Signed & Ready

“Mental toughness is the difference between good & great.” Today’s guest has her master’s in education degree in counseling and sport psychology, and uses her training to improve team cohesion and build player-led teams. She’s the head coach at Eckerd College, and since taking the helm she has led the team to more and more impressive seasons, […] The post Embracing the struggle | Katie Profitt [IN...

“You can’t expect your girls to do something you haven’t taught.” Today’s guest is a former head college softball coach who is now a licensed mental healthcare professional, certified Sport Psychology consultant and private softball instructor, helping countless student-athletes & coaches. She stepped down as the head coach at Bridgewater State University in 2017 to pursue her […] The post The rol...

Today’s guest has her master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences with a concentration in Sport Psychology and uses her training to help her players use mental training every day. She’s the pitching coach at Berry College, and the Vikings pitching staff has become one of the top squads in the nation under her guidance. The team […] The post Focus on what you want to happen | Emily Stanley [INT]...

Today’s guest has his Doctorate (ABD) in Sport Psychology and uses his training to help his players redefine their horizon and reach unexpected new heights. Described as clever, innovative, and hardworking, he has consistently helped his pitching staffs improve. He has coached at some of the top programs in the nation, including Louisiana Lafayette, including his current […] The post Get Out of Yo...

We’re back again with another coach interview! This guest is pursuing her Doctorate in Sport Psychology and uses these concepts to help build her athletes from the top down. In doing so, she has created a powerhouse program in the California Junior College ranks, and leads the reigning NFCA Cal JC National Coaching Staff of the Year. […] The post Strong voice over weak voice | Ruby Rojas [INT] app...

We have a bonus episode for you! We were approached by PocketRadar because they wanted to introduce their new product, the SmartCoach radar to the softball world, and we immediately know it was a great fit! If you’re a softball coach and haven’t heard of their handheld radar gun, you mayyyy be living under a […] The post Using data to drive instruction | Pocket Radar [INT] appeared first on Mental...

We are excited to introduce our first coach interview! Our goal is to bring on experienced coaches who have training in and have been using sport psychology with their players, and we found a gem in this one! She’s been implementing the mental game with her players since she began coaching and is now in […] The post Freedom to fail = freedom to play | Megan Smith [INT] appeared first on Mental Swe...

In this episode, we share the ways we didn't coach the mental game well and how we learned and evolved along the way. So for those of you out there who are still working on it, we get it! We discuss: * What we used to do (or not do) for the mental game * Spending time finding resources to share with our girls * How Alicia's notebooks started and how they've evolved through the years * Fitting it a...

In this mini-series, we’ll be talking more about how you can implement the mental game this season. This first episode touches on every [good] coach’s dream: to make an impact on their players so they leave your program better off than when they started with you. 🙂  We discuss: Our WHY- what we want to […] The post Know your why [WHY] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot .

The season came to a controversial end in post-season, yet Alicia and the team could not be more proud of what they accomplished this season. In the episode, we discuss: Creating pressure and fun at practice Dealing with very frustrating uncontrollables Reflecting back with pride after seeing the growth The biggest factor in this team’s success Seeing […]

It’s playoff week for the Mattawan High School team! There were many great lessons and proud moments this week 🙂 In the episode, we discuss: Dealing with the unexpected & staying resilient Taking it one game at a time Having fun and being fearless Reframing circumstances to your advantage Getting to post-season with a young team, and […] The post Managing your emotions | Week 11 [MHS] appeared fi...

This is the final week before post-season, and the team is finally settling into their routines. In this episode, we discuss: Developing a new routine between games to improve second-game performance Dealing with fatigue and weather, without making excuses Trusting your training and keeping things simple going into post-season Reflecting on the growth so far […] The post Staying consistent at prac...

Having up and down performance is frustrating as a coach, so this week we talked a lot about consistency. In the episode, we discuss: Maintaining focus through the end of the season Staying consistent from practice to practice and game to game Using positive momentum, and stopping negative momentum Refocusing between games using routines Staying in […]

More practice days gave us more time to teach the mental game in practice, so we had plenty of time to tackle the topic of being in Control. In the episode, we discuss: Focusing on fundamentals and adding pressure What each player needs when they lose focus Going through the focus funnel before each pitch Focusing […] The post How to deal with distractions | Week 8 [MHS] appeared first on Mental S...

This week was a busy one for Mattawan Softball, which was a great test for our primary focus with this business: how to implement the mental game when your time is limited. In the episode, we discuss: Teaching the players how to control the controllables Using time off strategically Celebrating wins and growth Not making excuses but acknowledging the facts of the situation Implementing the mental...

There are going to be times when you ask, is this mental stuff even working? The answer is yes! But there are some days when frustration mounts because it’s taking longer than you’d like and you start to second-guess it. That’s what happened this week and we discuss: The Snowball Effect- when one bad play turns into a bad game Taking a different approach when the same thing keeps happening (great...

This week didn’t go so great for the team, so Alicia shares how she helped the team work through it and move forward. We discuss: Adapting to weather and distractions How negative self-talk hurts their confidence Encouraging the players to give each other feedback Giving positive and productive feedback despite setbacks Building relationships Managing expectations

In this episode, we show you how we discovered the team’s and individual players’ best mental strengths (the 7Cs) while also building their weaker Cs. We discuss: Staying accountable to your commitment and teammates. Their first “real” games and how things went. Setting expectations in a way that ensures your players hear the message beyond your disappointed tone

You've likely already taught your girls why they need to focus on the process, but what about the how? Just like telling a girl to keep her head down when fielding a ground ball doesn't always seem to help in the moment... We have to give our players the skills they need in order to accomplish a task. In this case, we talk about how to focus on the process by setting long-term goals and breaking t...

If you fail to build trust in your team, you are setting yourself up for more failure. When times get tough, each player has to trust that their teammates and coaches have their back. But just saying "We have to have each other's backs," isn't enough. You build that trust in your team by fostering open, honest communication and developing empathy for one another. That way, when someone disagrees w...

Building culture is arguably a coach's #1 most important job. But it's  just now getting the attention it deserves! We've been working on culture-building in an intentional way for a while now, and the results have been phenomenal! Our teams are closer, there's less drama, and everyone is united for the same goal. The secret sauce though, is in getting everyone's input. Because culture starts...

This episode is the first in a series following Alicia's team for an entire season while working on the 7Cs! We'll introduce what we'll be doing with the team and discuss : The core standards of the Mattawan program & Alicia's expectations Using the Athlete Types assessment to get to know each other better. Exploring why they play - both individually and as a team Setting daily process goals a...