Thrive Under Pressure
MENTAL PERFORMANCE COACHING FOR ATHLETES
Bounce Back Quickly
Play With Confidence
Find Your Flow
There was a time when you played with joy, freedom and confidence,
but now…
You’re tense, worried about mistakes and indecisive.
You find yourself wondering, ‘Do I have what it takes?’
You’re trying to ‘get out of your head’ but don’t know how.
You’ve become very self-critical and sometimes feel like an ‘imposter’.
You feel burned out, tired, and uninspired – like you’re just going through the motions.
You deserve to play with the joy & freedom you used to before the pressure to succeed became so big.
3 Strategies to Overcome Negative Self-Talk!
A guide for athletes to rise above their inner
critic and play with freedom & confidence
Learn how to take charge of your mindset, and gain the mental edge.
Reclaim control and play with freedom and confidence again!
Reconnect with your love of your sport
Move from 'overthinking' to confident action
See difficulties as challenges instead of threats
Bounce back quickly from mistakes
Overcome performance anxiety
Learn to manage your inner-critic
I was in your shoes…
I understand firsthand the pressures of competitive sports. I grew up playing high level club soccer and played Division I collegiate soccer at Columbia University in New York. As a professor at Mars Hill University teaching Sports Psychology, I teach mental training techniques and help the athletes I work with to implement them effectively.
As a mental performance coach, I have worked with athletes of all kinds to help them overcome the psychological barriers that are holding them back – team sports, such as baseball, soccer and basketball, and individual sports, such as cross country, track, and mountain biking.
3 Steps to Get Back in the Flow
02
Choose a coaching package that fits your goals
03
Play with freedom and joy!
"But....," you might be saying,
“The pressure is really intense. I don’t think you understand how high the expectations are for me. It’s impossible to enjoy playing anymore.”
It’s not easy to find the joy in playing again when the stakes are high, but it’s very possible and well worth the effort. It’s a mindset – it’s not dependent on results or performance. The stakes getting higher is all the more reason to tend to the mental part of your game.
“I can’t help thinking about messing up. I’m not trying to! I just get ‘in my head’ when things start to go badly.”
Trying to not think about it or attempting to block out negative thoughts doesn’t tend to work, at least not sustainably. My approach will help you enjoy your sport and perform consistently, despite the (normal) nagging, negative thoughts that most athletes experience – some periodically, some more consistently.
“My coaches and teammates don’t buy into all this mental toughness training stuff.”
This process is for you. Let your play and your demeanor speak for itself. If you choose to share about it, feel free, but that’s your decision.
“Sometimes I wonder if I really have what it takes.”
Everyone wonders that at times, even the greatest athletes and performers. Abraham Lincoln nearly didn’t go into politics because of his intense fear of speaking in front of people. His speech, The Gettysburg Address, is seen as one of the most influential speeches of all time! You get to choose how much attention you give to that thought. Don’t let it keep you small! Don’t let it hold you back from going for it!
“I just need to practice and train more. If I improve and work out a few of the kinks, then I’ll feel more confident.”
There’s no doubt that preparation helps increase confidence and decrease performance anxiety. However, too much preparation can lead to burnout, fatigue or injury. So much of sports are mental (up to 90% by some estimations), especially as you get to higher and higher levels where everyone is talented. Train the mind ‘muscles’ as well as the physical ones, and you will be a much more well-rounded, resilient, confident athlete.
Here’s what athletes I’ve worked with have to say:
“
Andrew helped provide and guide me through methods to deal with anxiety and pressure which contributed to positive effects of slowing the game down, performing better, and more enjoyment. He also assisted in shifting my perspective that I am not identified based on my stats/performance but who I am as a person by establishing the idea of person > player which gave me a better outlook on my struggles as a baseball player and propelled me to bounce back from a negative moment.
– Collegiate Baseball Player
“
Because of the help I received, I was able to overcome my performance anxiety and mental boundaries that blocked me from doing my best. It helped me realize that my mistakes don’t reflect how good I am, rather my response to them and how hard I work no matter the circumstances. Now I am able to play freely and without limits and it is so much more enjoyable.
– Collegiate Soccer Player
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