Let's Go Mental!

🎧 Shownotes Behind every athlete, there’s a story no one sees — the thoughts, the doubts, the pressure. In this episode, we explore why mental training is essential for young athletes , and how parents and coaches can help build confidence, focus, and resilience — both in sport and in life. 👉 The goal isn’t to “fix” anything, but to train what’s invisible — emotions, awareness, and the ability t...

🎧 Shownotes – Episodio 36 Il perché dell’importanza dell’allenamento mentale per i giovani atleti Dietro ogni atleta c’è una storia che nessuno vede: i pensieri, i dubbi, la pressione. In questo episodio scopriamo perché l’allenamento mentale è fondamentale per i giovani atleti , e come genitori e allenatori possono aiutare a costruire fiducia, concentrazione e resilienza — dentro e fuori dal cam...

You’re ready. Dressed, playlist on point, shoes tied… and yet — you’re still sitting there. We’ve all been there — that invisible space between ready and go . That’s procrastination. It’s not laziness — it’s the moment your brain fights the start. In this episode, Barbara Cortella, Family and Mental Performance Coach, breaks down what procrastination really is — and how to train that moment before...

How many tabs do you have open in your mind right now? Between school, sport, friends, messages, and social media — your brain is constantly switching. In this episode, Barbara Cortella breaks down what it really means to become indistractable — to train your focus like a skill, to recognize when you’re escaping through distraction, and to build traction toward your goals instead. You’ll Learn 🧠...

How do you fit school, sport, friends, family, sleep, and everything else into your day without going crazy? In this episode, Barbara introduces the Big Rocks system — a simple but powerful way to set priorities and protect your time. You’ll learn how to: • Shift your mindset: time isn’t a clock, it’s a choice. • Choose your priorities so you don’t drown in distractions. • Protect your time with t...

Time is the one thing every single person on the planet gets the same amount of: 24 hours, 86,400 seconds. The difference between being successful or staying average is not how much time you have , but how you use it . In this episode, Barbara breaks down why time is your most valuable asset as a young athlete. With a powerful story about the “Bank of Time,” she shows you how to see time different...

In this episode of Let’s Go Mental , Barbara closes the 3-part mini-series on setting and achieving the right goals. After starting with self-assessment (Episode 28) and intentional goal-setting (Episode 29), this final piece is all about execution and consistency. Let's introduce the Daily Success Checklist —a simple, powerful system to help athletes execute! What You’ll Learn in This Episode • W...

New season, new goals… but are you setting the right ones? In this episode, we’ll uncover how to shift from chasing outcomes to building process goals that actually help you grow.  In this episode, we move to Step 2 of the Goal Builder System : setting your goals for this season. Not long-term dreams, not outcome trophies, but process goals —the daily actions that you can control and that actually...

New Season: Your Opportunity to Decide Who You Want to Become A new season is exciting — but it can also feel overwhelming. New coach, new teammates, pressure to improve, school starting, social life… it’s a lot. And when that little “what if” voice sneaks in ( “What if I’m not good enough? What if I get benched?” ), it can take over before you even step on the field. In this episode, we’re flippi...

In this episode, I dive into one of the most misunderstood yet powerful concepts in the mental game: trust .  You’ll learn why confidence and trust are not the same, how to switch from a training mindset to a performance mindset, and why most athletes get stuck in the transition between practice and competition. Let's unpack a simple 3-part framework to help you build trust where it matters most: ...

In this episode of  Let’s Go Mental , we dive into one of the most common challenges for athletes: keeping your cool under pressure. Whether it’s a bad call, a teammate not playing their part, or your own performance slipping — frustration can take over and ruin your game. What we break down: Why we lose our composure in the first place What to do if you’ve already lost it The powerful 3 R’s tool:...

Do you hold yourself to unrealistically high standards? Feel like you’re never “good enough” even when you’re working hard? You might be dealing with perfectionism—and in this episode, we’re breaking it down. In this episode we will: • Understand what perfectionism really is • Recognize how it shows up in your game and mindset • Learn how to shift from pressure to progress • Discover powerful ment...

Today we speak about expectation and how to transform and shift from expectations to execution. Learn how to: • Step into your performance “bubble” where distractions don’t reach you • Let go of mistakes and focus on the present moment • Use your breath as a mental reset tool — even in the middle of the game • Replace negative confidence metaphors with empowering ones • Create your own trigger wor...

Special Episode! 3rd edition of Podcasthon! ✅  It Takes a Village: More Than Just a Foundation  – A movement dedicated to raising awareness, creating opportunities, and empowering individuals with special needs. ✅  Social Saturdays: A Safe Space for Connection  – A program where teenagers and young adults with different abilities come together, not as volunteers and participants, but as  compani...

What if I tell you that no matter what you choose in life, it’s going to be hard? Think about it: • Training every day? Hard. • Skipping practice and falling behind? Also hard. • Holding yourself accountable? Hard. • Living with regret? Even harder. The truth is, you don’t get to avoid difficulty—you get to choose which hard you’re willing to face. And in today’s episode, we’ll break down how to m...

In this episode, we tackle the negative impact of comparison in sports—and in life. I share insights on how comparing yourself to others can lower your self-esteem and hold you back. More importantly, I reveal how to flip comparison into a powerful tool for growth. Key Points : • The Comparison Trap: Understand how comparing achievements, skills, or even physical traits can be a joy killer. • How...

In this episode I talk about self-reflection. Most athletes avoid it because it feels awkward, boring, or uncomfortable, but self-reflection is the key to improve—in sports, and in life.  If your goal is to reach the top 1% in your sport, this practice is for you! Key Takeaways: • What is self-reflection? It’s the process of pausing to think about what happened, why it happened, and what you can l...

In this episode I talk about the key difference between being interested and being committed mainly in sports (but in life it is not so different!). Are you the type of athlete who only shows up when it’s convenient, or are you committed to showing up no matter what? Learn why commitment is more than a choice—it’s a skill you can build. What You’ll Learn: • The difference between being interested...

In this episode we talk about the art of transforming preparation into performance . Learn how to create your own pre-game ritual and make the powerful mental shift from preparation mode to game on by design. It’s about stepping into your “bubble,” the place where you leave distractions behind and focus fully on being your best—whether that’s in a game, practice, or any big moment. In this episode...

We’re diving into a critical yet often overlooked aspect of performance: preparation . If you want to excel in sports and life, you have to embrace the backstage work that sets champions apart. We’re going to reframe those so-called “boring” necessities—like sleep and nutrition—into powerful tools that can fuel your performance. Key Concepts: 1. Mind & Body Bank Account: Think of your mind and...

In this episode we are talking about PREPARATION. But not the kind you hear about every day. We're going deeper into what real preparation looks like, the type that goes beyond just warming up or training. This is the backstage work that sets you apart from everyone else. It is about the extra effort no one sees, the habits you build that make the difference in the long run. Whether it is mental f...

After Self-Awareness, Self-Talk, and Self-Control, finally we have the 4th piece of the puzzle: Self-Confidence! Changing perspective from Feeling confident to do Confident! Confidence is a skill. Let's train it starting with these 4 easy tools: Visualization Body language Focus Self-talk Too often we treat confidence as something we cannot control, based on how we feel today, start training this...

After Self-Awareness, your GPS, Self-Talk, your super-power, we have Self-Control...Your Game-Changer Only by following these 3 episode you are a little bit more near to master your mental game. In this episode we will give the power to self-control, when you need to manage your impulses, feeling and behavior with a 4 steps process: 1) Recognize your signals: what happen when you are loosing contr...

In this episode we dive into the world of self-talk-the constant inner dialogue we all have, whether we realize it or not. Learn how positive and negative self-talk can shape your mindset, impact your performance, and influence how you see yourself in life and sports. Discover practical tools to become more aware of your self-talk and how to transform it into a powerful tool for growth. Remember,...

September will be the Month of the 4Selves: Self-Awareness, Self-talk, Self-Control, and Self-Confidence. First pillar: self-awareness. We'll explore why it is like a mental GPS, guiding to better understand emotions, behaviors, and thoughts to stay on track toward your goals. Special tool of the week: the Traffic Light system, introduced by sports psychology expert Ken Ravizza, to help identifing...