Testimonials

Professional CricketAmanda Owens was the sport psychologist for Essex CCC first team for five or six years. She was highly committed and worked with both individual players and the team to great effect.
Players and the team benefitted and enjoyed working with Amanda developing their mental aspects of their game. This resulted in noticeable performance improvements better awareness of themselves and ultimately allround better cricketers.
Graham Gooch
Essex CCC head batting coach and former England Captain.
Arguably Englands finest ever Batsman.

What does it take to get to the top? For a long time sports stars relied very heavily on natural talent to win them that trophy or tournament. In modern times the competition has been so intense, so close that everyone looks for an edge. A hard work ethic combined with a good lifestyle and the right nutrition can definatley help. Mental toughness (which can be learnt) in match situations can be the deciding factor in crossing the finishing line first. Many times in my career I ve called upon mental techniques to get me through difficult phases of the game.
Mark Ramprakash
Surrey CCC and former England International
(Personal communication, October 2007)

When preparing for professional sport mental preparation is equally if not more important than the physical and technical aspects...' he further describes ' mental preparation in cricket as being 90 - 99% of importance to overall game preparation.
Jonathan Batty
Surrey CCC wicketkeeper and opening Batsman
(Personal communication 2003)

If you prepare properly it gives you the confidence to go out and perform at your best and leads to better performance… preparing properly is the given ability to succeed.
Graham Gooch
Former England Batsman and England Captain
(Personal communication 2003)

It has been a great pleasure to work with Amanda Owens. Sport Psychology is an interest of mine and crucial to the mental strength of elite sportsmen and women. It is no coincidence that Surrey's wicket keeper/batsman Jon Batty became a player of stature within the county game after working with Amanda. I have also enjoyed working with her in trying to unlock the self confidence and belief in some of the more diffident members of our Academy intake. It is really exciting to witness the change of attitude, performance and expectation brought about by Amanda's confidence boosting visualisation sessions. An encounter with a sport psychologist had a profound effect on my career and I believe that Believe consulting can do the same for the current generation.
Alan Butcher
Surrey CCC First Team Coach & Manager

Working with Amanda has enabled me to be more self-aware and know how and what to do to get into my best performance state. Amanda has helped me to understand what I need and want to do ensure that my preparation is what I need to perform at my best.  I now recognise what I need to do  when I under perform: to focus on my strengths, past best performances and what I need to so rather than the poor performance and model my best performances instead. I believe and know now I am more self aware than ever of myself and others in the team and I have performed more consistently. I am enjoying my cricket and I can see that I have broken previous patterns of behaviour as I finished last season (2006) on real high.
James Foster
Essex CCC Wicketkeeper and Batsman (Former England Wicketkeeper)

I would like to take this opportunity to say how much Amanda Owens has helped me and my Essex team over the last 4 years. We were a fine team of individual talent but collectively lacked direction and certain team ethics.  During the workshops we had with
Amanda, she got players to open up and discuss freely, without confrontation. Therefore, putting things right that were wrong but also allowing us to have a vision for the future. They say that the proof of the pudding is in the eating and a year into our relationship maturing, we won back to back major titles.  This was not a coincidence but partly to do with our mental preparation. Same team, better attitude!!!
Ronnie Irani
Essex CCC Captain (Winner’s of the Totesport Division One day league 2005 & 2006).  

I have found working with Amanda to be an invaluable experience in assisting me to become a better player and for me to understand how to reach my potential. She has helped me enormously during both the good and bad times.
Will Jefferson
Nottinghamshire CCC Opening Batsman (formerly Essex CCC)

Amanda Owens has provided the Surrey Cricket Academy with its psychology provision over the past 5 years. She has shown great committment and dedication in her support of the Academy and development of elite cricketers. The psychology support has provided an educational bvenefit to the players and also equipped them with improved mental skills in handling themselves under pressure. Within the Academy environment we have taken a very integrated approach to elite talent developent, Amanda has very much, been part of this process.
Gareth Townsend
Surrey CCC Academy Director.

Professional Football - Southampton FC

Amanda was the resident and official Sport Psychologist at Southampton FC from 2001 – 2002
Comments and testimonials from Gordon Strachan, Manager taken from various newspaper Articles.
 
She’s been working with us for a couple of weeks and I know her is name is Amanda (Owens).
She just wanders in does her bit, and whatever she’s doing she’s doing something right.
Observer
17 December 2001

They, Southampton,are also playing with a new sense of belief, which may have been helped by the introduction of a new sports psychologist.
Observer
17 December 2001 
 
We are dealing with different type of temperament just now and different types of people… you can’t rule with an iron rod anymore we’re looking at the best ways of dealing with the players.
The Daily Echo
22 December 2001

Strachan revealed he has used this tool to get to know his players better. But he also says that he is always learning and is always prepared to listen to a good professional to hear their ideas…. So far he has liked what he has heard from the likes of Chris Marsden and Matthew Oakley the most vociferous in the discussions.
The Daily Echo
22 December 2001

If the proof is in the puddings, it's in the results, the fact that the Saints have won three of their last four matches.
The Daily Echo
22 December 2001
 
Strachan in Clover after Amanda gives Saints self-belief
Daily Mail
17 December 2001
 
Strachan paid tribute to the mental strength developer Amanda (Owens) for his 2-0 victory.
Daily Mail
17 December 2001