BY ANITA STIEFEL
EDITOR@OPELIKAOBSERVER.COM

AUBURN — Former Auburn University basketball coach Sonny Smith has authored a book with former professional baseball player Lou Vickery entitled Winning the “Head” Game, Key to Elite Athletic Status.
In the book, Smith and Vickery draw upon their 60+ years of involvement in sports to provide motivational, inspirational and informative messages — a mixture of works that primarily apply to the “what” and “why” instead of the “how” of sports.
“Athletics starts with the body, but ultimately, it is the nature of the mind that speaks to the level of achievement an athlete experiences in sports,” according to the publisher’s website. “The mission of Winning the ‘Head’ Game is to provide the necessary ingredients to help athletes and coaches build a bridge from where they are to where they would like to be.”
“We believe this book can create the mental, psychological and emotional well-being that will move young athletes beyond what they have been for the greater reward of what they can become,” Vickery writes.
The book is a chance to get up close and personal with a side of Coach Smith that very few people have been exposed to or were aware existed, and it highlights topics like winning personal traits, goals, attitude, team core values, preparation hanging tough, emotional control, learning from both winning and losing and other topics bound to jump start an athlete at any level of play.
The book is available from your favorite bookseller or the website https://louvickerybooks.com.