Female Athlete Hub Why Do Girls Drop Out of Sport at Puberty, and What Can Coaches Do? You've coached her since she was ten. She loved it — first to practice, last to leave, played with a freedom you couldn't teach. Then somewhere around thirteen, something shifts. She's quieter. She hangs back. She starts finding reasons to miss practice, and the kid
sport psychology Why Does an Athlete Play Well in Practice but Not in Games? You've got an athlete who's one of your best in practice. Fluid, instinctive, makes the hard play look easy. Then game day comes and someone else shows up — tight, hesitant, a step slow, nothing like the player you see every Tuesday. It's one of
sport psychology How Can an Athlete Improve Focus During Competition? You can see the moment an athlete's focus goes. They're in it, reading the game, and then something pulls them out — a bad call, a parent in the stands, the score, a thought about the last mistake — and for a few possessions they're a
mental skills What Can a Coach Do to Build Resilience in Athletes? One athlete makes a mistake and you can see them metabolize it in about ten seconds — annoyed, then over it, already onto the next play. Another makes the same mistake and it follows them for the rest of the game, then into the car, then into the week. It'
sport psychology How Do I Build Confidence in an Athlete Who Doubts Themselves? You have an athlete who can do it in practice. You've seen it. They've seen it. And then they get to the game, or the tryout, or the big moment, and you watch the doubt take over — the hesitation, the "I'm not good
mental skills What Are the Most Common Mental Skills Gaps in Youth Athletes? You can see a missed tackle. You can see a dropped pass, a slow first step, a shot that sails wide. So that's what gets coached — the visible, physical things, over and over, because they're the things in front of you. The part you can'
sport psychology How Can an Athlete Manage Stress Before a Competition? It's the drive to the game. Your athlete has gone quiet in the back seat, or won't stop talking, or keeps asking to stop for the bathroom. The heart rate is up, the stomach is tight, and you can see them reading all of that as
sport psychology What Does Poor Mental Preparation Look Like in a Youth Athlete? You have an athlete who does everything right physically. They show up to practice, they put in the reps, the skills are there on a Tuesday. Then game day comes and you never quite know which version you'll get. One week they're locked in. The next
How Does Fear of Failure Show Up in Young Athletes? You have a player who used to try things. Took the risk, attempted the pass that might not work, drove into traffic. Lately they've gotten careful. They still work hard — maybe harder than anyone — but the daring is gone. They pass up the open shot. They stop improvising.
What Is My Competitive Athlete Not Telling Me? What is my competitive athlete not telling me? Your athlete is likely hiding struggles that don't fit sport's "toughness" narrative—perfectionism that extends to every area of life, using training as armor against feeling inadequate, or carrying the exhausting weight of being watched as
sport psychology How Do I Stop Thinking About Getting Injured Again? Stop intrusive injury thoughts by systematically rewiring your threat response through four cognitive techniques: naming the thought pattern to interrupt autopilot, reality-checking predictions with logged evidence, replacing fear thoughts with prepared mental cues, and building counter-evidence through progressive exposure. These work over 4-6 weeks with daily 5-
Why Am I So Scared to Play After My ACL Surgery? Re-injury fear after ACL surgery is a normal nervous system response, not weakness. Your brain remembers the original injury and scans for threat signals even after physical clearance. Female athletes experience 2-6 times higher re-injury fear than males due to biological factors including hormones, joint mechanics, and
Mental Performance Training for Young Female Athletes: A Starter Guide for Coaches Introduction Girls' sports have never been bigger. But the mental support for girls hasn’t kept up. By high school, a lot of sporty girls quietly step away—not because they stopped caring, but because the pressure, body image stuff, social drama, and constant judgment add up. This guide
mental skills The Secret Behind Elite Athletes: It's Not Mental Toughness Ever wonder why some elite athletes thrive under pressure while others crumble? The secret might not be what you think. It's not about being mentally tough, but something sports psychologists call "psychological flexibility." Sport performance psychologist and mental game expert, Alex Auerbach, shares insights into how
Why Do Some Athletes Perform Better Under Pressure Than Others? Two athletes on the same roster. Same talent, same reps, same coaching. The game tightens in the final minutes and one of them wants the ball — you can see it in how they move, asking for the moment. The other gets quiet, drifts to the corner, hopes the play goes
volleyball Mastering the Mental Game: High School to Club Volleyball Transition Guide The shift from high school to club volleyball brings significant mental and emotional adjustments for both athletes and their parents. While most athletes and families prepare for the obvious changes - like new schedules, different teammates, and increased competition levels - the mental and emotional challenges often catch people off guard. This
sport psychology Mindset Matters: The Key to Student Athlete Success For student-athletes, understanding and developing the right mindset can be crucial for success both in sports and academics. Defining Mindset A mindset is a set of beliefs that guide our perceptions, and subsequently, our actions. These beliefs are internalized from several sources, like: * Peers * Media * Parents * School and Youth
sport psychology Book Excerpt: Called to Greatness This is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Called to Greatness. Welcome to your handbook on high performance. This book is my endeavor to synthesize two parts of the human experience which have both fascinated me and informed my performance coaching philosophy: what allows humans to perform at their best
How Do I Help an Athlete Who Chokes Under Pressure? You've watched this athlete all season. The free throw is automatic in practice — they make it without thinking. Then the game is close, the gym goes quiet, and they step to the line. And you see it before the ball leaves their hands: the hesitation, the extra thought,
mental skills A Player’s Path to Athletic Excellence: Embracing the Monotony Imagine this: You're a high school athlete, passionate about your sport, and you dream of reaching the top. You see the glitz and glamour of professional sports on TV, the high-intensity performances, the world's best athletes. But what you don't see is the
Unveiling the Secrets of Super Champions: What Sets Them Apart? Imagine this: The year is 1992. The Olympics are on the horizon. Two decathletes, Dan O'Brien and Dave Johnson, are the faces of track and field. They've competed against each other in world championships, each having their moments of victory. Their rivalry breathes new life into
mental skills Unlocking the Mental Game: Insights from 400 Mettle Performance Assessments After nearly 400 Mettle Performance assessments, we have a valuable snapshot of the mental strengths and areas for improvement among young athletes. These insights are crucial for you, as a coach, aiming to develop not just skilled athletes, but well-rounded individuals. First, The Scores Here are the average scores
mental skills Embrace the Grind: Transforming Monotony into Motivation | For Youth Coaches Hey there, coach. Let's talk about something that doesn't make the highlight reels but is crucial to your team's success: the daily grind. You know, those repetitive drills and practices that can feel like Groundhog Day for your athletes. It's not the
