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🔥 Want your athletes to stay confident and perform under pressure? Learn how Coach Tom uses mental training to build elite competitors → https://coachfreetraining.com
Join me as I sit down with with Coach Tom, a powerhouse girls lacrosse coach out of Maryland, one of the most competitive lacrosse regions in the country to learn more about his mental game blueprint!
Tom is not just coaching the X's and O's. He's building mentally tough, confident athletes using our plug and play elite mental game training system.
🎙 I’m Coach Bre, mental performance coach for girl athletes and co-founder of The Elite Competitor. I’ve led teams to 4 state titles, and I’ve learned that great coaching girl athletes starts with intentional structure—not just drills.
In this episode Coach Tom shares how he introduced mental training to his high school girls team and why mental training actually made coaching easier and led to two of their biggest wins in program history!
🎯 You'll learn:
🔹 How “snapback routines” saved his team during high-pressure moments
🔹The difference between coaching boys and girls when emotions run high
🔹Why mental skills, like visualization and poise, became their competitive edge
🔹How he uses “Mental Mondays” to build confidence and connection
If you coach girls’ sports—lacrosse, softball, volleyball, basketball—this conversation will inspire you to coach the whole athlete, not just the X’s and O’s.
🕓 Key Moments:
00:00 – Introduction to Mental Toughness
01:06 – Meet Coach Tom
01:32 – Tom’s Coaching Journey
03:52 – Implementing Mental Training
06:47 – Snapback Routine & Visualization
18:18 – Why Mental Training Matters
19:20 – Handling Pressure Situations
21:51 – Building Mental Training Programs
24:02 – Expanding for Next Season
27:37 – Challenges of Coaching Female Athletes
35:31 – Final Thoughts & Resources
📢 COACHES – How do you currently help your athletes bounce back after mistakes during games?👇
📌 Want to coach the mental game with confidence?
🔹 Grab our FREE training for coaches → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Learn more about Plug & Play Elite Mental Game → https://elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
🔁 Watch Next: How to Build Mentally Tough Girl Athletes (Step-by-Step)
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
💥 Want to run tryouts without the drama and ensure you're evaluating your athletes fairly and clearly? Learn how to handle cuts with confidence! Grab more coaching tips here → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this video, I’m sharing how to organize tryouts, communicate expectations, and evaluate athletes in a way that reduces anxiety for both your players and their parents. I’ll also explain how to implement mental training tools, like the Snapback Routine, to help your athletes bounce back from mistakes and perform under pressure.
🎯 You’ll Learn:
✔️ How to Set Clear Expectations for Tryouts (and Why It Reduces Anxiety)
✔️ The Importance of an Evaluation System for Fair Cuts
✔️ Simple Mental Training Tools to Help Athletes Perform Under Pressure
✔️ Best Practices for Communicating Tryout Results and Feedback
🎙 I’m Coach Bre, a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a 4-time state champion head volleyball coach. I help coaches like you build mentally tough athletes and make tryouts easier.
KEY MOMENTS:
00:00 –Tryout Season Kickoff: Start Strong, Set the Tone
00:43 –How to Reduce Athlete & Parent Anxiety Before Tryouts
01:57 –The Power of Early Communication: Set Expectations Before They Assume
04:05 –Avoid Tryout Drama: Eliminate Surprises with Clear Messaging
06:15 – What We’re Really Evaluating: Skills, Standards & More
08:10 – Beyond Talent: Mental Game & Leadership Intangibles
11:02 – How to Communicate Teams, Cuts & Next Steps with Confidence
14:43 – Tryout Best Practices: What Works & What We’ve Learned
15:19 – Final Thoughts & Bonus Resources for Coaches
💬 Coaches – comment below: What are your best practices for handling tryouts and cuts?👇
📌 Want to coach the mental game with confidence?
🔹 Grab our FREE training for coaches → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Learn more about Plug & Play Elite Mental Game → elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
🔥 Avoid drama and set clear expectations in your preseason parent meeting! Learn the top 3 things to cover and set your team up for success! Grab more coaching tips here → https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, do you want to avoid the frustrating conversations later in the season about playing time and misunderstandings with parents? This video walks you through how to set a strong foundation for communication, player roles, and your program’s mission with a preseason parent meeting. With the right strategies, you can build a positive, supportive relationship with parents that will help your athletes thrive all season long!
🎯 In this video you'll learn:
🎙 I’m Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a 4-time state champion head volleyball coach. I’ve spent 14 years coaching and now I’m here to help you build mental resilience in your athletes while avoiding the drama that often comes with misunderstandings in youth sports.
🕓 Key Moments
Coaches – comment below: How do you set expectations with parents in your preseason meeting?
📌 Want to coach the mental game with confidence?
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
Coaching girl athletes as a male coach can be challenging—especially when it comes to the emotional side of the game. Want to learn more → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this video, I’m sharing the 3 biggest mistakes male coaches make when coaching girls' teams and how to avoid them. Learn the best strategies for building trust, handling mistakes, and connecting with your athletes in ways that build confidence and peak performance. Whether you're dealing with emotional breakdowns, avoiding feedback overload, or creating an environment of safety, these tips will help you coach with impact.
🎯 Learn:
🎙I’m Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a longtime head volleyball coach with 4 state championships. I help coaches build confident, mentally tough athletes and provide tools to coach beyond just the Xs and Os.
🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction and Common Struggles
00:41 Shoutout to Coach Tom
01:54 Mistake #1: Coaching Girls Like Boys
03:36 Understanding Emotional Responses
05:06 Mistake #2: Silence and Avoidance
06:23 Mistake #3: Pep Talk Overload
07:14 Effective Feedback Strategies
08:09 Mental Training Tools: Snapback Routine
09:01 Building Team Connection
11:41 Maintaining Boundaries
12:35 Conclusion and Resources
📢 COACHES – What’s the hardest part of coaching girl athletes for you? Drop your experience in the comments. Let’s support each other. 👇
📌 Want to coach the mental game with confidence?
🔹 Grab our FREE training for coaches →
🔹 Learn more about Plug & Play Elite Mental Game →
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
🔁 Watch Next: How to Build Mentally Tough Girl Athletes (Step-by-Step)
tags: #CoachingGirls #MaleCoach #MentalToughness #HighSchoolAthletes #CoachingStrategies #MentalPerformance #CoachingTips #PlayerConnection #SportsPsychology #PlayerImpact #TeenageGirls
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
Ever tried to correct an athlete and made things worse? 😣 Instead of improving, she overthinks, shuts down, and spirals. It’s time to turn that around! Grab more coaching tools →https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, we all want to help, but without the right approach, even the best feedback can have the opposite effect. In this video, I’m walking you through 3 simple strategies that will help your girl athletes hear and apply your coaching—without getting stuck in their heads.
🎯 You’ll Learn:
🎙 I’m Coach Bre, mental performance coach for girl athletes and co-founder of The Elite Competitor. I’ve led teams to 4 state championships, and I help coaches like you build confident, mentally tough athletes—without guesswork.
🕓 Key Moments:
📢 COACHES: What’s your go-to strategy for giving feedback? Share it in the comments 👇
📌 Want more tools to help your athletes thrive?
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
When momentum shifts and your girls get rattled, what happens next is all on you. Here are three game-changing drills to help your team thrive under pressure! Grab more strategies → https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, building mental toughness isn’t a one-time thing—it's something you need to work on every day, especially in practice. In this video, I’m sharing three effective drills that will help your athletes develop focus, resilience, and the drive to compete at their highest level. These drills are perfect for high school and middle school athletes who need that extra edge.
🎯 Learn:
✔️ How to optimize pre-practice to get athletes in the right mindset
✔️ The power of a competitive cauldron system to foster mental toughness
✔️ Why you should create pressure situations in practice to simulate game stress
✔️ The mental training tools I use with my team to build focus and performance
🎙 I'm Coach Bre mental performance coach for girl athletes, co-founder of The Elite Competitor, and four-time state championship-winning volleyball coach. I’ve made every coaching mistake in the book when it comes to pressure, and I’ve learned how to turn those into powerful, practical tools any coach can use to build mentally tough teams.
In this video, I also give a shoutout to Coach Tom, who successfully implemented our Plug & Play Elite Mental Game with his volleyball team, seeing amazing results!
🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction to Mental Toughness
00:50 Optimizing Pre-Practice Time
04:33 Daily Mindset Routine
07:36 Implementing the Competitive Cauldron
13:25 Creating Pressure Situations
16:23 Mindset Mondays: Weekly Mental Training
18:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
📢 COACHES – What’s one pressure situation your team struggles with most? Let’s help each other grow in the comments. 👇
📌 Want more coaching tools to help you stay calm and strengthen your team’s mental game?
🔹 Grab our FREE training for coaches → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Learn more about Plug & Play Elite Mental Game → http://elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
Your athlete just made a mistake. Her body language shifts. If she doesn’t reset now, the game’s gone. Here’s how you coach the comeback! Learn the reset system here → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this video, I’m sharing the 3 core routines I teach athletes so they can recover from failure, handle pressure, and silence negative self-talk in real-time.
🎯 Learn:
🎙 I'm Coach Bre, mental performance coach, co-founder of The Elite Competitor, and four-time state championship volleyball coach. These are the tools that transformed my program—and they’re simple enough for every coach to use.
🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction to Mental Toughness
00:41 Assessing Mistake Recovery
03:41 Building a Snapback Routine
05:59 Mastering Self-Talk
11:22 Handling Pressure Situations
14:37 Conclusion and Resources
📌 Ready to strengthen your team’s mental game?
🔹 Grab my FREE training → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Get started with the Plug & Play Mental Game → https://elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg
🔹 Subscribe → @CoachHerGame
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
🔥 Volleyball is as much a mental battle as it is a physical game—especially when the pressure’s on. Want your team to handle adversity, stay resilient, and turn momentum around fast? → https://coachfreetraining.com
🌀 When one bad pass spirals, the mental side can make or break your season. Most coaches try to pump their athletes up, but what actually works is having a repeatable system for building mental toughness—without having to become a sports psychologist. In this episode, I’m sharing the three toughest mental hurdles teams face and the exact strategies I use so your players can bounce back, compete under pressure, and win more matches.
👋 I’m Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long time head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion. I’ve taken over two different high school programs, and I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) what to do—and what NOT to do—when you're the new coach on campus.
✅ Inside this episode:
🎯 Don’t just train skills—build athletes who are mentally ready for anything. Because the right mindset wins championships.
🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction: Why volleyball is a such a mental game
02:59 The Spiral: Thought Wheel, Self-Talk, Affirmations
08:18 Handling Momentum: Swings & Pressure Routines
10:28 Pregame: Custom Routines
12:48 Serve Receive: Snapback, Visualization, Mental Reps
15:45 Conclusion: Systems & tools for coaches
👇 Coaches—what's one mindset shift or tool that's made the biggest impact for your team? Share below!
📌 Want to learn more tips on how to take your team’s game to the next level?
🔹 Grab our FREE training for coaches → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
🔹 Check out our plug & play elite mental game info → https://elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg
🎥 More videos here → https://www.youtube.com/@CoachHerGame
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
Struggling to stay calm in pressure moments? Here's how to coach through the chaos and stay composed in tight games! Learn more strategies → http://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, have you ever walked away from a game thinking, “I did not show up as the coach I wanted to be”? You’re not alone! It’s tough to stay composed when the game feels out of control. In this video, I’ll share how to coach under pressure without losing your cool. From keeping your presence calm to leading an effective timeout strategy, I’ve got you covered!
In this session, you’ll learn:
✔️ How to stay emotionally regulated as a coach
✔️ The importance of your presence and energy for the team
✔️ My step-by-step timeout strategy to reset your team
✔️ How to build a shared language with your team using the snapback routine
👋 Hi, I’m Coach Bre — a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a longtime head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion. And I’ve made all the mistakes: calling timeouts I didn’t have, saying things I regret, freezing when my team needed clarity. This video is about how I stay in control when the game isn’t—so my athletes can, too.
🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction: How to Respond When You're Not the Coach You Want to Be
02:24 Staying in Control: Managing Yourself When the Game Gets Chaotic
06:16 Setting the Tone: Why Your Presence Shapes Team Performance
12:30 Owning Mistakes: Repairing Trust with Vulnerability
17:12 Timeout Tip: The Snapback Routine
21:02 Conclusion: Coaching with Intentionality—Even Under Pressure
🎯 Coaching through pressure is more than just reacting—it’s about leading with composure and giving your athletes the tools to manage stress. If you want to learn how to lead your team with confidence, this video is a must-watch.
💬 Coaches – comment below: What’s one moment when you’ve had to coach through pressure and how did you stay composed?
📌 Want more coaching tools to help you stay calm and strengthen your team’s mental game?
🔹 Grab our FREE training for coaches → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Learn more about Plug & Play Elite Mental Game → https://elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
🎥 More videos here → https://www.youtube.com/@CoachHerGame
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
Struggling to help your athletes eat better without crossing boundaries? Here's a simple way to support their nutrition and boost performance! Grab more coaching tips → https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, you don’t need to be a nutrition expert to make a huge difference in your athletes' performance. In this video, I’m joined by sports nutritionist Amy Dirks, who’s breaking down how to help your athletes fuel their bodies for better energy, recovery, and focus—without micromanaging every bite. Whether it’s post-practice snacks or educating parents on healthier options, we’ve got you covered.
In this session, you’ll learn:
✔️ How to guide athletes in making better food choices
✔️ Simple snack ideas that work for busy athletes
✔️ How to incorporate healthy habits into your coaching without overstepping
✔️ How fueling impacts both physical AND mental performance
👋 I’m Coach Bre — a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a longtime head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion.
Joining us is Amy Dirks, a veteran sports nutritionist with 20 years of experience and a background as a former athlete herself. She’s worked with top-tier programs—including serving as the official sports nutritionist for the MLS team Sporting Kansas City—and brings a coach-friendly, real-world approach to fueling young athletes.
🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction: Recognizing the Coach's Role in Nutrition
03:07 Motivation: Why Fueling and Nutrition Matters
07:53 Coach Tools: Simple, Tangible Actions That Work
14:59 The Red Bull Dilemma: How to Handle Athlete Habits
20:28 Nutrient Timing: What to Eat and When
26:39 Hormones and Female Athletes: Red Flags and Awareness
32:25 Conclusion: Coaches as Lifelong Educators
🎯 This isn’t just about what your athletes eat—it’s about building a team that understands how to fuel for focus, confidence, and resilience. Because no amount of hustle can fix poor recovery, low energy, or skipped meals. 💥
💬 Coaches – comment below: What’s one moment that made you realize your team needed better fueling habits—and how did you respond?
📌 Want to learn more coaching tips before, during, and even after the game?
🔹 Grab our FREE training for coaches → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
🔹 Check out our plug & play elite mental game info → https://elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg
🔹Watch how I’m navigating both motherhood and leadership → https://youtu.be/DOgpA_Y_pnw?si=uJV7wpPVgxDwS4AK
🎥 More videos here → https://www.youtube.com/@CoachHerGame
Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!
From the publisher's feed
Welcome to Coach Her Game—the podcast for coaches of girls’ sports who are ready to build elite, championship programs without sacrificing who they are. We’re ditching the old-school,…