Testimonials

Understanding where and how to focus your time, energy and effort, are tools that will serve you in sport, business and life. Learning to focus on performance (things you have control over) instead of outcome (results over which you have no control) is a skill that I have seen make champion gymnasts and drive success both personally and professionally. ‘Gymnastics Psychology: The Ultimate Guide for Coaches, Gymnasts, and Parents’ immediately makes the “must read” list for parents and coaches of all sports.

‘The sport of Gymnastics has always been about having a strong mind to support a strong body. In my career as a coach, whether I am working with a Level 4 or an Elite National Team Member, I find myself frequently returning to Doc’s papers, lectures, and articles. He manages to take complex topics and write in a way that is easily understood by the reader. His passion for gymnastics comes alive in his writing which really holds something for everyone-Coach, Gymnast, or Parent.

For my Competitive Team Parents, I recommend they read the articles in ‘Gymnastics Psychology: The Ultimate Guide for Coaches, Gymnasts, and Parents’. Parents are more knowledgeable today about their children’s sports and are becoming more involved every year. However, there are also boundaries which need to be established and understood by the parents. The sections for parents in this book will help educate them as well as help me to be able to communicate with them better on certain issues.

Dear Doc…In our ‘fast paced’ society, it is easy to forget to thank those who have influenced our lives in some way. In my pursuit of a doctoral degree, I needed a statement explaining my interest in sport psychology. Thank you for exposing me to the cognitive and affective techniques for improving athletic performance.

I have been grateful for the knowledge and insights into sports psychology that Dr. Sue Massimo has provided for my gymnasts and me in her workshops during gymnastics camps and clinics. I continue to use many of her techniques in mastering fear with my gymnasts today.

Although he lived six hours away…’Doc’ has had a significant impact on my life. He has helped coach me in gymnastics as well as teach me lifelong lessons. He was there as I grew from a shy recreational gymnast into a confident young adult. I learned how to apply the strategies he taught me in gymnastics to several other aspects of my life.

Dear Doc…We are so fortunate to have you in our region. You’re always there to help us and I truly appreciate all that you do for us. Kathy O, for all of Region 6.

Thank you to Dr. Joe Massimo for helping generations of young gymnasts train under the direction of teachers and coaches who are safe, effective, positive and gentle, because you touched their hearts.

Dear Doc…Thank you for your guidance, whether it was giving me advice about how to be a better gymnastics teacher or helping me figure out what I wanted to do with my life.

I highly recommend ‘Gymnastics Psychology: The Ultimate Guide for Coaches, Gymnasts, and Parents’ to every coach whether you’re just starting out or have been around for a while. I believe the knowledge I have gained from understanding the psychological aspects of the sport have helped further my career and the accomplishments of my gymnasts. I would suggest that every coach takes the time to read the book in its entirety and then go back and pick out parts to begin incorporating into their own training programs.

How fortunate I am to have a mentor, a coach, and a constant listening ear that has been there during my formative years and my adulthood, as both a gymnast and more importantly, as a person. Growing up in the gym and hearing amazing stories of gymnastics breakthroughs and groundbreaking psychology research as well as anecdotes from personal experiences was a regular occurrence. And out of these stories came priceless messages. Messages that helped shape mine and my teammates perspectives, work ethic, and overall outlook. We referred to these messages as ‘Doc-isms.’ These messages became engrained in me so much that as a beginning coach, I heard that message verbalized to my athletes…from my own mouth… and immediately knew where it came from…my favorite Doc-ism: ‘I care more about you as people than I do as gymnasts.’ What a fantastic message from coach to athlete. Doc, thank you for consistently continuing to impact every person who is lucky enough to cross your path. The world is fortunate to have this book, “Gymnastics Psychology” as a resource to apply Doc-isms into their lives.

My role model…I have learned so much from ‘Doc.’ I have learned how to stay calm and collected in high-pressure situations. I can stay focused during a competition even when it is not going my way… ‘Doc’ is a great role model and I am so glad he is my mentor.