Hypnotherapist's mantra-chanting sessions help Brit footie kids win promotion

London, June 11 (ANI): A hypnotherapist has helped a struggling kids' football team from Beverley in East Yorks to beat their opponents they'd always lost to using the power of positive thinking.

Hypnotherapist Sheila Granger's secret mind-bending sessions - including chanting mantras in the dressing room before games - have helped AFC Tickton Under-13s to gain promotion.

The boys were sceptical at first but soon came round when they went on an unexpected winning streak.

Team's striker Jack Sharp, 13, said: "After Sheila talked to us I felt much more confident on the pitch. And I scored more goals than I normally would."

Granger's free "mind management" sessions included the lads chanting phrases such as "I can be the best tackler" and "We can score the best goals".

"I also got the boys to sit in a circle and stare at a football in the middle. told them to close their eyes and -visualise playing their best as well as how they wanted the match to go. They almost go into a trance. The idea is to focus their attention and get rid of any distractions," the Mirror quoted Granger, also from the same town, as saying.

"I told the team to delete any thoughts of negatives in the past - such as bad tackles from previous games. If you keep focusing on the negatives it can be a distraction," the 4-year-old added.

Team manager Richard Towse said the lads improved almost immediately after the sessions started in December.

He said the team owe Granger a massive thank you for all the work she's done with the boys.

"She really has made a difference. I could see a difference even after the first two sessions - not in their skill level but in the way they grew mentally," he added. (ANI)