Signed & Ready

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MENTORSO YOU CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR COACHING CAREER Today’s guest recently completed her Doctorate of Higher Education and is in charge of the educational programming for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. She’s involved in choosing speakers for their convention and clinics. Additionally, she has helped assemble […] The post What to look for in a mentor | Dr. J...

Today we dig a little deeper than softball drills. We discuss… Diving into the Culture and Committed courses  Using empowerment and consequences to improve accountability Planning ahead for implementing the mental game into practice Some misconceptions about mental training including how to get your other coaches to buy in Connecting the dots between mental training, […] The post Softball drills d...

Today we discuss how they’re starting to build team culture week one… What they would be most proud of accomplishing this season Some challenges they will likely face this season and how they could affect the team How they envision overcoming those challenges How their coaching strategies and philosophies have shaped their culture The effect […] The post Building a team culture of empowerment | Ma...

Today’s guest knows the struggle to success well. An accomplished athlete himself, now he’s a practicing Sports & Performance Psychologist who works with athletes from the PGA and LPGA Tours, NFL, NBA, MMA, and serves as the sports and performance psychologist for The University of Alabama Athletic Department. He is the author of The MindSide […] The post Struggle to Success | Dr. Bhrett McCabe [I...

Today’s guest has been a certified consultant since 2006 with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. He was an assistant professor of Sport Psychology for six years, publishing over a dozen research articles on the “Yips” in Golf, and effectiveness of sport psychology interventions. His articles have been published in the Journal of Applied Sport […] The post Get out of your own head | Dr....

Today’s guest is a true ambassador for softball worldwide. Her career began in Canada then took her to college in Georgia and playing professionally in Holland. She began coaching at the college level immediately after and never looked back. Her Hall of Fame award is just the tip of the impact she’s made on our […] The post How to be more authentic | Joni Frei [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet...

Empowering our players allows them to play with passion and want to get better every day. Today’s guest is a widely sought-after speaker for corporations, schools, universities, organizations and teams all over the country. Her Master’s Degree is in Sports and Performance Psychology and she uses it with performers of all ages, from all walks […] The post How to empower our girls to LOVE softball |...

“Usually we look at them as separate things- the mental side and the physical side- but to me, they’re connected.” Today’s guest serves as the Director of Peak Performance for the Wright State University baseball team. He works with the coaching staff to develop and implement mental game development plans for individual players, as well […] The post Coaches’ influence on athletes | Diamyn Hall [IN...

“That elbow rub, that arm on the shoulder, how are you, that connection… that’s the stuff that keeps them coming back for more.” Today’s guest is one of the most powerful hitters and solid catchers to ever grace our sport. She’s a 3-time Olympic medalist, World Cup Champion, 2-time World Championship winner & 2-time Pan-American […] The post Control the controllables & get back to basics | Stacey...

“You can love your kids, you can grow them as people, AND you can push them on the ball field to be the best skill player they can be.” Today’s guest is one of the most well-known coaches in our sport, not only for her success on the field, but also for her willingness to […] The post On and off the field player development | Lonni Alameda [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot .

“In the grind of it, it’s paying attention to THEM and getting a feel for what they need and how they’re responding.” Today’s guest is one of our sport’s top coaches, known for her attention to detail, focus on the fundamentals, and willingness to share her expertise with other coaches. She’s been invited to speak […] The post Ownership molds a program | Larissa Anderson [INT] appeared first on Me...

“I think insecure coaches tend to pound their chest and be more matter of fact that this is the right way to do it.” Today’s guest is not only a coach, but he has also played fastpitch himself at the highest levels. After a successful career in the minor leagues, he discovered fastpitch and went […] The post How to be humble at work as a big time DI coach | Kerry Shaw [INT] appeared first on Menta...

“How they treat each other matters and it will affect their performance in games when they are FOR EACH OTHER.” Today’s guest is a well-respected coach at the Division III level and has used her Sport Psychology degree to build a very successful program. Her team has never finished in the bottom half of the […] The post Team players play for each other| Mary VandeHoef [INT] appeared first on Menta...

“The most powerful communication that we have is how we LIVE .” Today’s guest is a coach, speaker and author who works with adolescent girls, helping them become more confident, brave and impactful. She has helped players, teams and coaches all over the country learn what it takes to become the leader you’ve always dreamt […] The post How you do anything is how you do everything | Jenn Starkey [IN...

“To act without an expectation of the outcome is to act with complete clarity.” Today’s guest is a coach to adolescent boys and a promoter of confidence, health and joy. He simply wants to help people reach more of what they deserve…fun, companionship, health, wealth or even adventure by listening, talking and pushing their mental […] The post How to build confidence and self-esteem | Dale Hancock...

“It’s hard to bring out the best in your players when you’re only seeing a small piece of who they are.” Today’s guest is one of the members of our newly formed Dream Team! If you haven’t heard us mention it on social media, we have joined forces with some amazing people to help bring […] The post Talk less, listen more | Stacie Mahoe [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot .

“There’s a drill and packet for everything else- why not mental game?” Today we bring back a fan favorite: Emily Stanley of Berry College! We’re getting back to interviews again, and we’ve brought back the amazing Emily Stanley! We were chatting after our first episode with her and talking about how she creates workout packets […] The post Softball workouts for conditioning the mind | Emily Stanle...

“Without a strong culture, it’s difficult to do anything.“ This is the final installment of our 7Cs series- a bonus C! Today we talk about Culture. No matter what you do with your team- amazing drills, fun team building exercises, even mental training- none of it will create lasting success without a strong foundation of […] The post Team culture needs a strong foundation [7Cs] appeared first on M...

“If you play how you practice, then you’d better practice with a purpose.” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Consistent. There will always be ups and downs, but those who are prepared and have purposeful routines experience those dramatic downs […] The post Consistency in performance is built in practice [7Cs] appeare...

“Leave it all out on the field!” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Courageous. Being courageous does not mean never having any fears or self-doubt. It means recognizing those fears and either letting them go or finding your way past them. […] The post Fear of failure can be overcome with courage [7Cs] appeared first o...

“If you lose focus for just one play, it could feel like it cost you the game” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being in Control. Control is about focusing on the things that matter and letting the rest go. It’s not […] The post Concentration in sports begins with what’s in your control [7Cs] appeared first on Mental Sweet...

You shouldn’t need to say, “Somebody needs to step up.” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Composed. Composure is about managing your emotions and energy. It’s not about pushing your feelings aside or trying to pretend you’re not nervous. It’s about […] The post How to remain calm under pressure [7Cs] appeared first on...

Emotions are dramatic. But we can decide how to deal with them. The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs!  Today we talk about being Confident. We say there are two types: feeling confident which is based on emotions and goes up and down on a whim versus true confidence which is an inner belief that you are capable of great things. We also discus...

When they’re all-out diving, cheering each other on, and having fun, with that fearless attitude… that’s the best kind of competitive! The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Competitive. We define it as developing a winning mindset by focusing on the […] The post Competitive mindset training is all about balance [7Cs] appe...

Instead of asking "how do I motivate my players?" you would be better served to focus on how to improve commitment. Motivation is often based on how they feel, but commitment is a skill. And skills can be worked on and improved! Today we discuss what being Committed is all about. We talk about what it looks like when players are and aren't committed, what we coaches can do to help or hurt commitme...