Rachel Halley, BSc Hons, MRICS MBA

I highly recommend Denise’s book PlayFreely® to anyone, whether or not you have a connection with sports. Through compelling personal stories, Denise brings her insights to life with honesty and depth. She bravely shares not only her moments of clarity but also the challenges and hard-earned lessons that shaped her journey. This book will change the way you think and bring calmness and clarity to your interaction with life.

Matt Roberts

“A book written with love—for the human behind the athlete.”

Peak performance can feel like a mystery for athletes who struggle—so close, yet frustratingly out of reach. Traditional methods offer glimpses, but the experience is often inconsistent and incomplete.

In PlayFreely®, Denise gently turns the tide. She helps us see that true performance flows when we’re aligned with our natural design. With rising levels of anxiety and well-being concerns in younger generations, this book arrives as a powerful and timely reminder: we are not broken.

What better vehicle than sport to uncover not only how to play freely but also how to live freely too?
Thank you, Denise.

George Pransky, PhD

PlayFreely® offers a refreshing perspective on sports through the lens of the Three Principles approach, emphasising mental clarity, resilience, and the joy of the game. With insightful reflections and practical wisdom, it challenges traditional mindsets, inviting athletes and coaches to embrace a more natural, pressure-free way of performing—a must-read for anyone seeking deeper fulfilment and ease in their athletic journey.

Stuart Lancaster

PlayFreely® captures the essence of what so many athletes and coaches are seeking—clarity, presence, and freedom to perform at their best. Denise supported me during a pivotal transition in my career, helping me to understand how to free my mind and reconnect with what truly matters. Her approach is both insightful and practical, and PlayFreely® offers a powerful message for anyone navigating the high-performance world.

Barbara Patterson

PlayFreely® beautifully illustrates the spiritual dimension of performance on or off the court. Through Denise’s heartfelt personal journey and the stories of athletes, we discover that our greatest potential isn’t something we need to earn or force; it’s already within. When we see this, we access a powerful inner resource for every area of our lives.

Lesley Corte

Denise has opened her heart not only to the world of sport but also to anyone navigating the deeper journey of life. She weaves the professional and personal with grace, illuminating the reality we all face today—that each of us must find our own path forward. The old models no longer serve us. To find a guide like Denise is a true treasure.

Andrew Moss

Reading PlayFreely® felt like being handed the spiritual playbook I never knew I needed. Like Phil Jackson in Sacred Hoops and John Wooden in They Call Me Coach, Denise Holland reveals a deeper truth: sport is not just about competing and winning—it’s about waking up. She invites us to move beyond the grind and to enter into a relationship with flow, presence, and purpose that transcends performance. This isn’t just a book about sport; it’s a map showing how those in pursuit of their own full potential might live, lead, and love more freely. Every coach, athlete, and parent should read this beautifully crafted guide.

Dr Bill Pettit

In PlayFreely®: The Spiritual Key to Athletic Excellence, author Denise Holland boldly illuminates a profound truth often overlooked in the world of sport: that human beings are, first and foremost, spiritual beings. She reveals how our psychological, physiological, and behavioural experiences are created—one thought at a time—through the formless gifts of Mind, Thought, and Consciousness.

Much like Viktor Frankl’s assertion in The Doctor and the Soul that a physician who neglects the spiritual dimension of a patient risks reducing their role to that of a veterinarian, the same principle applies to the realm of athletic performance. Coaches and players who overlook the spiritual foundation of the human experience miss the true essence of growth, excellence, and fulfilment in sport.

As both an elite athlete and national team coach, Holland brings a rare and credible voice to this exploration. Through compelling stories, memorable insights, and heartfelt reflections, she not only makes a robust case for the spiritual core of athletic excellence but also shares her own transformative journey. Her vulnerability and wisdom remind us that behind every celebrated performance is a human being—striving, learning, and awakening to the innate guidance system of love and wisdom that resides within us all.

This book is a gift to athletes, coaches, and anyone seeking to live—and play—with greater grace, clarity, and compassion.