Sports Psychology Coaching

Mental training for athletes helps you build confidence, sharpen focus, manage pressure, and develop the mental toughness to perform at your best. In this episode, I explain how to train your mind as an athlete, strengthen your mental skills, and use practical mental training exercises to improve your performance.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn what mental training is, why it's important for athletes, and how to identify the mental skills you need to strengthen. I'll explain the difference between mental game challenges, mental skills, and mental training tools, along with why mental training should be both proactive and personalized.

I'll also walk you through four mental training exercises I use with athletes—self-talk, visualization, mindfulness, and performance objectives. You'll learn how to use these exercises to build confidence, improve focus, manage your thoughts, respond better to mistakes, and develop a simple mental training routine you can practice consistently.

Not quite ready for 1-on-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro: What Is Mental Training for Athletes?

0:49 Mental Challenges, Mental Skills, and Mental Training Tools

8:02 Why Mental Training Matters for Athletes

13:42 Reactive vs. Proactive Mental Training

16:14 How to Train Your Mind as an Athlete

26:22 Four Mental Training Exercises for Athletes

32:10 Other Mental Training Tools 

33:30 Building a Mental Training Routine

38:12 One-on-One Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes

📖 Read my complete guide to Mental Training for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/athlete-mental-toughness/athlete-mental-training-guide/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Overthinking during games can cause athletes to hesitate, second-guess decisions, question their mechanics, and struggle to perform as well as they do in practice. In this episode, I explain how to stop overthinking during games, trust your skills, and compete with more confidence and freedom.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

In this episode, you'll learn what overthinking looks like in sports, why athletes overthink during games, and how fear of mistakes, perfectionism, outcome-focused thinking, and a lack of trust can lead to hesitation, tension, and underperforming.

I'll also explain the difference between a training mindset and a performing mindset, plus three practical strategies to stop overthinking: simplify your thoughts, use count breathing to calm your mind, and develop a simple in-game reset routine. You'll also learn how to trust yourself, commit to your decisions, and let your natural skills take over during competition.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

1:28 What Overthinking Looks Like in Sports

6:41 Why Athletes Overthink During Games

12:58 How Overthinking Causes You to Underperform

16:32 Stop Overthinking During Games

27:32 One-on-One Mental Performance Coaching

📖 Read my complete guide to How to Stop Overthinking During Games: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/self-talk-for-sports/how-to-stop-overthinking-during-games/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Perfectionism in sports can make athletes feel like every mistake is a failure, pressure themselves to perform perfectly, and lose confidence and enjoyment in their sport. In this episode, I explain how to overcome perfectionism while keeping your ambition, high standards, and desire to improve.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome perfectionism, performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you’ll learn what perfectionism looks like in sports, how to recognize it, and why hard work and ambition can sometimes turn into pressure to be perfect. I’ll also explain how perfectionism can create tension and hesitation, make one mistake affect the rest of your game, and take away confidence and joy.

Then I’ll walk you through ways to let go of perfectionism without lowering your standards: focus on improvement instead of perfect results, set controllable objectives, learn to accept mistakes, and evaluate your performances more objectively.

Not quite ready for 1-on-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses:

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
0:46 What Is Perfectionism in Sports?
2:53 Signs You’re a Perfectionist Athlete
7:11 Why Do Athletes Become Perfectionists?
11:40 How Perfectionism Hurts Athletic Performance
16:15 Why One Mistake Can Ruin the Rest of Your Game
18:50 How to Overcome Perfectionism in Sports
37:11 Mental Performance Coaching for Perfectionist Athletes

📖 Read my complete guide to overcoming perfectionism in sports: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/perfectionism-in-sports/overcome-perfectionism-in-sports/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Mistakes in sports are inevitable, but how you respond to them can determine how well you perform for the rest of the game. In this episode, I explain how to bounce back from mistakes, regain your focus after a bad play, and keep one mistake from turning into several.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn why it's so difficult to move on from mistakes, how negative self-talk and frustration create a snowball effect, and why dwelling on mistakes or trying too hard to make up for them can hurt your performance.

I'll also walk you through the three-step mental reset I teach athletes—Release, Refocus, and Recommit—to help you let go of the previous play, return your attention to the present moment, and fully commit to what's next. We'll also discuss how to learn from mistakes without overthinking them and build a stronger response that helps you bounce back quickly during competition.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Intro

1:39 Why one mistake snowballs into more mistakes

3:22 How your response to mistakes affects your performance

5:30 Why it's so hard to let go of mistakes

12:50 3-Step mental reset routine

20:15 How to learn from mistakes without dwelling on them

26:02 1-1 Mental performance coaching

📖 Read my complete guide to How to Bounce Back From Mistakes During Games: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/athlete-mental-training/how-to-stay-composed-after-mistakes-in-sports/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Do you perform well in practice but struggle to play at the same level during games? Many athletes feel confident, relaxed, and free in practice, but once competition begins, they start overthinking, feeling anxious, and worrying about mistakes. In this episode, I explain why you play better in practice than in games and how to build the mindset to perform with more confidence and consistency in competition.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn why practice and game performance often don't match, how pressure, sports performance anxiety, and fear of failure change how you think and play, and why focusing too much on outcomes can keep you from trusting your skills in games.

I'll also walk you through strategies to overcome the fear of mistakes, manage performance anxiety, shift your attention from outcomes to the process, and build a stronger performing mindset. We'll discuss how to practice this mindset during training so you can play with greater freedom, trust, and confidence when it matters most.

Not quite ready for 1-on-1 coaching? Learn more about the two self-paced online courses I have available.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

📖 Read my complete guide to Why You Perform Well in Practice But Not Games (And How to Fix This):
https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/mental-performance-coaching/why-you-perform-well-in-practice-but-not-games-and-how-to-fix-this/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Negative self-talk in sports can undermine athletes' confidence, lead to overthinking, fear mistakes, and make it hard to perform at their best during games. In this episode, I explain how self-talk affects athletic performance, how to overcome negative self-talk, and how to develop more positive, productive thinking to compete with greater confidence.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn what self-talk is in sports, the difference between direct and indirect self-talk, how automatic thoughts develop, and how your thinking influences your confidence, focus, emotions, and performance through the thought-feeling-action cycle.

I'll also show you how to practice positive self-talk as an athlete, change negative thinking in the moment, and build a daily self-talk routine to boost confidence and improve your natural thought patterns.

We'll cover self-talk before, during, and after competition, including instructional self-talk, resetting after mistakes, and managing negative thoughts during games. I'll also explain common self-talk mistakes athletes should avoid, such as forcing positive thinking, using statements they don't believe, and overthinking during competition.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro
1:44 What Is Self-Talk in Sports?
3:32 Automatic vs Deliberate Self-Talk
5:15 How Self-Talk Affects Athletic Performance
9:32 Understanding Negative Self-Talk in Athletes
13:12 Changing Negative Thinking During Games
22:50 Reframing Thinking
26:18 Using Self-Talk Before, During, and After Competition
28:48 Common Self-Talk Mistakes Athletes Should Avoid
32:08 One-On-One Mental Coaching to Improve Your Self-Talk

📖 Read my complete guide to Self-Talk in Sports: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/self-talk-for-sports/how-to-practice-positive-self-talk-as-an-athlete/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Pressure in sports can cause athletes to overthink, force outcomes, play scared, and struggle to perform freely when the moment matters most. In this episode, I explain how to perform under pressure in sports, why some athletes choke, and how to play your best in big moments.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn what pressure in sports is, why some athletes choke under pressure, and how pressure can actually improve your performance when you respond the right way.

I'll also explain the key to performing your best under pressure, including how to keep things simple, focus on the process, stick to your routines, embrace pressure-filled moments, and use your breathing to stay composed. I’ll also cover how to handle the physical feelings of pressure and ways you can train for pressure before you need to perform under it.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about the two self-paced online courses I have available. 

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
3:11 What is Pressure in Sports?
6:15 Why Some Athletes Choke Under Pressure
11:10 How Pressure Can Improve Performance
14:04 The Key to Performing Under Pressure
28:52 How to Handle the Physical Feelings of Pressure
30:31 How to Train for Pressure
34:42 One-On-One Mental Coaching

📖 Read my complete guide to Performing Under Pressure: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/focus-training-for-sports/how-to-perform-your-best-in-pressure-situations-during-games/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Mental toughness in sports is the ability to stay confident, focused, composed, and in control when pressure, mistakes, frustration, and adversity challenge your mindset. In this episode, I explain how to build mental toughness in sports and develop the mental skills you need to compete with a stronger, more resilient mindset.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

Confidence episode

Fear of failure episode

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them build confidence, improve focus, respond better to mistakes, manage pressure, overcome performance anxiety and fear of failure, and develop greater control over their mindset during competition.

In this episode, you'll learn what mental toughness really means, what mental toughness looks like during competition, and the mental skills that help athletes stay mentally strong when games become difficult.

I'll break down the importance of controlling your thinking, building confidence and trust, staying focused on the present moment, managing emotions, and responding productively to mistakes and adversity.

I'll also walk you through practical mental toughness exercises you can use, including reframing negative thoughts, practicing mindfulness, evaluating performances productively, using performance objectives, and mental rehearsal.

Finally, I'll explain how to use these skills during games so you can recognize when your mentality starts to change, reset more quickly, and return to the mindset you want to compete with.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about the two self-paced online courses I have available.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

📖 Read my complete guide to Mental Toughness in Sports: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/athlete-mental-toughness/build-mental-toughness-in-sports/

Listen to the Podcast
If you want more in-depth mental training episodes like this:
🎧 Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1DkRcMhKcNDcw4SaiKyMaO?si=0b51f098625f4949

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:16 What is mental toughness in sports
3:50 What mental toughness looks like during competition
10:53 The mental skills that make a mentally tough athlete
21:16 Mental training tools to build mental toughness
28:00 Be more mentally tough during games
32:30 1-1 mental coaching to build mental toughness in sports

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Sports performance anxiety can cause athletes to overthink, tense up, fear mistakes, and struggle to perform as freely in games as they do in practice. In this episode, I explain how to overcome sports performance anxiety, manage nerves, and compete with more confidence and freedom.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn what sports performance anxiety is, why it happens, the physical and mental signs to look for, and how your thoughts, physical reactions, and behaviors can create an anxiety cycle.

I'll also walk you through the ABC strategy I use with athletes—Accept, Breathe, and Change Your Thinking—along with strategies for managing anxiety before games, building a stronger pregame routine, resetting during competition, responding to mistakes, and performing with more confidence under pressure.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about my two self-paced online courses I have available. 

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

📖 Read my complete guide to Sports Performance Anxiety: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/sports-performance-anxiety/what-is-sports-performance-anxiety/

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.

Fear of failure in sports can make athletes play scared, hesitate, overthink mistakes, and hold themselves back in competition. In this episode, I explain how to overcome fear of failure in sports, stop playing not to lose, and compete with more trust, confidence, and freedom.

👉 Want help with your mental game? Learn more about my 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

How to Build Confidence in Sports Video

I work one-on-one with athletes to help them overcome fear of failure, performance anxiety, overthinking, low confidence, and other mental blocks that keep them from performing their best in competition.

In this episode, you'll learn what fear of failure in sports really is, why athletes fear making mistakes, and how fear of judgment, embarrassment, getting benched, disappointing others, or losing opportunities can make failure feel threatening.

I'll also explain how fear creates an avoidance mindset that causes athletes to play safely, hesitate, and focus more on preventing mistakes than performing well. Then, I'll walk you through strategies to build trust in your skills, gain the freedom to make mistakes, handle the consequences you fear, and shift your focus from avoiding failure to how you actually want to play.

You’ll also learn how to use process goals, improve the way you respond to mistakes, and use self-talk, visualization, and mindfulness to reduce fear and compete more freely.

Not quite ready for 1-1 coaching? Learn more about the two self-paced online courses I have available.

👉 The Confident Competitor Academy: https://www.successstartswithin.com/confident-competitor-academy/

👉 The Mentally Tough Kid: https://www.successstartswithin.com/the-mentally-tough-kid/

📖 Read my complete guide to Fear of Failure in Sports: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/fear-of-failure-in-sports/overcome-fear-of-failure-in-sports/

Listen to the Podcast

If you want more in-depth mental training episodes like this:

🎧 Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1DkRcMhKcNDcw4SaiKyMaO?si=0b51f098625f4949

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:50 What is fear of failure in sports?
7:16 What causes fear of failure in sports?
13:20 How fear of failure holds athletes back
19:35 4 tips to manage fear of failure in sports
36:30 1-1 mental performance coaching

Work with me!

🧠 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!

👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course (for youth athletes)

📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN

📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY

Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make

*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.