The Athlete CAFE

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE has a special guest, Alyson Campell. She is an independent educational consultant with Estrela Consulting out of Hudson, Ohio. She works with high school students and families across the US with all parts of the college discernment and application process. She is a former athlete and coach as well. Alyson sheds light on topics such as time management, how to navig...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE has a special guest, Gideon Goff! Fun fact, this is Abbie's husband! Gideon comes to us with his own coaching experience in gymnastics as well as experience in parkour. Today, Abbie and Gideon discuss finding your “thing” even if it is uncommon or against the grain, how to apply mental performance strategies to different situations, putting a name to your ment...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE discusses the idea of Burnout. We discuss different warning signs, how to determine if you are balancing your schedule well, and different phases of burnout. We provide some helpful tips to manage burnout and make the most of your season! Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharpenskillstraining.com/mental-performance-coaching/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @sharpenskillstrai...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE discusses various topics around women in sports. We talk about women in the sporting world we look up to, some struggles female athletes face, and how to potentially manage certain mindsets. Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharpenskillstraining.com/mental-performance-coaching/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @sharpenskillstraining Facebook: Sharpen Skills Training Twitter: @S...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE defines the difference between mental health and mental performance. We discuss the difference between roles of performance coach and counselor (Credentials, schooling, background, etc). Finally, we discuss some different symptoms and where to find a professional. We hope to clear up any questions about the field of coaching and counseling! Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members, Michael and Braden, break down various parts of the 2024 Super Bowl. They discuss different mental aspects of plays throughout the game and give their perspectives on how to think through different scenarios. Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharpenskillstraining.com/mental-performance-coaching/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @sharpenskillstraining Facebook: Sharpen...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE answers some of the most common questions we receive from our athletes, coaches, and parents. Feel free to listen and see if you answer any questions that you may personally think about. Comment below if there are any additional questions you have that we did not answer. Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharpenskillstraining.com/mental-performance-coaching/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE discusses the topic of injuries. We talk about communication around injuries, the grief process when injured, and things you can do to continue to train while injured. Each member discusses some of their own experiences with injuries and how it affected their athletic careers. Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharpenskillstraining.com/mental-performance-coaching/⁠⁠⁠⁠...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE discusses and normalizes pre game jitters. We discuss hat pre-game jitters are and how to normalize those feelings to try and make them positive. We talk about the difference between pre-game jitters and anxiety and how to manage either of those feelings. Finally, we discuss how to find structure and routine to help manage those jitters. Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE dives into some important aspects to think about when setting goals. We touch on the different types of goals, break down SMART goals, and give some examples and tips when beginning to set goals. Be creative and do not put pressure on yourself when setting goals! If you are interested in specific goal setting packages, check out our resources link: https://sharpen...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members recap their new year. We talk about big achievements at our business and in our personal lives. We touch on a few themes we each want to focus on in 2024 and we begin a discussion on how and what it means to set intentional goals for the new year. Check us out:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharpenskillstraining.com/mental-performance-coaching/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: @sharpenskill...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members discuss how to manage stress during finals week. We discuss how to understand all of your identities as a "student-athlete" and knowing what is most important to communicate during this time. We discuss time management during a stressful week. We provide some stress management techniques and self-care to apply that can be beneficial for anyone! C...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE provide some tips for coaches from a mental performance perspective. We touch on various aspects on communication, what it means to build good people not just good athletes, supporting through failure, how to model behavior, and so much more! We are sharing perspectives from our own coaching experiences as well as all the athletes we have worked with over time. Ch...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members discuss how setting strict expectations for yourself can potentially hurt your performance. We define what expectations are and how they differ from goals. We discuss how expectations can add pressure when you are telling yourself the "I should's", "I have to's" and "I must's". Finally, we give some great tips and...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members discuss different aspects regarding self-talk and how it impacts our daily life and sports experience. We define what self talk is and the different forms that exist for it. We discuss how self-talk can differ before, during, or after competition. Finally, we discuss how a performance evaluation can be beneficial in the self-awareness around your performan...

In this episode, the Athlete CAFE provides different perspectives on Visualization and Mental Imagery. We explain what important aspects should be included in your process, how different visualization can look for every person, and shed some perspective on how it could be helpful to integrate into your daily routine. Keep an open mind and be honest with yourself on what could help you be successfu...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members discuss different aspects about the differences between individual and team sports. Each member on today's podcast shares a unique perspective based on their sports background. The members also dive into the dynamic differences between male and female sports. While this may seem self-explanatory, there is more to it than you think! Check us out:  https...

The Athlete CAFE would like to give a warm welcome to our first guest, Tim Mack! Tim Mack was an 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist in Pole Vault. He started vaulting at age 13 and didn’t retire until he was 37 yrs old. He went to Saint Ignatius High School and was not recruited out of high school but continued his passion at Malone College and University of Tennessee where he earned his bachelor's an...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members discuss different aspects about deciding to play college sports and the recruiting process that followed. The mental performance coaches discuss what it was like when they actually got to college and how it felt throughout their careers. They also break down the differences in the DI, DII, and DIII college experiences athletically, socially, and academical...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE members share their stories on the biggest aspects surrounding the high school to college transition as athletes and students. We hope to educate listeners on understanding how to be okay with making changes on your path to figuring out life. Everyone touches on how they chose their colleges and what their thought processes were as they embarked on this new phase...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE switches up the dynamic once again and introduces another one of our new Mental Performance Coaches, Michael O'Brien!  Michael provides an introduction to who he is and how he ended up in Ohio at Sharpen Skills Training. He discusses his own personal tennis and academic career. Michael provides insight and perspectives on mental performance topics related to t...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE switches up the dynamic and introduces one of our new Mental Performance Coaches, Braden Bova! Braden provides an introduction to who he is and how he ended up in Ohio at Sharpen Skills Training. He discusses his own personal baseball and academic career, insight and perspectives on mental performance topics related to baseball such as confidence, flushing mistake...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE shifts gears this week to address parents. We touch on various communication styles and relationship aspects to help improve the dynamic with your athlete. We hope to shed some helpful tips on how to improve any situations to help enhance your athlete's sports experience. We love our parents and just a reminder that you are doing a great job! Check us out:  ht...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE continues talking about the idea of making mistakes. We recap our previous episode where different concepts about making mistakes are discussed. We then provide some of our favorite "tools" to help athletes cope with mistakes. Everyone wants the tangible tools and we are giving them to you today! Let us know which tools work the best for you! Check us ou...

In this episode, The Athlete CAFE begins talking about the idea of making mistakes. Nobody likes making mistakes but it is important to do our best to understand them, accept them, and find the best way to move on from them. Your favorite mental performance coaches discuss the important role that mistakes have in sports and try to adjust the perspective on mistakes in sports. We discuss the idea o...