“That elbow rub, that arm on the shoulder, how are you, that connection… that’s the stuff that keeps them coming back for more.” Today’s guest is one of the most powerful hitters and solid catchers to ever grace our sport. She’s a 3-time Olympic medalist, World Cup Champion, 2-time World Championship winner & 2-time Pan-American […] The post Control the controllables & get back to basics | Stacey Nuveman-Deniz [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Feb 11, 2019•42 min
“You can love your kids, you can grow them as people, AND you can push them on the ball field to be the best skill player they can be.” Today’s guest is one of the most well-known coaches in our sport, not only for her success on the field, but also for her willingness to […] The post On and off the field player development | Lonni Alameda [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Feb 04, 2019•24 min
“In the grind of it, it’s paying attention to THEM and getting a feel for what they need and how they’re responding.” Today’s guest is one of our sport’s top coaches, known for her attention to detail, focus on the fundamentals, and willingness to share her expertise with other coaches. She’s been invited to speak […] The post Ownership molds a program | Larissa Anderson [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Jan 28, 2019•31 min
“I think insecure coaches tend to pound their chest and be more matter of fact that this is the right way to do it.” Today’s guest is not only a coach, but he has also played fastpitch himself at the highest levels. After a successful career in the minor leagues, he discovered fastpitch and went […] The post How to be humble at work as a big time DI coach | Kerry Shaw [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Jan 21, 2019•35 min
“How they treat each other matters and it will affect their performance in games when they are FOR EACH OTHER.” Today’s guest is a well-respected coach at the Division III level and has used her Sport Psychology degree to build a very successful program. Her team has never finished in the bottom half of the […] The post Team players play for each other| Mary VandeHoef [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Jan 14, 2019•31 min
“The most powerful communication that we have is how we LIVE .” Today’s guest is a coach, speaker and author who works with adolescent girls, helping them become more confident, brave and impactful. She has helped players, teams and coaches all over the country learn what it takes to become the leader you’ve always dreamt […] The post How you do anything is how you do everything | Jenn Starkey [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Jan 07, 2019•44 min
“To act without an expectation of the outcome is to act with complete clarity.” Today’s guest is a coach to adolescent boys and a promoter of confidence, health and joy. He simply wants to help people reach more of what they deserve…fun, companionship, health, wealth or even adventure by listening, talking and pushing their mental […] The post How to build confidence and self-esteem | Dale Hancock [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Dec 24, 2018•40 min
“It’s hard to bring out the best in your players when you’re only seeing a small piece of who they are.” Today’s guest is one of the members of our newly formed Dream Team! If you haven’t heard us mention it on social media, we have joined forces with some amazing people to help bring […] The post Talk less, listen more | Stacie Mahoe [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Dec 17, 2018•35 min
“There’s a drill and packet for everything else- why not mental game?” Today we bring back a fan favorite: Emily Stanley of Berry College! We’re getting back to interviews again, and we’ve brought back the amazing Emily Stanley! We were chatting after our first episode with her and talking about how she creates workout packets […] The post Softball workouts for conditioning the mind | Emily Stanley [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Dec 10, 2018•36 min
“Without a strong culture, it’s difficult to do anything.“ This is the final installment of our 7Cs series- a bonus C! Today we talk about Culture. No matter what you do with your team- amazing drills, fun team building exercises, even mental training- none of it will create lasting success without a strong foundation of […] The post Team culture needs a strong foundation [7Cs] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Dec 03, 2018•19 min
“If you play how you practice, then you’d better practice with a purpose.” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Consistent. There will always be ups and downs, but those who are prepared and have purposeful routines experience those dramatic downs […] The post Consistency in performance is built in practice [7Cs] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Nov 26, 2018•25 min
“Leave it all out on the field!” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Courageous. Being courageous does not mean never having any fears or self-doubt. It means recognizing those fears and either letting them go or finding your way past them. […] The post Fear of failure can be overcome with courage [7Cs] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Nov 19, 2018•24 min
“If you lose focus for just one play, it could feel like it cost you the game” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being in Control. Control is about focusing on the things that matter and letting the rest go. It’s not […] The post Concentration in sports begins with what’s in your control [7Cs] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Nov 12, 2018•32 min
You shouldn’t need to say, “Somebody needs to step up.” The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Composed. Composure is about managing your emotions and energy. It’s not about pushing your feelings aside or trying to pretend you’re not nervous. It’s about […] The post How to remain calm under pressure [7Cs] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Nov 05, 2018•25 min
Emotions are dramatic. But we can decide how to deal with them. The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Confident. We say there are two types: feeling confident which is based on emotions and goes up and down on a whim versus true confidence which is an inner belief that you are capable of great things. We also discuss What it looks like when players and teams are truly confident What it looks like when they aren't confid...
Oct 15, 2018•31 min•Ep. 25
When they’re all-out diving, cheering each other on, and having fun, with that fearless attitude… that’s the best kind of competitive! The series continues where we discuss the traits of the BEST teams and players: the 7Cs! Today we talk about being Competitive. We define it as developing a winning mindset by focusing on the […] The post Competitive mindset training is all about balance [7Cs] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Oct 08, 2018•26 min
Instead of asking "how do I motivate my players?" you would be better served to focus on how to improve commitment. Motivation is often based on how they feel, but commitment is a skill. And skills can be worked on and improved! Today we discuss what being Committed is all about. We talk about what it looks like when players are and aren't committed, what we coaches can do to help or hurt commitment, and some more specific tips on how to improve commitment and mental toughness. After listening t...
Oct 01, 2018•27 min
“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 [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Sep 24, 2018•27 min
“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 role of a coach is to understand | Chrissy Semler [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Sep 17, 2018•37 min
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] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Sep 10, 2018•33 min
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 Your Comfort Zone | Josh Johnson [INT] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Sep 03, 2018•32 min
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] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Aug 27, 2018•36 min
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 Sweet Spot ....
Aug 23, 2018•40 min
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 Sweet Spot ....
Aug 20, 2018•30 min
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 all into practice, blending mental and physical * Making adjustments mid-season and * Working through...
Aug 13, 2018•24 min
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 .
Aug 06, 2018•24 min
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 […]
Jul 30, 2018•30 min•Ep. 13
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 first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Jul 23, 2018•31 min•Ep. 12
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 practice | Week 10 [MHS] appeared first on Mental Sweet Spot ....
Jul 23, 2018•25 min•Ep. 11
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 […]
Jul 22, 2018•17 min•Ep. 10
