Sports psychologist and former competitive ultra runner Joan Steidinger ’s latest tome tells the stories of different types of female athletes in a variety of sports and illustrates how they collaborate and compete.
Longtime Mill Valley sports psychologist and author Joan Steidinger is in the midst of rollout of her latest book, Sisterhood in Sports: How Female Athletes Collaborate and Compete, including a book launch event and reading at the Depot Bookstore & Café on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 6:30pm.

In her new tome, available now at the Depot Bookstore and online through Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, the former competitive ultrarunner and long distance cyclist tells the stories of all kinds of female athletes in a variety of sports and how that differs from the experience of male athletes.

In particular, she looks at how female athletes’ natural tendency to use talking as a primary form of communication is essential to their experiences and successes in sports.

“Women and girls tend to have BFFs, collaborate during periods of stress, express empathy for one another, worry about themselves and others, and desire to have fun in sports, which makes their experiences of sports and competition different from their male counterparts,” says Steidinger, a Certified Consultant in Sport Psychology with the Association of Applied Sports Psychology. “Female strengths are grounded in both mind and body, and they take these strengths onto the court, field, and track.

Steidinger uses real stories to show that women and girls compete at very high levels, but also have a different view of their teammates and opponents, one based on relationships and communication, that impacts performance both on and off the field.

“They enjoy and revel in sisterhood, even as they fight to win,” says Steidinger.

Click here for more info on the book and here for more info on the book launch event at the Depot Bookstore.


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