How to Help Your Athlete Thrive Under Pressure (Not Crumble!)
Pressure. Every athlete feels it—the butterflies before the big game, the sweaty palms before the free throw, that moment when everything’s on the line.
In this week’s episode, Coach Saylor helps athletes flip the script on pressure. Instead of letting it crush them, she shows how to use it as fuel. With practical tips, fun analogies, and easy mindset tools, she teaches how to become a reliable pressure player—the kind of athlete who performs when it counts.
💪 What It Means to Be a Pressure Player
A pressure player isn’t perfect. She’s adaptable, resilient, and able to bounce back after mistakes. She trusts her training and keeps her cool when the stakes are high.
Coach Saylor reminds listeners that thriving under pressure isn’t about never feeling nervous—it’s about learning to channel that energy into focus and confidence.
“You don’t rise to the occasion—you fall to the level of your training.”
That means the work your athlete does every day matters more than ever when the lights are on.
🌟 Real Athlete Win: Meet Asha
Before diving into the lesson, Coach Saylor shares a story from Asha, a teen athlete in The Elite Mental Game program.
After learning mental performance tools, Asha started to trust herself—especially after mistakes. She shared:
“Talking positively to myself is really helping me. Even when I mess up, I know I can get the next one.”
That quick recovery is what separates great athletes from good ones. And it’s exactly what today’s episode helps build.
🎯 Step 1: Redefine Pressure
The first mindset shift: Pressure is a privilege.
When your athlete feels pressure, it’s a sign she’s earned that moment. She’s worked hard, improved, and now gets the chance to show her skills. Pressure doesn’t mean danger—it means opportunity.
Encourage your daughter to say:
“I’m feeling pressure because I’ve earned this spot.”
This reframe turns nerves into something empowering.
🦃 Step 2: It’s Just Another “Turkey Dinner”
We’ve all made big moments too big. The championship game. The tryout. The playoff. Suddenly it feels like everything depends on it.
Coach Saylor uses a fun analogy from Coach Bre: it’s just another Turkey Dinner.
You can have turkey any time of year, but on Thanksgiving, we turn it into a big, formal event. It’s still turkey—it just feels bigger because we’ve decided it is.
Same with competition.
Your athlete can remind herself:
“It’s just another game.”
That mindset helps her stay grounded and focused, not overwhelmed by the stage.
🏋️ Step 3: Train Like It’s Game Day
Pressure moments reveal habits. When competition hits, we don’t magically rise—we perform how we’ve practiced.
So, athletes should:
- Bring intensity to practice.
- Simulate game-like situations.
- Add mini challenges—like keeping score or timing drills—to recreate pressure.
This helps them think, “I’ve been here before,” even when the game is on the line.
🧩 Step 4: Practice Pressure Before It Happens
Here’s a powerful exercise Coach Saylor recommends: scenario planning.
Have your athlete write down 2–3 moments that typically bring pressure.
Examples:
- Taking the final shot.
- Missing a key play.
- Starting off the bench.
Then, write how she wants to respond—her body language, thoughts, and energy.
When those moments come in real life, her brain will already know what to do.
“Don’t wait for pressure to happen. Prepare for it.”
🔥 Step 5: Find Your “Hype Number”
Every athlete has a unique energy level that helps them perform their best. Too calm, and they play flat. Too amped up, and they make rushed decisions.
Encourage your athlete to find her hype number—a 1–10 scale that reflects how energized she needs to be. Maybe she plays best at a 7: confident, alert, but not overhyped.
Then, she can use breathing, music, or visualization to reach that level before and during games.
⚡ Step 6: Stress Isn’t the Enemy
Here’s the good news: not all stress is bad.
A little stress (what scientists call “eustress”) actually boosts focus and performance. It’s what keeps athletes sharp.
Coach Saylor explains that the goal isn’t to eliminate nerves—it’s to find the sweet spot where stress becomes motivation instead of fear.
Remind your athlete:
“That jittery feeling? That’s your body saying, ‘I’m ready.’”
💬 Step 7: Talk Yourself Into Confidence
Pressure moments can be won—or lost—by what’s going on in your athlete’s head.
Instead of, “Don’t mess up,” she can choose empowering self-talk like:
- “I was made for this.”
- “Bring it on.”
- “I can trust my skills.”
- “I’ve done this before, and I can do it again.”
These mantras anchor her focus, calm her nerves, and remind her she’s capable.
🏁 Quick Recap: How to Be a Pressure Player
Coach Saylor wraps up the episode with a simple game plan:
- Reframe pressure as a privilege.
- Practice like it’s game day.
- Plan ahead for tough scenarios.
- Find your hype number and manage your energy.
- Use positive self-talk to fuel belief.
Pressure moments are inevitable—but with these tools, your athlete can rise instead of crumble.
💬 Final Thought for Moms
As a sports mom, you can help your daughter handle pressure by modeling calm, encouraging behavior. Celebrate her effort, not just the outcome.
When she feels the heat, remind her:
“You’ve worked for this. You’ve got this.”
Because pressure isn’t something to fear—it’s something to own.
🎧 Listen to the full episode: Be a Pressure Player in Competition on the Raising Elite Competitors Podcast to hear Coach Saylor’s full breakdown and simple mindset exercises your athlete can start using today.
Episode Highlights:
[00:00:00] Join Coach Saylor as she shares mindset tips to help athletes rise in high-pressure moments instead of crumbling. Learn how to trust your training and become the reliable “pressure player” your team can count on.
[00:01:11] Meet Asha, an athlete from The Elite Mental Game program, who shares how positive self-talk and quick recovery after mistakes helped her perform with confidence. Her win shows what’s possible when mental skills click into place.
[00:02:32] Coach Saylor reframes pressure with one powerful truth: “Pressure is a privilege.” Discover how those butterflies mean you’ve earned your moment to shine.
[00:03:42] Hear the fun and memorable “Turkey Dinner” analogy. Learn how athletes can stop turning big games into huge, stressful events and instead approach them like any other competition.
[00:04:24] Find out why athletes don’t actually rise to the occasion—they fall to the level of their training. Coach Saylor explains how bringing focus and intensity to practice sets you up to perform under pressure.
[00:05:40] Get ahead of pressure moments before they happen. Saylor walks athletes through a “scenario planning” exercise to help them visualize challenges and choose confident responses in advance.
[00:07:23] Discover the power of your “hype number.” Find out how maintaining the right energy level can help athletes perform their best—even when nerves kick in.
[00:08:43] Not all stress is bad! Coach Saylor breaks down how a little “good stress” can push athletes into their peak performance zone. Learn to use that energy instead of fighting it.
[00:09:22] Build confidence with empowering mantras like “I was made for this” and “I can trust my skills.” Saylor reminds athletes that their self-talk can make or break performance in pressure situations.
[00:10:27] Wrap up with key takeaways to help athletes rise under pressure: treat pressure as a privilege, make practice competitive, and remember—it’s just another opportunity to play the sport you love.
Next Steps:
- 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
- Visit our podcast website for more great episodes
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