Coach AB, Amanda Schaefer

The Fearless Warrior Podcast

Sports EN ↓ 147 episodes

The Fearless Warrior Podcast, a place for athletes, coaches, and parents who know the value of a strong mindset. Each week, join Coach AB, founder of Fearless Warrior, known for the #1 Softball Specific Mental Training Program, as she dive’s deep into all things mental performance, mindset tools, how to rewire the brain for success, tackle topics like self doubt, failure, and subconscious beliefs that hold us back, and ultimately how to help your athletes become mentally stronger.

Author

Coach AB, Amanda Schaefer

Category

Sports

Latest episode

Jul 8, 2026

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Episodes

094: 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before College Softball 09.07.2025

If you could go back in time, what would you change? What message would you tell yourself? On this week's episode, I go down memory lane and share my love letter on 10 essential lessons I wish I knew during my college softball career.  Episode Highlights: • Take the weight room seriously • The Spotlight Effect  • Your relationship with coaches and teammates takes on new meaning when you under...

093: Helping Your Softball Athlete Have a Growth Mindset 02.07.2025

In today's episode, I am sharing a co-hosted parent workshop from 2021 with Coach Nicole Dennis, a mental performance coach, on growth mindset. We explore how understanding and developing a growth mindset can transform athletic performance, especially for young pitchers. Episode Highlights: • Creating awareness about fixed-mindset language and behaviors • The power of "yet"  • Prais...

092: How Mental Skills Propelled Jordan Roberts to Professional Softball 25.06.2025

This week, I am sharing our Mentorship Call from January with Jordan Roberts. She takes us on her journey with Coach Kara and our Warriors about how she went from a college catcher at the University of Florida to a professional player with Athletes Unlimited, revealing how mental performance tools transformed her game and life. Episode Highlights: • Key mental tools: journaling and breathwork • Fo...

091: What is Mindfulness and Why it Matters with Lucinda Snyder, MPM 18.06.2025

This week, I sat down with Lucinda Snyder, a mental performance coach, yoga, and mindfulness instructor. She reveals how mindfulness and meditation transform athletic performance and help teams win championships. She shares why she became a mental performance coach and the importance of teaching athletes to anchor themselves in the moment. Episode Highlights: • Mindfulness is a conscious choice •...

090: Leadership Isn't About Being Perfect with Riley Sartain-Vaughan 11.06.2025

This week's episode takes you back to one of our mentorship calls from 2021 featuring Riley Sartain-Vaughan. She answers questions from our Fearless Warriors about Leadership and how she used mental skills during her time at Texas A&M and in the pros with This is Us Softball.  Episode Highlights: • Succeeded through relentless effort and self-awareness • Understanding your own unique stre...

089: Mental Skills That Last a Lifetime with Coach Kara and Coach Marlie Davis 04.06.2025

For this week's episode, Coach Kara interviewed her high school volleyball and softball coach, Marlie Davis. Coach Davis, better known as Coach D, shares her approach to mental skills training that helped shape athletes' mindsets long before it became mainstream in the sports world. Her 33-year coaching career across multiple sports reveals how implementing mental skills extends far beyo...

088: Freedom to Fail: Creating Champions Through Mental Performance with Ellie Cooper, MPM 28.05.2025

In this week's episode, I interviewed Ellie Cooper, a former Florida State University (FSU) softball player and the Director of Player Performance for FSU's softball team. She shared her experiences from struggling college freshman to mental performance coach and how the mental game transformed her athletic career and coaching philosophy. Episode Highlights:  • Creates an environment whe...

087: How Mental Health Intersects with Mental Performance with Alex Hinger, LMHP 21.05.2025

May is Mental Health Awareness Month:  In this week's episode, I share a parent workshop from 2023 with Alex (Madsen) Hinger, LMHP. We discussed the importance of mental health on and off the field for players and parents! Episode Highlights: • Breathing techniques provide immediate anxiety regulation • Reframing thoughts provides productive thinking • Guided meditation grounds athletes in th...

086: Why Waiting to Give Her Mental Skills is Prolonging Her Frustration (and yours as a parent!) 14.05.2025

Are you considering joining the Fearless Warrior Program? Then this week's episode is for you! I invited a few of our Fearless Parents to come and share the good, the bad, the skepticism, and all their doubts they had when first discovering Fearless. They share how the program helped their daughters both on and off the field and how much it helped them reach their potential as softball player...

The #1 Softball Specific Mental Skills Training Resource 13.05.2025

What is the Fearless Warrior Program anyway? Tune in to find out more! fearlesswarriors.org More ways to work with Fearless Warrior Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program Book a One on One Session for your Athlete Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization Follow us on Social Media Facebook @fearlesswarriors.org Instagram @fearlesswarrior Instag...

085: Parent Questions Answered: Is HS ball worth it? What to do if coaches have favorites? How to help with nerves? And More! 30.04.2025

Coach Kara and I answer burning questions from parents about mindset challenges in sports. We discussed practical strategies to tackle common issues, from balancing coaching and parenting roles to managing game-day nervousness. • Mental skills training is preventative care, not a reactive solution • Controlling the controllable when facing frustrating team situations • High school and travel ball...

084: How Nutrition Can Get You to the Next Level with Brooke Miller, RD, CLC 23.04.2025

Brooke Miller, a dietitian and former college softball pitcher, gives us the lowdown on how to take care of our bodies as athletes. She shares insights on athletic performance nutrition, the importance of fueling for success, and navigating identity transitions beyond sports.  Episode Highlights: • Proper nutrition directly affects energy, brain function, and reaction time • For optimal performanc...

083: How I Use Mental Skills to Fuel My Fitness Journey - Featured on The Real Life Runners Podcast with Angie Brown 16.04.2025

This week, I'm taking you behind the scenes of my fitness journey. I recently had a great conversation with my friend, Dr. Angie Brown, DPT, on her Real Life Runners podcast, where I explored how I utilize mental skills in the gym and the significant impact it's had on my approach to exercise as a busy mom and entrepreneur. Episode Highlights: • Focusing on process goals rather than outc...

082: How Megan Faraimo Used Self-Talk to Propel Her Softball Career 09.04.2025

Megan Faraimo, a professional softball pitcher for the Toyota Red Terriers in Japan and Team USA silver medalist, shared her journey with our Warriors in our October 2024 Mentorship Call. She provides powerful insights into how mental skills have shaped her successful career despite facing continued challenges at every level. Episode Highlights: • Uses reframing as her primary mental skill • Visua...

081: How to Start the Recruiting Process and Stand Out to College Coaches with Coach Carter 02.04.2025

We are re-airing a parent workshop with Coach Ashley Carter for this week's episode! She is a hitting coach for D1 Hampton University and a mental performance coach. She gives us the inside scoop on what she looks for in a collegiate athlete and answers questions about the college recruiting process. Episode Highlights: • Steps in the recruiting timeline • Create a list of potential colleges...

080: Why Finding the Right Fit Matters More Than Division with Maleah Andrews 26.03.2025

We are airing our Mentorship Call from last week with Maleah Andrews! She is a college softball standout who shares her journey from multi-sport high school athlete to record-breaking infielder and batter at Western Washington University. Episode Highlights: • Playing multiple sports develops skills that transfer between games • Communication matters when you get into a slump • Her decision to go...

079: When Mental Skills Become Your Secret Weapon as a Coach with Lindsey Wilson 19.03.2025

For this week's episode, I interviewed Lindsey Wilson, a former collegiate and professional basketball player turned mental performance coach! She gave us insight into her 20-year career and the impact mental skills training had on her athletics and beyond. Episode Highlights: • Practice concrete, actionable mental tools rather than vague concepts • Community is crucial for both athletes and...

078: How to Level Up Your Team with Mental Performance 12.03.2025

For this week's episode, Coach Kara and I provide an overview of our first in-person mental skills camp! Mental skills training is transforming softball, giving players the tools they need to handle the mental challenges of the game without their gloves or bats. During the camp, we had stations that covered how to catch negative thoughts, develop breathing techniques, create routines, and rec...

077: Inside the Omaha Stockmen’s Dynasty: How Mental Performance Fueled a 4-Peat 05.03.2025

For this week's episode, I host the Mather brothers and discuss their journey with the Omaha Stockmen. We dissect how mental skills strategies lead to enhanced gameplay and improved team cohesion. We discussed how these strategies helped pave the way for a 4th championship title. Episode Highlights: • The importance of mental performance coaching in a team setting • How they used mental strat...

076: How to Have a Hard Conversation with Your Daughter 26.02.2025

For this week's episode, I'm sharing a parent workshop I hosted during a previous Mental Skills Challenge Week! I dive into the vital need for effective communication between parents and young athletes. Focusing on tools and strategies that foster emotional safety, I provide insights on navigating tough conversations and building lasting connections. Episode Highlights: • Discussing the...

075: The Journey of a Small-Town Athlete to College Softball with Kelsey Gaston 19.02.2025

For this week's episode I got the opportunity to interview my former teammate and friend, Kelsey Gaston! Kelsey and I were teammates at Concordia University where she played in the infield. After graduating, Kelsey went on to go to PT school and is now a practicing physical therapist. Kelsey’s journey from competitive athlete to a fulfilled physical therapist highlights the complexities of at...

074: What It Takes to Be a College Athlete with Bella Norton 12.02.2025

We've got another archive Guest Speaker call we are sharing with you today! In 2020 Bella Norton a catcher for the University of Indiana came and shared her story with our warriors. Her story highlights the significance of mental resilience and teamwork in sports. Through her struggles and triumphs, Bella teaches that identity is rooted in character, not merely performance statistics.  Episod...

073: Embracing Your Identity Beyond Softball with McKenzie Long 05.02.2025

We reached way back to 2020 in our guest speaker files to share this awesome conversation with former Michigan State Spartan, McKenzie Long. In this episode, Kenzie shares her journey of identity transformation after serious injuries sidelined her athletic career at Michigan State. Through challenges, faith, and community support, she shares how she learned that worth is rooted in self, not perfor...

072: Mindset Myths Busted: Why I Don't Use the Term "Mental Toughness" 29.01.2025

This is the 5th installment in our "Mindset Myths" series. Today, I challenge the popular notion of "mental toughness," asserting that it often leads to emotional suppression and unrealistic expectations in athletes. I also share with you what term I use instead, and my reasoning around that decision. Episode Highlights: • Why I don't use the word mental toughness • The di...

071: Mindset Myths Busted: Stop Telling Your Athletes to Visualize Success 22.01.2025

On today's episode we bust the myth that our athletes need to "visualize success." We discuss the varying abilities of athletes to visualize, the importance of tailoring techniques to individual learning styles, and how coaches can better prepare their teams. Episode Highlights: • Debunking the myth about instant visualization success • Comparing the learning process of mental skill...

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