For his book, “Mentality,” British author Joe Sillett asked some of Britain’s best-known sports figures, “Can you control your mind?”

“Yes, totally. I believe that sport—and life in general—is all about controlling your mind. It’s about thinking positively all the time—negative things can get you down. It’s hard because sometimes negative things happen and it’s difficult to not let them stick in your mind but if they keep sticking in your mind they will be there and they will have an effect upon your performance… You have to believe in yourself….” – A.P. McCoy, jockey

“Yes, you can certainly control your mind. You can go through barriers that you put in front of yourself—and the hardest one is controlling your mind. A lot of people fall down because they put their own barriers up around themselves. What you have to do is deconstruct those barriers and set yourself realistic goals. I’ve always been a big believer in goal setting. I write down my biggest goal on a piece of paper and then write maybe 20 smaller goals underneath. You then start chipping away until you reach that big goal.” – Scott Quinnel, rugby player

Closing Quote:
“You have to have the will and the skill but the will must be stronger than the skill.” — Muhammad Ali