When we heard that school was shutting down for three weeks, the first words I heard out of one adolescent’s mouth were, "oh man this is an extended vacation, I can’t wait!” On the other hand, this afternoon I spoke with a an athlete who’s now looking at the rest of his senior year of baseball (that he was planning on using to help him decide on what college to go to) being completely up in the air & in jeopardy.  He’s spent the last 48 hours playing every worst-case scenario over and over in his mind and it is causing him way more anxiety than catching the coronavirus that isn't necessarily a big threat to his age group. 

While I have no idea what the future holds, I know that spending the next weeks/months in a constant state of worry or anxiety is not only unhelpful, but also unhealthy. In an attempt to provide a useful tool for those who may need it, we are releasing a bonus podcast & giving free access to Phase 1 of our new online platform (AIQ). While we only have 2 sports ready, the golf version will help any individual sport athletes as the football version will help any team sport athletes. Our interactive program is rooted in cognitive brain research & neuropsychology and will help you process some of the things going on w/ your mind & body and also help you take back control. It is our hope that releasing this "bonus" podcast will provide some immediate relief for anyone who may be struggling to handle the mental toll that this pandemic may cause in any number of areas of your life.  

If you need help, please reach out! If you don't have anyone else you can talk to or reach out to you can contact me directly (317) 557-3022.

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

We sat down with former high school and college football coach Dick Dullaghan. Coach Dullaghan won 213 games and had an 84% winning percentage.  His Ben Davis High School team won a National Championship in 1991 and 7 State titles in 16 years.  Coach D is a member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame and was selected as one of Max Preps greatest 50 all-time high school football coaches.  In this episode we talk about:

• 1:50 - Taking over a new high school job
• 4:20 - Instilling confidence into players
• 6:36 - Coaching with enthusiasm
• 8:45 - Mental is to physical as 3 is to 1 
• 12:08 - What separated the best 
• 13:36 - Koby Bryant Story
• 15:30 - Helping an average athlete believe in himself. 
• 17:42 - Helping an athlete deal with failure
• 19:45 - Stretch of successful seasons
• 24:45 – Seeing your players every day
• 25:40 - Mental strain coaches had to deal with
• 27:09 - This era of specialization
• 28:30 - Advice for kids
• 29:40 - Advice for brand new coaches

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

Coaches - have you ever thought, "I wish my team was a little bit tougher?" Have you taught them how to do that and what that means? Studies show that how we act directly impacts our teammates and opponents. Are players improving teammate confidence, competitiveness, and focus or bringing it down? What about their opponents? This episode looks at tangible ways to improve mental toughness, physical toughness, body language, and character and the reason why it is so important.

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

Serving in the Marine Corps for 5 years, the Army for 16 years, 60 months in combat, and winning 3 bronze stars gave Jeremy Fendley some incredible insight into leadership, preparation, mental toughness, and the importance of building a strong team.  Jeremy now serves as a high school football coach and we sat down to have a conversation about what lessons, experience, and insight he can bring from his time serving our country to impacting the lives of young people as a coach.

Highlights and times:

• 1:16 Past achievements 
• 2:20 Sports growing up 
• 3:38 Joining the Marine Corps 
• 6:30 Life as a Marine 
• 10:45 Things take a turn for the worse 
• 11:52 Joining the Army 
• 13:00 Leadership in the Army 
• 14:10 Getting guys to buy-in 
• 15:30 Building family 
• 16:15 Dealing with difficulties and complacency 
• 20:00 "Stuff" hits the fan 
• 22:37 Finding meaning in coaching  
• 33:33 BONUS SEGMENT - Helping AB deal with negative voices at the starting line 

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

In this episode, you will hear our conversation with Nick Ferrer about how he controlled his mind a body during the process of playing college football.  As a high school quarterback, he set just about every single-season passing record at his school and took his team to the state championship.  His freshman year he attended the University of St. Francis in Ft. Wayne, IN where he won the starting QB job his freshman year.  After a disappointing 6-5 season, he was benched and had to deal with the heartbreak of failure all over again.  Listen to Nick explain how he handled that adversity, bought into the process his coaching staff laid out, and worked his way to back to back national championships and the NAIA Offensive Player of the Year award.  Here are some highlights from our conversation:

2:17 - Recap of his football career
3:05 - Differences between high school & college football
4:18 - Dealing with failure
6:20 - Moving forward with purpose
7:52 - Performance on the field
9:32 - Preparation for success
12:45 - Leading teammates under pressure
17:25 - Relaxing before competition
19:35 - Being coachable
20:54 - Using failure to grow and "find success"
21:38 - Distractions at college
23:11 - End of season & start of a new one
25:27 - Long term vision, short term plan
29:00 - Handling the national championship trip
30:36 - Advice for younger athletes
32:50 - Taking these experiences into the real world

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

Cailyn started putting at age 3, by 7 she was competing in tournaments.  In our interview we discuss handling pressure and expectations as your level of competition rises.  Cailyn talks about how she handles the stress and pressure of competing at a high level and three tools that help her take back control of her mind and body on the golf course.

Here are some highlights from the interview:

1:40 - Started playing golf at 7
2:11 - HS Golf
2:40 - Biggest difference between HS and college - pressure!
4:29 - Balancing pressure from outside sources
6:10 - Using positive statements
7:24 - Visualizing your shot
8:13 - Preshot routine
9:33 - Advice for young golfers

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

Elite athletes have incredibly high demands for their performance.  Not accepting "average" is part of the reason they achieve more than their opponents.  But it is also important to have a plan in place to deal with failure.  In this episode, we talk about the importance of striving for perfection and how to deal with failure along the way.

Check out mentaltrainingplan.com/podcast for our full list of resources

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

Having a champion's mindset before, during, and after competition will help you perform at your best on a more consistent basis.  In this episode, we discuss how to develop the proper mindset as well as looking at the role motivation plays in an athlete's achievement. Research shows that elite athletes are motivated to prepare and compete...but sometimes you don't "feel" motivated. It is important to make sure you have a plan in place to keep going during these times to reach your full potential.  If you want to "feel" motivated we discuss some ways to generate motivation!

Check out mentaltrainingplan.com/podcast for our full list of resources

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

Sometimes athletes need to narrow in their focus and concentrate on just one thing and other times they need to be able to widen their focus and not get too caught up in one particular thing.  In this episode, we will look at what science can teach us about how to take back control of our focus and develop the ability to focus on the task at hand.

Check out mentaltrainingplan.com/podcast for our full list of resources

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy

Sometimes you need to get amped up to play at your best, other times you need to calm back down.  This episode is designed to put you in control and give you tools to manage your energy level.

Check out mentaltrainingplan.com/podcast for our full list of resources

Are you an ATHLETE looking to take your training to the next level? Check out our website to learn more about 1-on-1 training opportunities:
mentaltrainingplan.com/athletes

Are you a COACH looking for an affordable year-round mental performance training program? Check out the MTP Academy available through our website:
mentaltrainingplan.com/academy