If you’re a sports mom and your daughter is suddenly freezing up during practice or competition – even though she’s done the skill a hundred times before – you’re not alone.

It can be confusing and frustrating to watch. You may think, “She used to do this with no problem! Why won’t she just do it now?”

Today, we’re breaking down exactly what mental blocks are, how to know if that’s what your daughter is going through, and what you can actually do to help her. I’ll also walk you through three powerful tools that can make a big difference.

What Is a Mental Block?

A mental block happens when an athlete can physically do a skill, but mentally, something is stopping her.

For example:

✅ A gymnast who can’t go backward on the beam anymore.

✅ A soccer player who suddenly won’t take the shot.

✅ A volleyball player who hesitates and tips the ball instead of going for a strong hit.

These aren’t about ability. They’re about fear; fear of getting hurt, fear of failing, or fear of embarrassment. Sometimes it’s about pressure to perform well or the fear of letting someone down. Whatever the case, it’s the brain’s way of saying, “Hold up! This doesn’t feel safe.”

In fact, research from Dr. Sian Beilock, a cognitive scientist and author of Choke, shows that pressure and fear can block the brain from accessing skills the athlete already knows. In other words, she knows what to do. She just can’t get her brain and body to work together in that moment.

Tool #1: Normalize It (Don’t Shame It)

The first thing you can do as a parent is to normalize what your daughter is going through. Mental blocks happen to a lot of athletes. In fact, some of the best athletes in the world have experienced them, like Simone Biles.

Your job is to create a safe space, not add more pressure. That means not bribing her to “just get over it.” Not comparing her to her old self. Not pushing her to hit a deadline for when she has to “be better.”

You may think you’re helping by saying something like, “If you get this skill back by next week, I’ll buy you a new outfit.” But that only adds stress. Your daughter already knows she’s struggling. She wants to fix it. Adding a reward or deadline can actually make things worse.

Instead, remind her that this is a normal part of the sport journey. Let her know she’s not broken or weak. Say things like:

“This happens to lots of athletes.”

“It doesn’t mean something is wrong with you.”

“We’ll figure it out together.”

When she feels seen instead of pushed, her nervous system can relax, and a calm brain is much more coachable.

Tool #2: Build a Bridge, Not a Leap

Here’s the second tool: build a bridge, don’t expect a leap.

When your athlete has a block, she’s standing at one end of the bridge, and the full skill is all the way on the other side. Expecting her to jump across in one try? That’s too much. 

Instead, help her build the bridge slowly, one step at a time.

That might look like:

✅ Doing drills instead of the full skill

✅ Getting spotted by a coach

✅ Practicing smaller parts of the skill

✅ Using mental tools like visualization

Visualization is a powerful one. Research shows that when athletes imagine themselves doing a skill, it helps their brain feel more ready and confident to do it in real life.

Even Simone Biles took this approach. After her mental block during the Olympics, she didn’t jump right back into her full routines. She started with simple drills and built back up.

So, if your daughter keeps trying the skill over and over and just can’t get it, maybe she needs to slow down and take a different route. Help her find those small wins that build trust between her brain and her body again.

Tool #3: Train the Mind (Not Just the Body)

Most athletes spend hours on physical training but ignore mental skills, until a block hits. Here’s how to help her strengthen her mindset:

✅ Breathwork for Calm. Shallow breathing fuels anxiety. Teach her to breathe in deeply for 4 seconds (filling the belly, not just the chest), hold for 4 seconds, then exhale slowly for 6 seconds. This simple pattern triggers the body’s natural “calm down” response, helping her nervous system reset during stressful moments. Practice this together before practices or competitions until it becomes automatic.

✅ Shift Negative Thoughts. Thoughts like “I’ll never get this” become limiting beliefs if they’re not challenged. Teach her to first notice unhelpful thoughts (“I’m scared I’ll fall”), then consciously reframe them (“I’ve done this before; I’ll start small and build up”). This thought-stopping technique prevents temporary doubts from becoming permanent mental barriers. The key is catching these thoughts early, before they take root.

✅ Daily Visualization. Have her spend just 2 minutes daily closing her eyes and vividly imagining herself performing the skill perfectly; feeling strong, smooth, and completely confident. This mental rehearsal activates the same neural pathways as physical practice, effectively reprogramming her brain for success. Our Elite Mental Game athletes combine this with their physical training for maximum results.

Pro Tip: Consistency matters most with mental training. Just 5 minutes daily of these techniques creates more lasting change than one long session per week. The mind learns through repetition, just like the body does.

A Real-Life Example: Lauren and Lila

One mom in our community, Lauren, recently shared her story. Her daughter Lila was dealing with a mental block in gymnastics. They joined our Elite Mental Game program, and Lauren said this:

“I feel like a cloud is lifting. It’s like Lila from before the block is coming back. She’s enjoying herself again. She’s more in control of her emotions. There’s so much progress, not just physically, but mentally.”

And guess what? Lila did work through her block. But this time, it didn’t happen overnight. It was slow, steady, and intentional. That’s what real progress looks like.

The Big Picture: Progress Over Perfection

The biggest takeaway? Mental blocks aren’t fixed by pushing harder or “just doing it.” They’re emotional. They come from fear, pressure, and stress. So they need to be handled with patience, understanding, and small steps.

Here’s a quick recap of the three tools:

✅ Normalize it. Let her know this is normal and she’s not broken.

✅ Build a bridge. Break the skill down and take it one step at a time.

✅ Focus on what she can do. Celebrate progress, not perfection.

And remember: this isn’t just about the sport. These tools will help your daughter grow in confidence and resilience far beyond the field or gym.

Mental blocks aren’t the end of the road. They’re just one more challenge your daughter can overcome with the right support.

If this article helped you, consider sharing it with another sports parent. And if you’re looking for deeper support, check out our Elite Mental Game program, where moms and daughters grow stronger together.

Episode Highlights: 

[00:00:00] The Heartbreak of Mental Blocks. That gut-wrenching moment when your athlete freezes mid-skill – even though she’s done it perfectly a hundred times before. If you’ve ever thought “Just do it!” in frustration, this episode is for you.

[00:01:05] A Mom’s Breakthrough Story. Hear Lauren’s emotional text about her daughter Lila’s transformation – how she went from frozen with fear to enjoying gymnastics again through our Elite Mental Game program.

[00:02:36] What Mental Blocks REALLY Are. They’re not about ability; it’s when the brain literally locks access to skills due to perceived threats (embarrassment, failure, or physical danger). Science calls this “choking.”

[00:04:23] Tool 1: Normalize, Don’t Shame. Why bribes (“I’ll buy you shoes if you land this by Friday!”) backfire, and how validation helps calm the nervous system for better progress.

[00:07:00] Tool 2: Build a Bridge, Not a Leap. The step-by-step method to rebuild skills through drills, spotting, and visualization; small wins tell the brain “This is safe” again.

[00:09:31] The Smoothie Glass Analogy. How negative thoughts become concrete-like beliefs if left unchallenged (and how to “clean the glass” daily before they harden).

[00:13:21] Tool 3: Train the Mind Daily. The 3-minute “BRAVE” method combining breathwork + visualization that helps athletes in our program break through blocks.

[00:16:29] Action Plan Recap. Normalize the struggle 2) Break skills into tiny steps 3) Practice mental training daily. Plus, where to get our free parent training.

[00:17:43] Final Encouragement. Mental blocks are temporary – with these tools, your athlete will come out stronger. “The block didn’t break her; it taught her how to fight.”

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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