This week, we step outside of softball and head into the drag racing world. I sat down with Melanie Johnson, a professional drag racer, who shares how tiny adjustments, sharp focus, and trust in instinct turn five seconds of chaos into calm execution.

Episode Highlights:

• Pre-run routines that reduce noise
• Evidence-based self-talk and focus cues
• Visual strategies, focal points, and cockpit blinders
• Practice tree habits and reaction time limits
• Reframing fear of failure and NIL-era stress
• "Shrinking moments"

Connect with Melanie:

IG: @melaniejohnsonracing

Website: https://melaniejohnsonracing.com/

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

For today's episode, Dr. Nicole Woodard, founder of the Symptom Whisperer and physical therapist, and I explore how pain often acts as a protective signal and why many “orthopedic” problems start in the brain. She delves into the integration of science and somatics and offers practical advice for athletes and their families, stressing the importance of rest, proper training, and holistic care.

Episode Highlights:

• Brain-first rehab transforming re-injury risk
• Anchor points and athlete language for buy-in
• Sleep, travel, and nutrition as performance levers
• Fail fast with support and shared standards

Connect with Dr. Nicole:

IG: @symptomwhisperer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-woodard-b11068196/

Website: https://www.symptomwhisperer.com/

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

In this episode, we are diving into the archives with a 2023 Mentorship Call with Carsyn Gordon, a former Florida State softball player. She shares with Coach Kara and our Warriors her journey to becoming a national champion with Florida State University and a member of the Puerto Rican national team. 

Episode Highlights:

• Transition from college softball to coaching and career
• Leadership experiences
• Mental game and stress management
• Balancing academics and athletics
• Experience of playing for Puerto Rico
  
  

Connect with Carsyn:

IG: @carsynmariee

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsyn-gordon-mba-7b3359158/

Check out some of her highlights  👇

Walk off homerun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PA_2ErbHCc

ESPN Top 10 play: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1576283099076055


YOU are invited to join us for our ✨ VIRTUAL MENTAL SKILLS CAMP ✨ 

As a thank you for being a Podcast listener, we EXTENDED our Black Friday offer! Grab 50% HERE: https://www.fearlesswarriorprogram.com/offers/zM9QZLBR?coupon_code=DECEMBER50

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

It's Thanksgiving week, and what better way to celebrate than to explore how gratitude and journaling build real mental skills. Coach Sarah and I map out a three-step process to helping your athlete get their thoughts out of their head and onto paper! So that they can get clarity, feel better, and reflect on their mental skills to be successful!

Episode Highlights:
• Gratitude as a brain-based performance edge
• Journaling as the simplest entry to mental skills
• How to brain dump, reflect, and find the right mental skills
• Learning how to evaluate their performance with less criticism and more
 celebration

We have created a BRAND NEW and FREE Resource for ATHLETES!
The Fearless Warrior Mental Game Plan
A Journaling Guide for Athletes to Create a Pre-Game Mental Checklist and Post-Game Evaluation

Download HERE: https://www.fearlesswarriorprogram.com/gameplan
OR DM us the words GAME PLAN on socials to get the athlete guide!

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

I had the privilege of sitting down with Jake Thompson, Leadership Performance Coach, Author, and Chief Encouragement Officer at Compete Every Day. We dig into how athletes can turn comparison into fuel, own their role, and compete for the standard in the mirror while becoming better teammates. 

Episode Highlights:

• Comparison as a tool rather than a threat
• Clarifying the game and controlling controllables
• Accepting your starting position and role
• Gap and gain mindset anchored in gratitude
• Process praise over outcome praise for parents


Connect with Jake:

Website: https://www.jakeathompson.com/

Book: The Line: A Story of Excellence in the Margins

IG: @jakethompsonspeaks

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakethompsonspeaks/

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

In this week's episode, I interviewed Dr. Barry Davis, Leadership Coach and Author. We explore how emotional intelligence turns rigid control into real leadership. Dr. Davis shares stories, tools, and mistakes that shaped a steadier, clearer coaching style grounded in trust and accountability.

Episode Highlights:

• Defining emotional intelligence for coaches
• Five pillars for sustainable culture
• Self-talk, reset cues, and calm under stress
• Discipline through ownership, not punishment
• Reflection habits that build postseason readiness

Connect with Dr. Barry Davis:

Website: https://drbarrydavis.com/

Book: Old Dogs, New Tricks: The Power of Leading with Emotional Intelligence

IG: @drbarrydavis42

X: @BarryDavis42

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbarrydavis42/

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

Do you struggle to find the right words as a parent sometimes? Especially after a tough game? This episode is for you! Build your athlete’s mental game with practical tools that turn car rides into connection and confidence. Learn my 3P method: what to say and how to say it. (With a few fewer eye rolls from your teen!)

Episode Highlights:
• 3 Ps of parent conversation
• Shifting postgame timing and tone to reduce heat
• Mapping her mental game and naming triggers
• External, internal, and physical fears framework
• Failure recovery and grounding for pressure moments

Download our free Parent Guide HERE: Conversations to Create Confidence Parent Guide 

Enroll in our Proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program Today: fearlesswarriorprogram.com/join-2025
Get your $200 in credit to apply to the program

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

Today, I sit down with Dr. Larry Widman, Psychiatrist and High-Performance Mindset Coach, to unpack how trust, vulnerability, and role acceptance transform talented rosters into resilient teams. We also draw a clear line between mental health and mental performance.

Episode Highlights:

• Why trust is the cornerstone under pressure
• Mental health versus mental performance explained
• What coaches can notice and when to refer
• Reducing stigma through athlete stories
• Listen more, solve less as a coaching habit

Connect with Dr. Widman:

Website: https://www.maxoutmindset.com/

IG: @max_out_mindset

X: @Doc_elitemind

Play for Paige

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

This week, we share last month's mentorship call with Korbe Otis, a former Florida Gator softball player, pro softball player, and med student. In this interview, Coach Kara and our Warriors unpack mental skills, recruiting clarity, and why betting on yourself is a daily choice.

Episode Highlights:

• Committing young, transferring, and finding the right fit at Florida
• Turning failure into feedback and plans
• Recruiting non-negotiables and on-field intangibles that coaches value
• Film study, game planning, and post-game journaling
• Life lessons from sport and advice to her younger self

Connect with Korbe:

IG: @korbeotis

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

On this week's episode, I sat down with our former Community Manager and Mental Performance Consultant, Hana DeGuzman. We go down memory lane on her path from college softball to working with the MLB across the Minnesota Twins organization as a Mental Performance Coach. She shares the practical tools she uses to help athletes reset under pressure in the professional setting.

Episode Highlights:

• Day-in-the-life on game and non-game days
• Pressure, identity, and the realities of pro baseball
• The road to learning Spanish
• The SERR model
• Best advice learned: stay open-minded

Connect with Hana:

Premier Sport Psychology: https://premiersportpsychology.com/our-team/hana-deguzman/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/hanadeguzman

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040