Have you been on the fence about investing in mental training for your athlete daughter? Do you wonder if it will actually be worth it?

Mental training is an investment for both you and your daughter, but it’s an investment that has significant payoff and impact throughout her sports journey, your journey with her, and for life after sports.

Today, we’re joined by two members of the Elite Competitor community, sports mom Kourtney and her volleyball player daughter, Danika. They share more about how the investment of mental training has paid off for them in both the short term and the long term. Mental training has not only helped Danika on her sports journey, but the investment has also benefited Kourtney as her mom, and other moms and daughters on Danika’s team.

Kourtney + Danika’s Backstory

Kourtney desires to be a cycle breaker. She describes that she was raised in a home where she felt like she could never do anything right, no matter how hard she tried. As a mom now herself, it’s really important to her that her daughters aren’t raised in the same way she was.

Before starting the Elite Competitor Program, Danika describes that she struggled with her mindset when it came to playing volleyball. If she would make a mistake while playing, it would cause her mind to spiral into thoughts such as, “I can’t do anything right” or, “I’m never going to be good at this.” She explains that she wasn’t confident in herself and couldn’t see her way out of these thoughts.

Kourtney shares that from her perspective, she could tell Danika was struggling to get past mistakes. She saw Danika pouring her heart and soul into her sport, but she would get stuck in a negative mindset. Kourtney talks about how hard it was to watch her daughter go through this as her mom. She didn’t want to see Danika fall out of love with the sport because she couldn’t get past a few mistakes. She could see all of the hard work that Danika was pouring into her training, but Danika could only see the negatives.

What Kourtney + Danika Have Learned

After starting the Elite Competitor Program, Danika shared that she started to notice a difference in her mindset when she made a mistake. Her mindset became much more positive, and she started to tell herself things like, “I got the next one” and “I’m a good player, I can do this.” Danika shares that her favorite part about the program was learning helpful breathing methods and how to slow down when she starts to feel stuck in a spiral.

Kourtney shares that once they started the program, she noticed that Danika’s level of self confidence significantly grew. She even saw a difference in her stature and the way she played. She was much more positive, she cheered on her teammates, and she kept her head up throughout the game.

Kourtney mentioned that even though they’ve completely gone through the program once already, they continue to talk about what they’ve learned and they go back to their ECP work frequently to reference it and to get a refresher. Just like physical skills, mental training skills need practice and repetition too. If you don’t use it, you lose it!

Takeaways

Danika explains that going through the Elite Competitor Program with her mom has brought them much closer. She shares that when she would get frustrated while playing her sport, her mom would get upset, too. But after going through the program together, their approach to athletics is much more calm, and they encourage each other to remember and practice the mental training skills they’ve learned.

If Danika was talking to an athlete who was considering jumping into the program, she would tell them that they can trust the process. In the beginning, Danika didn’t understand how the program work would help her and boost her confidence, but after she completed the program she was much more confident and her overall mentality was more positive.

And if Kourtney was talking to a parent who was on the fence about the program, she would encourage them to jump in sooner rather than later. She shares that she has previously spent so much time, money, and energy on her daughter’s physical training, but the investment in the mental side of the game isn’t always prioritized by parents, coaches, or athletes. But after jumping into the program herself, she is extremely glad she made the investment.

Kourtney + Danika, we are so grateful to have you both in the community! We’re so proud of you both for all the hard work you’ve put in, thank you for opening up and sharing your experience with us.

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Helpful Links:

• Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.
• Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms – How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

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