do for my athletes, and what it can do for Ghana. Your services are crucial for the whole of Ghana if we want to do even better internationally than we currently are doing."
Amuzu Logosu
Sprint Coach
Ghana Olympic Committee
"The classes were lovely. You helped the coaches relax. You were very clear with your message. I really liked the interaction you created between the coaches, because that helped us understand your information and techniques more thoroughly. As a result of these three things, when you presented difficult information, we did not become overwhelmed. We could understand even complex information. I learnt a lot, but especially how to prepare my athletes for competition more effectively. For instance, I learnt how to teach my athletes not to fear as often. I now know how to make my athletes happier and as a result they will perform better."
Aniah Bernard
Long Distance Coach
Ghana Olympic Association
"Athletes can train as hard as they like, but if their minds are not strong, then they won’t be able to achieve their aim. Every sport needs physical and mental strength and hence what you did was extremely useful for athletes in particular. We need to use your training nationwide and bring our coaches together from all regions for such training. For instance, it would be good to have two coaches from all ten regions attend so they can learn, discuss the information, and then take it back to their separate regions. Personally I learnt a lot. You helped me understand, especially because you communicate very clearly. I learnt how to control myself better. I told you that I sometimes have too many things to do, but you explained to me that I need to control the situation better. That was very useful advice. I will make sure that things do not hold me down in the future. Likewise, the coaches also learnt. They felt better at the end of the workshops because they learnt how to control their breathing, how to teach their athletes more effectively, that there is no such thing as stress, and that they need to be social with their athletes. The coaches listened intently, you had their attention, even though many have low levels of education."
Fuseini Bahwah
Secretary General of Athletics
Ghana Olympic Association
"Learning and teaching is not simple, but it was like you had a toolbox with various tools that you could use whenever the need arises. If you needed a hammer, then you could take out a hammer and use it. If you needed scissors, then you could pull them out. You were systematic. You were simple and straight forward. You talked about what was real. You presented facts and showed non-complex techniques. You made me think about things that we don't normally think about. You made me realize that I was neglecting important things around me. For instance, you helped me summarise one session as, 'I must honour sleep in both quality and quantity in order to get the benefits of health and happiness.' People want to be happy and they look for money to get this and they have restless lives and don’t sleep well. So it's an irony; what people think will make them happy is actually not making them happy. They don't have time for family and people when chasing after money. In the end you are like a sunflex – you think you are seeing something that will make you happy when in fact it doesn't. I learnt that the foundations of happiness and a healthy lifestyle is NESTS. I see NESTS as a summary of solutions for life’s problems. The problems we are having in life is, 'how to be happy?' We are trying all sorts of different things to be happy. NESTS says, 'stop beating around the bush and just do NESTS'."
Ali Bansie Baba
Tennis Player and Coach
Ghana Tennis Association
"Your sessions help me to think positive, know what to do, and keep me away from fear and negative things. You helped me stay mentally active. It’s all been useful, but especially with the breathing exercises. It helps me on the court. I don’t bother as much about things on the court now. I now am more focused, don’t have fear and do the right thing. I don’t waste energy on thinking about irrelevant things. In the future I will still remember the need to be consistent – that is, doing the same thing over and over which causes you to become addicted to what you are doing and not feel fear. You made me realize how to handle issues, understand people, and what to do. I like the way you make us active mentally and physically."
Peter Atsu Tomegah
Tennis Player
Ghana Tennis Association
"You were very useful, especially as psychology fits straight into tennis. I have learnt a lot about how to impact my players. I don’t have to think bad for them, think negative, or try to pump them up. I now see the need to stay positive and not put unnecessary pressure on the players. I liked the breathing exercises, as it really works on perception. Even like walking up stairs. If you perceive stairs as difficult, then they are difficult, but if you see them as easy, then they are easy. Now that I have been exposed to this idea, I understand that there is nothing to be afraid of. The breathing exercises bring me back whenever I am thinking badly. It helps you freeze, think about positive things, and then go back to what I was doing. So by doing so, I increase my ability to play more. You were very, very cordial. You explained things well with the pictures and you’re very encouraging. We know we are learning a lot. Such things need to be taught at the club levels so that when the players come to tournaments they will be aware of what to do and what not to do. Tennis is played 95 percent mentally, but most players do not know how to do the mental aspect of tennis. Oftentimes players have been beaten by another player and that brings fear when they met the same person again, but they don’t need to be afraid."
Philip Plange
Tennis Player and Coach
Ghana Tennis Association
"I use to be a flier as a cheerleader, but I then became afraid of flying. I would worry about falling and say things like, 'I can't fly. I'm going to fall and coach is going to yell at me.' With your confidence section, especially the information about positive self-talk from confidence, along with getting us to create a positive sentence based on neuroticism, I should be able to overcome my fear with flying. I need to see flying as something that I am not afraid of, but rather something that I want to do. I liked the repeating of NESTS and NOISE as fast as we could because it was fun and interactive. You kept it personal. You didn't make it seem like you were superior. It was easy to talk to you. You gave us enough time to understand and interpret the information."
Janine Forbes
Cheerleader
Jamaica Cheer Federation
"I learnt things from you such as I need to try harder, be hardier, and gain more confidence. The information that was given was very useful, I just need to apply your information and not be a procrastinator or be lazy. I think that if I have the confidence then I can execute my stunts in cheerleading properly each time I do them. I see your sessions helping me in school. If I believe that I can actually do Accounts, which is my weakest subject at the moment, then I'll practice harder and pass the course. I will try to remember that I need to be more persistent."
Racquel Ebanks
Cheerleader
Jamaica Cheer Federation
"As a cheerleader I apply NESTS and NOISE every day. For instance, I have to exercise, take good nutrients, sleep well, focus on everything I do, and socialise. We have to be able to think ahead and put everything that we have learnt into play. Hence, your breathing techniques can help me control my energy in my performance. Your sessions were excellent for my everyday life. You connect with us, made it comfortable for us to speak freely, and help us understand what needs to be taught. I’d be glad to do more sessions like this as we have learned a lot."
"It was very encouraging. Everyone has heard about sport psychology, but I never knew you would be so helpful. Learning how I can approach and structure conversations to have positive feedback was invaluable, even in the worst situations (when you want to tear your hair out). I liked the thought stoppage technique because it made me think differently about not only what I want to say, but also my tone. Your courses are not just about hockey, but also life. I was pleased how receptive the boys were. I don’t know what you did to them, but even though my players are bright, knowledgeable, and willing to research things on their own, they could immediately see how they could gain from you, both on and off the field, especially with the breathing exercises, optimism, and goal-setting. They are willing to implement your techniques which had a profound effect on them."
Aubyn Ferguson
Senior Coach, National Men’s Hockey Team
Jamaica Hockey Federation
"I don’t normally think negative thoughts, but the breathing exercise was so surprisingly effective. It was peaceful. I almost feel asleep. I found working on goal-setting very useful. I gave myself until September to change some things. You actually made us write our goals down, instead of just talking about them. As you said, ‘put it up where other people can see it and that will make you accountable for them’. I’m doing this. Most of the players found your sessions a useful experience. Helping them to calm down, take a step back, and get their emotions under control is helping the team. Not even the most difficult players didn't tune you out. Instead they changed the most, as they often times take out their frustrations of life onto the field, but they don't now as much."
Demi Nicholson
National Women's Hockey Player
Jamaica Hockey Federation
"You have changed my life. For instance, I now automatically sit the way you taught us. I learnt how to control my brain and breathing. Even on the first night you showed me the breathing technique, I was able to help my girlfriend calm down. I now look at life in a different way. Instead, I now look at life more positive, positive, positive. I just touch my index finger and I can move on. One of the players in particular you really calmed down. You taught him to be more focused."
Kishawn White
National Hockey Player
Jamaica Hockey Federation
"Your sessions are all very important. The fact that you kept them on one day from 11am to 3pm shows you got a connection. I really liked how you asked on one night, ‘How many hours do you spend training physically?’ and then ‘How many hours do you spend training mentally?’ and then you gave them techniques to use so they can train mentally. Even the players that were not interested initially benefited in the long run. Getting one of the players to sit up and say her goals is more than anyone else has ever been able to. She now stands taller and wants to be involved in your more advanced technique sessions. I like how you have shown them how to do this on their own. You have challenged them to become stronger on their own."
Michelle Holt
Coach, National Women’s Hockey Team
Jamaica Hockey Federation
"The players will change gradually due to your sessions and it’s the coaching staff’s responsibility to remind the players if they see the players “acting out” to use your techniques. A lot of the players get angry, especially due to comments from other players. So the thought stoppage technique is the one that we need to practice with the players the most. Your sessions were needed and they turned out to be well received. The players were very receptive to what you brought to the table and they were willing to look at the flaws that they did not know how to correct. I especially liked how you helped the players to remain focused and be able to perform at their highest level. You helped them truly understand that they are responsible for their actions and happiness and to focus on what is important."
Richard Wisdom
Chairman Umpire and Technical Committee
(Former National Coach)
Jamaica Hockey Federation
"Our rowing crew were really excited about the Paper Clip technique and they were surprised about the number of negative thoughts they had. They are motivated to think in a less negative way. The training really helped us, especially to think better. It really motivated us and me to think in a positive way. When we do assessments for timing, sometimes I feel like giving up. But after this training I feel like I really should not give up. I think the advice on optimism was really important for that. The key is to see life in a more positive way. Most of the time when people come to see us they appear too intellectual, but you allowed us to talk about what we fear and be more open."
Malki Wijeyesekera
Crew member, Musaeus College Rowing Club
Colombo, Sri Lanka
"It was something different that the girls had not experienced before. They are all talking about what you have taught them and how they could apply it to their practices. They were intrigued by it. I heard them constantly exchanging ideas on how they could apply this to themselves. Their thinking is different from in the past. They are not thinking in a mundane way. They were comparing the number of negative thoughts they had with each other. The interaction with you was very good. They opened up very quickly and were fairly relaxed with you. You were able to engage them well."
Mark Maurice
Coach, Musaeus College Rowing Club
Colombo, Sri Lanka
"We train 2 hours in the morning and 3 hours at night, and in the 6 years that I have been in the national squad, we have never had a sport psychologist. A lot of us in competitions are very nervous, but with your techniques I can now compete in a more relaxed manner."
Eunice Lucero
Philippines Women's Under 70kg Judoist
Philippines Judo Association
"The players took your sessions seriously. I liked your breathing techniques, as it made me relaxed and calm. In competitions I get angry and think negative thoughts. I have never been fully confident in myself, even though I was a Gold medalist at the South-East Asian Games, but now I can see that if I gain more confidence using your techniques, then I will do even better. I am now going to change the way I think and the way others think of me."
Gilbert Ramirez
Philippines Men's Under 73kg Judoist
Gold medalist, South-East Asian Games
Philippines Judo Association
"The players were thankful for the opportunity you gave us, as they can use your techniques in the future. Your sessions were helpful for us because you taught us to help ourselves. I liked the breathing, meditation, PMR, and thought stoppage, because when I did them I relaxed, kept the focus on myself, thought clearly, and moved better. The thought stoppage really helps me, as I’m sometimes a negative thinker. What I learnt from you was the need to change my thinking to a positive way."
Helen Dawa
Philippines Women's Under 45kg Judoist
Gold medalist, South-East Asian Games
Philippines Judo Association
"When I did your techniques I felt so motivated. I learnt that the Filipino quote of ‘to see is to believe’ is not true. It is supposed to be that you need to believe before you see it. The general message of all your techniques is to see the future positively and not negatively. We can do immeasurably things more than what we see by seeing the vision of victory."
Lester Pilar
Philippines Men's Judoist
Philippines Judo Association
"You were easy to relate to, especially as you got us to interact. The audience became part of the debate. It was an eye-opener, especially when you talked about the inherent makeup of people resisting change. We know that, but we didn't really know it. Your famous PCPAM was informative and fun. There were really positive events in your sessions. The Pygmalion effect rings a bell practically. When you project a certain positiveness in people it’s infective. The key to a successful change is not to pull people down, but to transmit positive energy, thus programming them to succeed. The company was very O driven, but now we are totally E driven, while trying to achieve a balance between O and E driven. We should have had your kind of courses before our transformative approach."
Sanjeev Kumar
Systems and Marketing Manager
Royal Golf Club Bahrain
Bahrain
"The way you present was really good. You made us work. You got us talking and provided us the opportunity to bring up our ideas and think about what we need to change in our personal and professional lives. Even me I started to talk in the sessions. We shared our ideas and problems, especially when you gave us activities. I liked the topics, as the management has changed and yet most employees don't want to change. They want to stick to the same old ways. The PCPAM is a key as to how we can change with the new management. We are trying our best to help our employees to change. I liked the part about the stages of change because it helped me change."
Shamshad Ali
Human Resources Manager
Royal Golf Club Bahrain
Bahrain
"Although our culture fosters shyness and quietness, you were able to get us interactive in a small matter of time. The swimmers became progressively more and more vocal and participated enthusiastically. Very encouragingly, especially considering their young age, most of the swimmers could articulate the main messages of the sessions. The breathing and meditation techniques they learnt will no doubt help them to compose themselves better, be it in their sport, or the rest of their daily pressures of schooling, exams and social surrounding. We all know that exercise is good for our health, but we sometimes take it for granted. How you helped us was by showing practical examples and research studies. That reinvigorated us. The thing I will remember the most is the breathing exercises. Because they make me less tired, more relaxed, and make me feel that I can handle any situation."
Akhry Ameer
General Secretary
Sri Lanka Aquatics Sports Union
"As a swimmer, motivation is extremely important. I swim about 10 sessions per week, about 3-5km each session. In addition to that, I've got to try to juggle swimming and studies at a high level. That is not easy. Not easy at all. At times, I feel like giving up and I feel that I’m searching for motivation that isn't there. It was a terrible feeling, and as a result, my last season was much more unsuccessful than I’d hoped it would turn out. I thought that there was no way I could solve it and that I was a naturally pessimistic person who, despite the talent that people say I have, don’t have the proper mentality for swimming and I began thinking about giving up my career. More than anything else I learnt from you that positive thinking leads to positive outcomes and I am motivated to change my approach so that I face challenges with a more positive mindset. Your presentations were absolutely great. You gave me hope and encouraged me. You helped me realize that even if I am indeed a pessimist, I can change that. Thank you!"
Kimiko Raheem
National Female Swimmer
(And Commonwealth Games Representative)
Sri Lanka Aquatics Sports Union
"Swimmers are intelligent and analytical people, so they take their time to judge information and decide if information is based in fact or fantasy. By the end of the program the majority of my swimmers were open and receptive to you and your message. Swimming is a lonely sport therefore any increasing positive thinking will help achieve tough goals. I especially liked how you kept hammering on the positives. You opened my eyes to different, more effective and innovative ways to coach my swimmers and make their lives better in and out of a pool. The information was presented well and backed up by facts. The message of optimism/happiness/positivity will help the swimmers to make better informed choices in their lives."
Manoj Abeysinghe
Member ASCA/SLASU Elite Swimming Coach
Sri Lanka Aquatics Sports Union
"I thought the sessions were extremely helpful and very informative. I especially liked the diaphragmatic breathing technique because I could actually feel my heart rate drop and my body start to relax which would be a good pre-race technique as a swimmer. It also helped me a lot as a person because I actually want to be a Sports Physiologist and I will be majoring in sports psychology later this year when I go to college. I really liked the experience and the ability of one person to impact so many peoples’ lives. Being happy, having goals and proper values will allow me to be a happier and more successful person and makes anything in life possible."
Matthew Abeysinghe
National Male Swimmer
(And Asian Youth Games Medalist)
Sri Lanka Aquatics Sports Union
"I've never done training like this, but I can now focus on my future targets as I now know I want to win my dream. I now can relax and breathe and not get as confused. The breathing exercises are good. They make me very relaxed. My best time for the 400 meters is 49.9 seconds, but with more training, including your training I'll be under 45. I know I can do this."
M.D. Geethika Kavinda
400 Meter Runner
Sri Lanka Athletics Association
"I was the one that came out with the idea of concentrating before the event. I am really nervous before events, but I learnt how to be relaxed. One thing that really struck me was not to let your short term goals ruin the long-term goals. If I want something now I shouldn't let that affect my long-term goals. I have a lot of short-term goals and so I need to be careful so that they don't affect what I really want. I recently cleared 1.71 meters in the Asian Schools Athletic Championship held in China and I think I can bring an Olympic medal to Sri Lanka for the high jump."
M.K Purnima Gunarathna
High Jumper,
Sri Lanka Athletics Association
"Before the start of races and when I am in the starting position I hyperventilate, can’t breathe properly and sometimes feel like I need more time. Lots of things come into my mind, like I’m now tall enough. But due to you I've learnt how to relax and keep my breathing under control. I have learnt how to ignore the feelings of not being able to breathe properly. I can now focus better and remember your techniques on race day. Many athletes in Sri Lanka don’t know how to focus. They have some problems and so your training helps them avoid problems."
Nadeeshani Henderson
400 Meter Runner
Sri Lanka Athletics Association
"You did really well with clarity, volume selection, equal participation, and keeping everyone alive. Our members were genuinely interested as witnessed by the fact that they sat around long after the sessions were finished. I really liked the positive thinking and the practical examples you choose because we need positive thinking to live a happy life. I'll remember you stressing the importance of self-confidence. All the audience I spoke to said that your presentation style was very clear. They found your simple mental management techniques easy to apply and useful to help keep out negative thoughts."
Shalomi Ranasinghe
Administrative Secretary
Sri Lanka Golf Union
"I liked your spirit. You are upbeat and jovial at times and very thorough with what you were doing and the subject matter. You clearly know what you’re talking about. You kept the audience attentive by the way you spoke, your body language, and the clarity of your message. What you taught us can not only be used in golf, but in our daily lives. You taught us how to deal with difficult situations more effectively. Your sessions would have been so good for some of our other golfers because some have many problems. For instance, you came up with two stories that brought out strong emotions and as a result you were able to help them acknowledge their emotions and then do something about them."
Suren Waas
Honorary Assistant Secretary
Sri Lanka Golf Union