Conditioned to Win

The Spillover Effect explores how the emotional stress we try to hold inside quietly leaks through our words, tone, and body language—and how it affects children and they absorb it as truth. In this episode, we unpack why casual phrases like “I hate this” don’t disappear, but shape a child’s nervous system, confidence, and relationship with mistakes. Especially in youth sports like gymnastics and...

If you’ve ever watched your child or yourself or any young athlete get a stomach ache, feel nauseous, shaky, frozen, or overwhelmed before competition—I want you to hear this clearly:  1) nothing is wrong with them.  2)  a nervous child does not equal poor performance.  In this show, learn the signs and varieties of how nervousness behaves. What a "safe adult" can say and do to help athl...

Starting in 2026 - short episodes! Starting now, Lisa changed the format to 10-15 min shows so it's easier for listeners to get helpful information, easy conversations and support. Lisa integrates wonder, humor and joy, because it's important to have fun. But for driven competitors, it's often deep and hard and full of emotions. So to prepare athletes for the training and challenges...

Vanessa Atler, US National Champion, World Team member, and Goodwill Games gold medalist, is authentic, bubbly, and humble. She is also determined to follow her heart and care for the kids she coaches and teach them how to use self-compassion and mental health skills for life.  Vanessa talks about her own healing process with self-compassion, seeing a dietician, and learning to overcome the big em...

The world of coaching is shifting. We're in a new era. Athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have spoken up and drawn the line. Mental health matters. In gymnastics, there have also been many national team members who have spoken up about their elite experience, negative coaching, abuse, and how important mental health is. But Vanessa Atler may be the first former National Team member an...

Welcome to Season 2 of the podcast! We are calling it:  Build the Athlete Inside and that will be our north star, INSIDE the mind and spirit. We can increase focus and motivation by practicing mindfulness, identifying and managing emotions. How an athlete experiences challenges on the inside, is a lesson for us adults and then together we can be better.  This is the first episode of Season 2 - How...

Lisa Mitzel decided to add a bonus and do a Part 2  for this episode "Reduce Mental Blocks." You get to hear tips for parents, coaches, and a step-by-step story about Maddie with a mental block on her flyaway on bars, and Molly with a mental block on her RO BHS Back Tuck. No matter the challenge, when you collaborate and open yourself up to working together - coach, athlete, and parent -...

Mental Blocks and fear occur in practically every gymnastics club and in every sport that has flipping and twisting. Tumbling, trampoline, acro, cheer, dance, and more. In the 5th episode, you will learn it's easy to educate athletes and coaches on the signs of nervousness and fear - these early emotions and physical reactions (stomach aches, thoughts racing, feeling overwhelmed) are the hear...

Have you ever felt confused about staying at a gym, or been afraid to leave a gym? Lisa Mitzel reviews how kids, parents and coaches get attached to each other, they may perceive that they are family, or that there should be loyalty.  But gymnastics clubs are businesses that provide a kind service. If there is ever a question about a child's health, then take a step back and evaluate. Is this...

Such an awesome show!  Listen to the 2nd half of my interview with the amazing Yuka Sugiura, and my thoughts on Women's Gymnastics NCAA National Championships, LSU winning, and student-athlete advocates for college athletes. This is powerful stuff, people! In part 2 of BRAIN MAPS FOR GYMNASTS - Yuka talks about being a neuroperformance coach, the athletes' experiences improving flexibili...

We are brainwashed. Society rewards the best students, musicians and athletes, so  kids need to work hard, be tough, and achieve. Hurry, don't miss anything, try harder, go faster, do better!  We want winners! It's too much... It causes children all kinds of pain, injury and fear.  Kids are suffering. It's time we look closer and examine ourselves, because we are stressing kids&apos...

Today’s show is entitled Fully Awake NCAA Gymnastics . I’m flying solo and digging into the systems, struggles, and young women’s experiences in NCAA Gymnastics. This is largely a story and contemplation as I zoom in on the culture of the University of Utah gymnastics team, Kara Eaker’s horrible experience on the team, and the new Utah State resolution that condemns abusive coaching. Hold on and j...

Lisa Terry is the Owner, CEO and Head Coach at East Bay Gymnastics in Concord, CA. In Part 2, we discuss a difficult situation with an abusive coach that was at their gym in 2023.  Though he started out friendly, he took a turn and created confusion, anxiety, and fear in the gymnasts...and everyone. Listen to how Lisa Terry admits her mistakes and takes responsibility, especially taking the time a...

Lisa Terry is the Owner, CEO and Head Coach at East Bay Gymnastics in Concord, CA. She is my friend and a beautiful advocate for her gymnasts as humans, first! We discuss the incredible responsibilities of coaches and club owners, noticing the signs of kids struggling, asking poignant questions, listening with patience and supporting what the child needs. As Lisa says, "If my job was just coa...