Let's Play! The Mindset Coach for Athletes Podcast

What if overthinking isn't actually the problem? In this episode, Coach Jojo dives into what overthinking really is and why so many athletes feel trapped inside their own minds during competition. Instead of simply telling athletes to "stop thinking," she explains why our minds naturally crave control, certainty, and predictability—and why that works against us in sports. This episo...

Have you ever walked away from a game and thought, "I just don't feel like myself anymore"? Maybe you're still working hard. Maybe you're still showing up every day. But something feels off. You're overthinking, hesitating, second-guessing yourself, and playing in a way that doesn't feel natural. In this episode, Coach Jojo shares a personal story about losing co...

Do film sessions make you anxious? Do you find yourself dreading them after a game because you're worried a mistake you made is going to show up on the screen for everyone to see? In this episode, Coach Jojo talks about why so many athletes struggle with film sessions and how something that is supposed to help us grow has become a source of anxiety, fear, and frustration for many athletes. It...

Do you ever feel bored in your sport? Not because you don’t love it anymore, but because the season feels so far away, practice starts feeling repetitive, and every day begins to feel the exact same? In this episode, Coach Jojo talks about the kind of boredom athletes experience during the offseason, preseason, or long stretches away from competition—and why that boredom can kill motivation, effor...

Have you ever felt so much pressure in your sport that it felt like you forgot how to play? Like you’re making mistakes you’ve never made before, overthinking everything, and suddenly not playing like yourself anymore? Almost like you’re trapped in a different body while doing the thing you used to love? In this episode, Coach Jojo talks about what mental blockage actually feels like and how press...

What does it actually feel like to play in fear? In this episode , Coach Jojo breaks down the emotions, thoughts, and sensations athletes experience when fear takes over their game. Through 3 powerful questions, athletes are challenged to understand what fear feels like, what’s causing it, and why they’re so desperate to avoid it in the first place. She talks about how many athletes spend their ca...

Isn't is incredible to play your sport when you physically feel 100%?  When your body feels good, everything changes. You move better, react faster, and you're not thinking about pain, soreness, or fatigue--you're just playing.  In this episode , Coach Jojo talks about how important it is to have a recovered body, a few ways of how to recover your body (nutrition, sleep, physical th...

Being coachable is one of the most overlooked skills in sports —and it can completely change your experience as an athlete. In this episode, Coach Jojo breaks down why most athletes are never actually taught how to build a real relationship with their coach, and why that matters more than you think. Whether you have a great coach or a difficult one, your ability to be coachable can either elevate...

Do you compare yourself to your teammates? To an opponent? To yourself? Comparison is toxic to our mind when we play our sport because we end up putting more pressure on ourselves... Am I on the same timeline as everyone else? Am I worse than I was last season? When will I be better than the player coach is playing over me?  In today's episode , Coach Jojo breaks down why comparison is one of...

Do you ever feel like your instincts are "bad" or that you don't have them? Well, you're wrong .  You're wrong because there is no such thing as a bad instinct nor is there such a thing of a good instinct. And let me also tell you that we all have instincts --we just have to find a way to let them come out naturally.  But why does Coach Jojo think this is a subject worth t...

Are you an athlete that is ALWAYS trying to avoid mistakes in practices or games/matches? If you are, that means you want to play perfectly, and guess what? That's not possible! In this episode, Coach Jojo calls out the athletes that are trying to play perfectly and why that issue is causing you problems. The main issue being that you probably have a control issue , but she is able to name gi...

Time to set goals and actually achieve them! Are you someone who sets goals, but never seems to actually get to the end because you stop halfway through? Or are you someone who can't seem to design your path in the "correct" way and you don't know if you can trust your path? Well then you're in the right place!  This isn't for people who aren't motivated. This po...

Do you feel like you lack motivation to go to practice, to get extra work in, to give your 100% effort?  Well, let me tell you that this happens to every athlete and that there is NOTHING wrong with you. You just need to learn to manage your mind. In this episode, Coach Jojo talks about the reasons you feel unmotivated , but the biggest one being that when you play a sport on a team, controlled by...

Let’s Play Unbothered If other people can control your emotions, they control your performance. In this episode, we’re breaking down what it really means to play unbothered — and no, it’s not being lazy, emotionless, or disengaged. It’s being stable. Focused. Dangerous. I talk about why athletes get bothered in the first place (identity, approval, fear of embarrassment), the bad habits that show u...

Why do you feel like two different athletes—one day confident and free, the next overthinking everything and playing tight? In this episode, Coach Jojo breaks down why inconsistency shows up even when you’re working hard. We cover the three biggest causes: confidence that depends on outcomes, overthinking after mistakes, and fear taking over once doubt creeps in. More importantly, you’ll get 3 sim...

In this episode of Let’s Play, we’re getting real about what it actually means to be a good teammate — not just existing on a team, but showing up the right way when it matters most. I break down the biggest misunderstanding athletes have about being a “good teammate,” and why it’s easy to think you’re one when you’re playing well… but much harder when your role changes, you’re on the bench, injur...

In this episode of Let’s Play , JoJo breaks down why body language is one of the most powerful — and controllable — tools in sports . Whether you just air-balled a shot, made a mistake in front of a crowd, or feel yourself getting frustrated mid-game, how you move in those moments matters more than you think. You’ll learn: What body language really is and why it affects performance instantly How m...

After a bad game, it’s easy to spiral. Missed shots, mistakes, overthinking, and that feeling that your confidence just disappeared overnight. In this episode of Let’s Play , we talk about what actually matters after a bad performance —and what doesn’t. This isn’t about pretending the game didn’t happen or forcing yourself to “be positive.” It’s about learning how to process it in a way that helps...

Confidence isn’t something you either have or don’t have. It’s something you build—and something you can lose if you don’t know how to manage it. In this episode of Let’s Play , we break down what confidence actually is for athletes, why it disappears so quickly, and what most athletes get wrong when they try to “be more confident.” This isn’t about hype, fake motivation, or telling yourself you’r...

Pressure is something every athlete experiences — before games, practices, tryouts, and big moments. But pressure doesn’t mean you’re weak, unprepared, or incapable. Most of the time, it means you care. In this episode of Let’s Play , JoJo Allred breaks down what pressure actually is, how it shows up in the body and mind, and why athletes struggle more with the belief that they shouldn’t feel pres...