Podium Mindset: The Breakthrough Approach to On-The-Pitch Sports Psychology for Unstoppable Performance

In the grand stadiums of Europe, in the judo halls of Japan, soaring along the winding race roads of the French Alps, or stranded without fuel in the deserts of Jordan—but mainly here, across the length and breadth of Israeli sports, alongside elite teams and top athletes, Ohad Maoz’s stories as the psychologist for Israel’s greatest athletes and coaches are, to a large extent, the story of Israeli sports itself—a narrative brimming with emotions, instincts, stinging failures, and sweet successes.

A journey between the worlds of sports and business, intellect and emotion, the secrets of locker rooms and the intrigues of boardroom corridors, in the biggest moments and the smallest habits of Israeli sports stars.

Ohad Maoz presents a fascinating interim summary of a forty-year career - the long road from the days when the term “sports psychologist” elicited chuckles from coaches to standing on the Olympic podium.

Recommendations

"This book is a delicacy - like a wonderful game of football, full of sweet surprises. Maoz's spotlight is personal and wide-ranging - from athletics to football, from coaching to business - and it moves through a fascinating and new story of moves and events large and small in Israeli sport – both on the courts and the tracks but also in the dressing rooms and in closed board meetings. With delightful writing and thought-provoking exposure, Maoz leads teams, players, coaches and managers behind the scenes about their actions and decisions in the moments that have shaped Israeli sport."

"The case studies presented by Ohad Maoz in the book are intriguing and fascinating in their own right. However, more importantly, the experience Ohad shares enables, especially for coaches, the development of an understanding and knowledge of regulating processes in their journey toward their coveted goal."

"A book brimming with fascinating and personal stories, full of insights. Over the two decades that Ohad has guided me as an organizational consultant in the companies I manage, I’ve heard many stories from his work with athletes, and there was always something in them that I could apply to my management. Highly recommended."

"Well-written. Interesting, clear, and thought-provoking. I was very impressed. I found that there are organizational/managerial topics that can be learned from reading the stories. Moreover, the stories add depth and additional perspectives to these topics. For psychologists working with athletes, this will be a must-read book."

"In direct and fluent language, Ohad offers the reader a superb toolkit of inspiring ideas that can assist and provide every manager with different and interesting perspectives for tackling managerial and business challenges. I warmly recommend this book to every manager and entrepreneur."

"Ohad’s fascinating and authentic stories present a wide range of mental barriers that many managers encounter themselves, along with excellent ways to identify and overcome them. I recommend that every manager invite their team to read the book and engage in a discussion about how they can apply Ohad’s wisdom in their work."

Ohad Maoz

Organizational Psychologist.
A pioneer of sports psychology in Israel.
Co-manager at Mental Jump

Participated in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics as the sports psychologist for Yael Arad and Oren Smadja.
First ever Israeli Olympic medals.

For the past 40 years, he has supported business CEOs, competitive teams, national teams, and dozens of individual athletes at the highest levels, across various sports in Israel and abroad.

Founded and manages the mental performance unit at the Olympic Committee in Israel.

Married to Liat, father to Daniel and Mika, and grandfather to Omri, Noga, and Kfir.
Lives in Kfar Haim.

Passionate practicing sports.

Contact Us

ohad@ohadmaoz.com