Dr. Jarrod Spencer, sports psychologist and founder of Mind of the Athlete, a sports psychology company located in Bethlehem, is on a mission to tear down the stigma of mental health in athletics, so he has written a book called, “Mind of the Athlete ‘Clearer Mind, Better Performance’”.

“This is a bottom-up movement, not a top-down movement,” Spencer said. “The athletes themselves want this, but the funding for mental health in athletics comes from the top down.”

Spencer calls the book a must-read for players, coaches, and parents; that’s how passionate he is about the topic.

“The book really explains how the mind of the athlete works best,” he said.

The book contains three parts. The first part describes the mind and explains that when things cloud it, such as unprocessed thoughts and concerns, it will hinder an athlete’s performance. The second part describes five obstacles athletes face when trying to function with a clouded, flooded preconscious mind. The third part describes five strategies for processing the thoughts that flood an athlete’s mind, so that he or she can perform at a higher level.

Emotions, such as anger and depression are addressed in the book, as well as conditions, such as insomnia and performance anxiety.

Spencer, as well as NBA player, Stephen Curry, and MLS player, Landon Donovan, along with others, share their stories in the book about mental health as it related to them. Former NFL player, Matt Millen, wrote the forward.

“Matt is a very good friend of mine. I’ve been in a Bible study with him for five years at his house,” said Spencer. “He understands the mental side of sports.”

The idea to write a book came from a sports psychologist with the New York Giants after Spencer finished his doctorate, but the process was not what he expected. In other words, Spencer discovered that an author does not necessarily sit down at the keyboard and write a book.

“I spoke it; then, I wrote it,” Spencer said. “For me, I give speeches. I record the speech, transcribe it online, and send it to the ghostwriter for structure. Once she sends it back to me, that’s when I go to work, unpacking the content and writing stories.”

While Spencer enjoyed the process, it was time-consuming because it was his first solo project.

“There was a lot of back and forth for layout, and look, and edits, and getting endorsements,” said Spencer. “For the next book, “The Mental Toolbox ‘Sports Psychology Techniques Every Athlete Needs to Know,’” the process will be more efficient.

Another part of the process that Spencer enjoyed was the recording of the audiobook version of “Mind of the Athlete ‘Clearer Mind, Better Performance’” at WSBG Radio in Stroudsburg, which took six hours to complete.

“When I was reading, I knew it was up to me to make the book come alive,” said Spencer. “I could really emphasize the delivery, or the humor, or the wit.”

In approximately two weeks, a new Mind of the Athlete website at mindoftheathlete.com will be up, at which time advance copies of the book in both hard cover and soft cover will be available for purchase, as well as the e book and the audiobook.

“I really am [excited]. It’s been so long in the making and a deeply spiritual experience for me,” Spencer said. “I know God called me to do it, and now I want to see what He will do with it.”

Olympic swimmer and 2016 U.S.A. swim team captain, Allison Schmitt’s story is also in the book. Schmitt spoke out about her struggles as an athlete with depression after her cousin committed suicide.

“Allison has been a supporter of Mind of the Athlete for some time now. She battled depression after the London Olympics,” said Spencer. “She spoke about it on the Today show with Matt Lauer. She became an advocate [for mental health in athletics], and she’s tearing down stereotypes.”

That has been Spencer’s mission all along, and then some, because he and his Mind of the Athlete staff truly want to help people in a big way.

“You know, what if?” said Spencer.

What if money will be budgeted in all athletic departments, not just Division 1 schools, for mental health someday? What if all athletic directors, coaches and parents took mental health as seriously as others someday? What if it’s Spencer on the Today show someday?

“I feel like the book will be the explosion,” Spencer said. “It’s like there’s a bus, and God gathered all the people [such as each Mind of the Athlete staff person and a few others] on the bus [to make this happen]. And I just say, OK, God, you’re just going to do what you’re going to do. That’s what I’m excited about. That’s what I can’t wait to see.”