How to Build a Mentally Tough Team (Without Adding More to Your Plate)

Most girl athletes know what to do—so why do they freeze in pressure moments? 🧠 Learn how to build mental toughness fast → https://coachfreetraining.com

In this episode, we’re breaking down exactly how to develop mentally tough teams (without adding hours to your coaching plate). Whether your team crumbles under pressure, hesitates after mistakes, or just can’t consistently bring their best game—this one's for you.

I'm Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long time head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion. 🏆

🎙 This conversation first aired on the Coaching Culture Podcast hosted by JP Nerbun and Betsy Butterick, where I was a guest sharing our plug-and-play mental training system built specifically for middle and high school girl athletes. We discuss real-life coaching struggles, why the mental game is often the missing piece, and how to easily implement sport psychology into your team culture without sacrificing time.

🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction to Coach Bre and The Elite Competitor
01:33 Coach Bre's Personal Athletic Journey
04:31 The Turning Point: From Athlete to Coach
05:41 Developing Mental Performance Programs
09:39 The Importance of Parental Involvement
11:51 Real-Life Parenting Scenarios
17:07 Addressing the Inner Critic
18:32 Coaching Strategies for Mental Resilience
19:43 Adjusting Positivity: A Realistic Approach
20:09 Coaching Under Pressure: Handling Athlete Stress
21:38 Preloading Skills for Better Coaching
22:50 The Snapback Routine: A Failure Recovery System
25:09 Training Mental Skills in Low-Stakes Environments
27:36 Coaches' Emotional Regulation
31:32 Impact of Mental Training on Parenting
34:13 Introducing the Elite Mental Game Course

🎯 You'll learn about:

• Use sport psychology to build confident, mentally resilient girl athletes
• Train mental toughness with short, simple routines your players will actually use
• Coach the psychology of elite athletes in bite-sized ways
• Leverage a proven mental training program that’s designed by coaches, for coaches
• Create a winning coaching culture using growth mindset tools
• Engage your team with mental performance work that translates to peak performance
• Get athletes to take ownership, bounce back faster, and play more freely under pressure

✨ If you’ve ever thought…

• “I don’t have time for mental training”
• “I’m not a sports psychologist!”
• “I want tools that are simple, not fluffy…”

This episode will change the game for you!

👇 Coaches—comment below: What’s the #1 mindset challenge your team struggles with?

📌 Resources & Next Steps

• Grab our in-depth free training → https://coachfreetraining.com
• Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
• Plug & Play Elite Mental Game Info → https://elitecompetitor.com/plugplayemg

Let’s redefine what it means to be a mentally tough team—starting now. 💥

Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!