What to Say to Your Athlete After a Bad Game (Avoid This Mistake)
19/03/2026 | 10 mins.
In this episode, I explain what to say to your athlete after a bad game and how the wrong conversation can actually hurt their confidence moving forward. I break down how criticism increases fear and pressure, why athletes struggle to move on from poor performances, and how you can guide them to bounce back faster.
🧠 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: If your athlete struggles with confidence, pressure, or letting one bad game turn into many, I work with athletes through my 12-week one-on-one mental performance coaching program.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn: When to talk to your athlete after a bad game Why criticism can increase fear and lower confidence How to shift their focus to effort, attitude, and controllables How to talk about mistakes in a way that builds confidence How to help them learn from mistakes without overthinking Why separating identity from performance is so important
🧠 If you want to strengthen your mental game and work directly with me, you can learn more about my personalized 1-on-1 mental performance coaching program here: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching
👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!
👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course
📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN
📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY
Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make
*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.
Why Trying too Hard Hurts Athletic Performance
18/03/2026 | 9 mins.
In this episode, I explain why trying too hard during games can actually hurt your performance. I break down how pressure leads to forcing outcomes, how that creates tension and slows reaction time, and the mindset shift you need to make to play freely and perform at your best in competition.
🧠 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: If you struggle with overthinking during games, feeling tense under pressure, or playing worse in competition than you do in practice, I work with athletes through my 12-week one-on-one mental performance coaching program. Together, we build the mental skills needed to trust your instincts, stay present, and perform freely in high-pressure moments.
🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn: Why trying to force results leads to worse performance How pressure creates tension and blocks your natural ability The difference between effort and force during competition Why focusing on outcomes takes you out of the present moment How tension slows reaction time across all sports The mindset shift that helps you play freely and trust your instincts 🧠 If you want to strengthen your mental game and work directly with me, you can learn more about my personalized 1-on-1 mental performance coaching program here: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching
👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!
👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course
📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN
📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY
Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make
*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.
3 Reasons Athletes Play Great in Practice But Struggle in Games
17/03/2026 | 11 mins.
In this episode, I explain why athletes often play great in practice but struggle in games. I break down the three biggest mental reasons this happens—fear of making mistakes, overthinking with a practice mindset, and trying to over-control performance. I also share a simple mental shift you can use to start performing more freely and confidently in competition.
🧠 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: If you struggle with overthinking, fear of mistakes, or performing worse in games than in practice, I work with athletes through my 12-week one-on-one mental performance coaching program. Together we build confidence, reduce performance anxiety, and help you trust your instincts so you can perform freely under pressure.
In this episode you’ll learn: • Why fear of making mistakes causes athletes to hold back in games • How a “practice mindset” leads to overthinking during competition • Why trying to control performance actually makes it worse • The difference between thinking and trusting during competition • A simple way to be more present and perform freely in games 🧠 If you want to strengthen your mental game and work directly with me, you can learn more about my personalized 1-on-1 mental performance coaching program here: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching
👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!
👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course
📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN
📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY
Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make
*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.
Why One Mistake Leads to More Mistakes in Sports
16/03/2026 | 9 mins.
In this episode, I explain why one mistake during a game often leads to many more mistakes. I break down the mental reaction that causes this snowball effect and share a simple reset technique athletes can use to stop mistakes from spiraling and return to confident performance. ' 🧠 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes If you struggle with overthinking, negative self-talk, or losing confidence after mistakes, I work with athletes through my 12-week one-on-one mental performance coaching program. Together we build confidence, reduce performance anxiety, and develop the mindset needed to compete freely under pressure.
In this episode you’ll learn: Why one mistake often leads to many more during competition How negative self-talk and fear cause mistakes to snowball Why overthinking and trying to “force” good performance makes things worse A simple mental reset routine athletes can use after mistakes
Additional resources:
Mentally Reset During Games: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/focus-training-for-sports/how-to-mentally-reset-during-games/ 🧠 If you want to strengthen your mental game and work directly with me, you can learn more about my personalized 1-on-1 mental performance coaching program here: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching
👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!
👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course
📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN
📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY
Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make
*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.
Why Athletes Lose Confidence After One Mistake
13/03/2026 | 7 mins.
In this episode, I explain why athletes lose confidence after one mistake and why a single error can cause negative thinking, fear, and hesitation during competition. I also share a simple mental reset strategy athletes can use to regain focus and prevent one mistake from turning into many more.
🧠 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes
If you struggle with confidence dropping after mistakes, negative self-talk, or fear of making another error during games, I work with athletes around the world through my 12-week one-on-one mental performance coaching program. Together we build confidence, reduce performance anxiety, and develop the mindset needed to perform freely during competition.
In this episode you’ll learn: • Why athletes lose confidence after one mistake • How negative thinking causes confidence to drop during games • Why fear of making another mistake leads to hesitation • How one mistake can snowball into multiple mistakes • A simple mental reset strategy to regain focus during competition
Additional Resources: Mental Reset Between Plays: https://youtu.be/YhkU84JxJJY
Fear of Failure in Sports Guide: https://www.successstartswithin.com/sports-psychology-articles/fear-of-failure-in-sports/overcome-fear-of-failure-in-sports/ 🧠 If you want to strengthen your mental game and work directly with me, you can learn more about my personalized 1-on-1 mental performance coaching program here: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching
👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!
👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course
📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN
📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY
Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make
*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.
The Sports Psychology Coaching Podcast by Eli Straw is a mental training podcast for athletes, competitors, coaches, and performers who want to improve confidence, focus, and performance under pressure. This podcast teaches practical sports psychology strategies to help athletes overcome fear of failure, performance anxiety, overthinking, and loss of confidence after mistakes so they can trust their training and compete freely.Each episode covers key mental performance topics, including:• Sports psychology and mental training for athletes• How to build confidence in sports• Overcoming performance anxiety and pressure• Trusting your training and competing without fear• Focus, composure, and mental toughness in competition• Letting go of overthinking and perfectionism• Visualization, mindfulness, and present-moment performance• How to perform consistently in games, races, and competitionsHosted by mental performance coach Eli Straw, this podcast provides simple, practical mental game coaching used with athletes from youth to elite levels. Learn how to stop playing scared, compete with freedom, and unlock your true performance.If you’re an athlete, parent, or coach looking for sports psychology tips, mental toughness training, and performance mindset strategies, this podcast will help you build the mental skills needed to perform at your best when it matters most.*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist.
Ireland