The Mental Mettle Podcast

What does it mean to coach for character? On this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, I sit down with Coach Will Rey, head varsity basketball coach at Northridge Prep School and a 50-year coaching veteran with experience at both the college and high school levels. Coach Rey's philosophy is simple but powerful: Coaching for Character. He believes athletics should be a vehicle for developing...

What if mental toughness isn't something athletes either have or don't have—but something coaches can intentionally develop? In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Lexi Demott, Head Girls Basketball Coach at Galesburg High School, to talk about what it really looks like to intentionally build mental toughness into a team. Lexi has experienced Gale...

What do you do when things don't go the way you planned? Do you make excuses—or do you figure out what you can do next? In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, I sit down with veteran Illinois basketball coach and athletic director Ron Spencer for a conversation about mental toughness, adversity, accountability, and what it means to take responsibility for your response when life gets d...

What does it really take to develop mentally tough athletes? For Jeremy Adolphson, the answer has changed dramatically over his 28 years in education and 26 years as a head football coach. Jeremy admits that for much of his career, he believed mental toughness was developed by making athletes tired, uncomfortable, and battle-tested. But experience changed his perspective. Today, he believes athlet...

Mental toughness doesn’t just happen. We spend years teaching athletes the skills of their sport. We train their bodies. We develop their technique. We build strength, speed, and conditioning. But what about the mental skills? In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, I sit down with Raphael McMaster , Founder and Executive Director of Indivisible Arts , mindset coach for the Mira Costa Basket...

What happens when you find something that makes you dream—and then decide to pursue it even when it's hard? In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, I sit down with Travis Vaughn of Upward Sports and Upward Running to talk about running, faith, mental toughness, community, setbacks, and the pursuit of goals that push us beyond our comfort zones. Travis shares his own seven-year journey t...

Lauren Busalacchi is entering her 14th season as the head women’s basketball coach at Ripon College, after spending three years as an assistant and two years as a part-time assistant. During her time at Ripon, she has built one of the most successful programs in the Midwest, winning eight consecutive Midwest Conference championships, making five NCAA Tournament appearances, and earning induction i...

In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Jeremy Clodfelder, Head Football and Softball Coach at Paris High School, for a powerful conversation about leadership, mental toughness, personal growth, and what it really takes to build a strong culture. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, three rebuilt football programs, over 100 career football victori...

In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast , I sit down with Dan Stratford , owner and partner at Kick It 3v3 Soccer, for a conversation that goes far beyond soccer. Dan and I dig into a problem I think every youth sports coach and parent needs to think about: Are we giving our youngest athletes the coaching they actually need? Too often, the youngest players get the least experienced coaches, e...

What if we stopped trying to protect athletes from adversity and started teaching them how to use it? In this solo episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast , Coach Matt Thomann takes on one of the most important—and misunderstood—aspects of athletics: adversity . Sports are supposed to be hard. That’s the point. The losses, mistakes, pressure, disappointment, difficult practices, setbacks, and failure...

Most athletic directors spend countless hours investing in their athletes. But what if the greatest investment you could make in your athletes...is investing in your coaches? In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast , Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Midland University Athletic Director Courtney Thomsen to discuss what really builds successful athletic programs. From coach burnout and athlete...

What separates good athletic programs from great ones? In this episode, I sit down with Charlie Zimmerman, principal of Metamora Township High School, to discuss what it really takes to build a championship culture. As a former athlete, coach, and now school leader, Charlie offers a unique perspective on how administrators, coaches, parents, and athletes all play a role in creating an environment...

What gives someone the confidence to say those five words? In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Team USA Women's Handball athlete Julia Taylor to explore a journey marked by profound loss, unwavering purpose, and servant leadership. After losing both of her parents as a young child, Julia learned firsthand that resilience isn't something you&apo...

You've probably heard the saying: "Hope isn't a strategy." There's some truth to that—but I also believe I don't want to be part of any strategy that doesn't include hope. In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast , I sit down with Dr. Brandi Kelly —former superintendent, licensed clinical social worker, leadership coach, speaker, and founder of Spark Hope EDU...

What if the biggest obstacle to peak performance isn't a lack of confidence—but a misplaced identity? In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast , I sit down with mental and spiritual performance coach Ricky Scruggs to explore why so many athletes struggle under pressure and how true mental toughness begins long before the game starts. Ricky shares how his journey—from growing up in Washing...

What if everything you've worked for came down to just six attempts? That's the reality for Team USA hammer thrower Rachel Richeson. After years of training, sacrifice, and relentless improvement, Olympic dreams and World Championship opportunities can be decided by just six throws. In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Rachel shares her incredible journey from a high school voll...

What happens when a lifelong endurance athlete is suddenly told he has Stage 4 cancer and may only have months to live? In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Ironman competitor and author Jim Logan for a powerful conversation about resilience, faith, and the mindset required to keep moving forward when everything is on the line. Jim shares his journey thro...

In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Roanoke Benson girls basketball coach Ryan Davis for a powerful conversation about anxiety, expectations, coaching, and vulnerability. Ryan shares his personal story of battling severe performance anxiety as a high school athlete—a struggle that ultimately cut short the playing career he loved. But this isn't a st...

Most people think mental toughness is just grinding harder at what you’re already good at. This episode is about the opposite: choosing to be a beginner again on purpose. In this conversation, I sit down with USA Team Handball player and Olympic hopeful Katie Timmerman . Katie went from being a high-level college and pro basketball player to a complete novice in a sport she’d never even heard of…...

When life changes in an instant, who you are after matters more than what happened. In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast , Coach Matt sits down with Scott Lackey — U.S. Army veteran, former college basketball player, patented inventor, Ironman finisher, newspaper columnist, and leadership author — to talk about what he calls “lightning‑strike moments”: those shocks that split your life int...

In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Matt sits down with Team USA para powerlifter Ashley Dyce, who was born with spina bifida and has fought her way onto the world stage through a decade of relentless commitment. Ashley shares how she went from discovering the Paralympics on TV to representing the United States, what it really looks like to stick with one path for 10+ years, and how she’...

In this episode of The Mental Middle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Megan Gilmore—founder and executive director of Larksong , certified coach, and author—to talk about how early we should be building mental health and well‑being skills in kids. (Spoiler: much earlier than most people think.) We cover: Why well‑being and “mental health” for kids should start as early as physical health...

Regional Superintendent and ultramarathoner Kyle Thompson joins The Mental Mettle Podcast to break down how “time on feet” in the mountains has reshaped the way he leads, parents, and lives. Kyle is the Regional Superintendent of ROE #11 in Charleston, Illinois, and a 100-mile finisher who believes deeply in intentional adversity —choosing hard things on purpose so you’re ready for the hard things...

Unlock the real difference-maker in sports performance: your mind. In this solo episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast , Coach Matt Thomann reveals the Secrets Behind the Third Skill Set: Mental Performance —the hidden skill set that separates average athletes from consistent peak performers. You already train skills and strength. But if you’re not training your mindset on purpose , you’re leaving a...

In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with 24-year coaching veteran and fellow Millikin alum, Coach Lee Mateer of Taylorville High School. By his own words, Lee used to be “the raging psychopath” on the sideline — yelling, screaming, cursing, and tying his entire identity to wins and losses. He was the classic old school, outcome-obsessed coach who wore misery...