PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

It can be really confusing to watch your child struggle in their sport when you are trying so hard to help. You care. You see how much it matters to them. So you encourage them, ask questions, and try to give advice that you think will help. But sometimes, that help does not land the way you expect. I talk to a lot of parents who feel stuck. They are doing everything they can to support their athl...

Scores feel important in judged sports. They’re everywhere. On scoreboards, on social media, and in post-meet conversations. But the way we talk about scores can quietly shape how an athlete feels about themselves. I see this all the time when I work with teams. After a meet, I ask athletes what they’re most proud of. At first, they’re ready to answer. Then I say they can’t talk about scores or pl...

There is something really confusing about watching an athlete look great in practice and then struggle in competition. One week everything feels solid and confident, and the next it feels like their body stops cooperating. For parents and athletes, that shift can feel scary and frustrating, especially when nothing about the skills has actually changed. I talk with athletes and families all the tim...

There is something that feels really scary about taking time off from training, even when you know your body needs it. For many gymnasts and families, the holiday break comes with mixed emotions. Part of you is relieved to rest, and part of you is worried about losing skills or confidence right before competition season starts. I talk with athletes and parents every year who feel this exact fear....

There is something powerful about hearing a young athlete describe what it feels like to step into a moment they once only imagined. For Zoey Molomo, that moment came at 15 years old when she competed at Olympic Trials alongside the best gymnasts in the world. What stands out most is not just the stage, but the calm, joy, and perspective she brought with her into it. Zoey shares how her love for g...

There is something powerful about hearing an athlete talk about the moment their childhood dream becomes real. For Isabelle David, it started with wanting to flip like the older girls and never losing that spark. She chased big dreams even before she fully understood them, and that drive carried her all the way to the Jamaican National Team. Representing Jamaica at Junior Worlds was the moment eve...

There is nothing more powerful than understanding what your brain is doing behind the scenes. So many athletes push through fear, anxiety, and overwhelm without ever knowing that their brain waves might be the real reason they feel stuck. When your brain is sending protection signals, confidence feels harder, focus slips, and even simple skills can feel impossible. Neurofeedback opens a window int...

Have you ever watched two young athletes rise through the hardest sport and wondered how they stay grounded through it all? Maybe you have seen your own gymnast pushing through pressure, comparison, or setbacks and you hope they will find the joy again. Every parent, coach, and young gymnast knows that feeling of needing something deeper to hold on to. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Po...

Have you ever watched your athlete work unbelievably hard and still wonder if their moment will ever come? Maybe you have seen them push through setbacks, fear, or comparison and you hope someday all that effort will pay off. Every gymnast and every sports parent knows that feeling of waiting for the breakthrough. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Utah gymnast Sarah K...

Have you ever wanted something so big that it scared you? Maybe your dreams feel exciting and terrifying at the same time. Every athlete, at some point, faces that moment where fear and possibility collide. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Team USA skeleton racer Andy Whittier about what it really means to become fearless. Andy is in the run up to the Winter Olympics...

There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching an athlete lose the sport they love to injury. The pain is not only physical but also emotional. For many gymnasts, it can feel like their confidence disappears right along with their routines. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I sit down with former BYU gymnast Rebekah Bean Ripley, known for her viral Barbie Girl floor routine. R...

There is something truly powerful about a coach who sees more than just the athlete in front of them. Someone who understands that success is not just about medals but about growth, confidence, and character. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast , I sat down with Geralen Stack Eaton , the new head coach of Cal Gymnastics , and discovered a coaching philosophy that every athlete and p...

There is nothing more frustrating than watching your gymnast freeze on a skill they know how to do. One day it looks easy, and the next day, fear and hesitation take over. It can leave both of you confused and unsure how to help. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk about the things that actually make mental blocks worse and what to do instead. Around this time of year, I cal...

There is nothing more painful than watching your athlete lose their love for the sport they once adored. The stomach aches before practice, the tears in the car, the fear that never used to be there. It breaks your heart. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking about toxic training environments. These are gyms where kids feel scared, anxious, or unsafe. Places where yelling...

If you have ever experienced the twisties, you know how overwhelming they can be. The twisties are a type of mental block that make even familiar skills feel impossible. One day everything flows, and the next your body and brain no longer feel in sync. It can be confusing, frustrating, and lonely. That is why this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast is so special. I talk with Sarah and her...

Ever noticed your brilliant, sensitive gymnast getting stuck in their own head? You’re not alone. As a sports psychology expert, I’ve seen countless smart kids struggle with mental blocks, and today I want to share some hope and practical advice. What Makes Smart Kids Different in Sports Intelligent athletes often have some common traits: They’re incredibly talented. They move quickly through skil...

There is nothing more painful than hearing words that cut into your confidence. Maybe someone told you that you will never get that skill, or that you are not good enough, or that you are holding the team back. Even if you try to ignore it, those comments can sit in your mind and make you question yourself again and again. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I want to help you and...

There is nothing more frustrating than watching your athlete finally get a skill… only to lose it the very next day. One step forward, two steps back. Skills appear, then disappear, leaving athletes, parents, and coaches in a cycle of confusion and discouragement. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m diving into what I call “Yo-Yo Confidence” — that frustrating cycle of gaining...

There is nothing more frustrating than setting a goal, working hard for it, and then feeling like you are getting nowhere. You show up, put in the effort, and instead of building confidence, you leave practice more discouraged than when you started. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m breaking down why so many athletes get stuck in this cycle and how to set goals that actually...

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I had the privilege of chatting with international elite gymnast Céleste Mordenti, the first gymnast from Luxembourg to ever win a FIG World Cup medal. Céleste’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. As a young gymnast, she rose quickly through the ranks, representing Luxembourg at European and World Championships. But behind the medals and the spotlight, she batt...

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking with Utah gymnast Avery Neff — a rising star whose journey proves that resilience, mindset, and belief in yourself can take you further than raw talent ever could. Avery wasn’t always the clean, confident athlete you see competing on the NCAA stage today. She started as a “floppy” gymnast, throwing skills with no fear but little form. With the hel...

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking to parents who are navigating one of the hardest parts of raising athletes: watching your kids struggle with disappointment, pressure, and even toxic coaching environments. As parents, our instinct is to protect our kids from heartbreak and setbacks. But what if the very challenges we want to shield them from are the ones that help them build resi...

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking to athletes and parents who are in the thick of it — setback after setback, injury after injury, and feeling like the dream is slipping away. If that’s you, I want you to meet Arya and her mom, Sara. Arya spent years navigating injuries, mental blocks, and environments that didn’t bring out her best. She battled fear of re-injury, lost skills, and...

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking to athletes who are stuck. You know you’re capable of doing the skill—you’ve done it before—but for some reason, it’s just not happening right now . Maybe you’re dealing with the pressure of move-ups, recovering from a past fall, or your brain is simply hitting the brakes. You’re not alone, and there is a way through it that doesn’t involve just p...

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m sharing one of my favorite topics: the “camp magic” that gives athletes those powerful bursts of confidence, and what you can do when that confidence disappears back at the gym. Whether it’s a breakthrough skill at camp or a fearless moment at competition, those experiences can feel like superpowers. But why don’t they last? I’ll explain what’s actually g...