My Book

Testimonials from Olympic Boxing Coach.

Back in the Early 1990s I was coaching in a gym in Sydney and at that time I had been a coach for about 12 years and coached several state and national champions, there was a promising boxer in the gym that showed potential to go a long way and in his weight division was the raining Australian boxing champion.

I knew physically and technically the boy in our gym was capable of beating him but my doubts were mentally, at that time Garry Wasson was training in our gym and offered his assistance".

"I honestly believe without Garry’s help preparing him and assisting me in his corner he would have lost focus and not won, but he did and went on to win the state, National and Oceania gold medals".

Since that I have shared the book Garry had wrote (The Positive Mental Attitude) with athletes I have took to state, national, world championships, commonwealth Games and Olympic Games which has helped making a big impact in performance.

I am now coaching in the Philippine’s and have also shared the book with some of the athletes over here one being the current World 57kg female Champion.

Don Abnett

3 Times Olympic Boxing Coach & Director of Coaching Philippine’s

Positive Mental Attitude

Book review for Positive Mental Attitude, 2000 from Blitz Magazine vol.14. no 9.

"No matter how many fights you have won or the level of the opponent, without a positive mental attitude you will never perform at your best. You have been training for your next fight. Your thoughts (how you think about the fight) will develop your emotion (how to feel about the fight), which will help or hinder the outcome of the fight. Emotions are triggered by your thoughts. When stepping into the ring, if your thoughts are negative, you will have a negative emotion that will be a major factor in the fight," says author of positive mental attitude: Garry Wasson.

A fighter of any level with a strong positive thought will have positive emotions, prompt reactions from their muscles and these will have an influence on the outcome of the fight.

When going into a fight you will always have a sense of fear! Unknown to most, fear has a positive effect on your mind and body. Your lungs will relax so you can receive more oxygen into your bloodstream. Your pupils will enlarge for better focus. Your liver will release stored glucose for an extra burst of energy, and your external blood vessels will constrict so that more blood is available to the brain, arms and legs to ensure that you are ready for action.

When preparing for an important fight, most fighters use visualisation techniques. By visualising in a relaxed state, your brain waves are slower and you are in the most receptive state of mind. Visualise at the speed it will occur and see it through your own eyes. On the day of the fight, repeat positive affirmations that can place you in the right frame of mood when fighting. If you think to yourself that you will perform at the best of your ability, your mind will assist you in performing at your best!

Before stepping into the ring, you need to work on your optimal arousal level. Sometimes you need to be relaxed and calm, and other times you need to be psyched up and focused. Everyone is different and you need to find what suits you best. This can be done by relaxing and remembering your best performance and how you felt during this time.

Last but not least, never go into a fight without a game plan, always know what you are going to do. Instead of going into a fight and saying “I hope i win“, follow your game plan and think instead, “if I do this and this, I know I will perform at my best ability." Fighters who have goals and a game plan to implement are more successful because they have a blueprint on how to win the fight!