Prepping for Rivalry Games: Mental Game Hacks for Coaches

⚡️Rivalry week exposes cracks—don’t let “pressure moments” decide the game. Build real mental toughness fast. Grab the free training → https://coachfreetraining.com
 
Rivalry games feel bigger—for athletes and for us as coaches. In this episode, I share the exact coaching strategies I use to normalize the moment, run game-like practices, and install simple mental prep tools (like a SnapBack routine and short visualization) so your high school athletes perform under pressure instead of crumbling.
 
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. 💜🏐
 
You’ll learn:
How to normalize big games (“just another turkey dinner”) so nerves don’t hijack execution
3 costly mistakes coaches make in rivalry games (over-hyping, over-coaching, ignoring the mental side)
The SnapBack routine to recover from mistakes and get back to peak performance fast
Visualization that actually works (2 minutes, sport-specific cues, pre-competition scripts)
Practice design tweaks for big games: score flips, timed constraints, loud-gym simulation, fatigue reps
The most important mental skill: adaptability—and how to train it daily with 3-2-1 BRAVE ✍️
What to do about social media noise + keeping your team aligned with program values 💬  

🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction to Rivalry Week
01:28 The Pressure of Rivalry Games
02:44 Common Coaching Mistakes
06:32 Mental Game Hacks
08:01 Training for Pressure Situations
09:34 The Importance of Adaptability
14:21 Visualization Techniques
15:21 Final Tips and Conclusion
 
Rivalry games and big games don’t raise your team to the occasion—they drop to the level of their mental preparation. Use these sports psychology tools to build confidence, improve mental performance, and turn pressure into your team’s advantage. 🚀
 
📢 Coaches—comment below: What’s one pressure scenario you’ll script into practice this week? 👇
 
📌 Free Tools & Next Steps
🔹 Grab our in-depth FREE training → https://coachfreetraining.com
🔹 Follow us on IG → @elitecompetitorcoach
🔹 Follow us on TikTok→ @coachhergame
 
🔔 Subscribe for More → Never miss an episode of Coach Her Game!

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