“Is mental training for my young athlete really worth it?”

Maybe your daughter’s been struggling with confidence, stress, or just not enjoying her sport like she used to. You’ve tried pep talks, advice, maybe even therapy but nothing seems to stick. Sometimes it even feels like it makes things worse. Sound familiar?

That’s exactly where Chris and Carlos were before their daughters joined the Elite Mental Game program. In this episode, they share their honest take on what the program was like, the skills their girls gained, and the changes they’ve seen both on the field and at home… and the results might surprise you.

When ‘Just Shake It Off’ Doesn’t Work

Chris has six kids, and her 15-year-old daughter was the one needing mental coaching. But it wasn’t working. “Every tournament, at some point, she would be in tears,” Chris said. “The pep talks that I was hoping would land, things like ‘shake it off’ and ‘you got the next one,’ only made things worse.”

She knew she needed help that wasn’t just pep talks. “I didn’t know there was any program out there that helped with the mom,” she said, so she searched for mental performance coaching not just for her daughter but for herself too.

After starting the program, Chris noticed, “This has been our most peaceful season yet. No meltdowns. Just a confident athlete who now uses her snapback routine and even applies the breathing twirls outside of sports.”

When the Sport You Love Starts to Feel Like a Burden

Carlos is a dad of three daughters, two gymnasts and one volleyball player. His oldest daughter was a level nine gymnast who suddenly disconnected from the sport she loved.

“We noticed something was not okay,” Carlos shared. “She went from being an amazing level three, level seven, level eight. Suddenly when she jumped to level nine, something happened, and she was disconnected.”

They tried everything including pep talks and therapy, but nothing worked. Finally, she told Carlos, “Please stop. This isn’t working.”

So, they gave the Elite Mental Game program a chance. Within weeks, Carlos said, “We have a different daughter, believe it or not, a different daughter at sports, at school, at home.”

His daughter even said, “I love my sport again.”

Making Mental Training Feel Like Just Another Thing, Not A Big Deal

Introducing mental training can be tricky with teens who might resist being told something’s wrong.

Chris tackled this by weaving it into their homeschool routine. “I presented it to her as just something I wanted to explore and add into our curriculum for the year, regarding mental health.”

She gave her daughter an out: “We were gonna both explore this for like two weeks, check it out, see if we felt like it had value, and then go from there.”

At first, her daughter was hesitant. But pretty soon, Chris said, “She just jumped in, and I don’t think I ever had to say, ‘Are you doing that?’ She just did it on her own.”

Carlos’ approach was to watch a presentation together and say, “If whatever I’m doing is not working, let’s try a different story. Give it a time for two weeks. If it is not working, you can stop.”

After watching, his daughter said, “Okay, yes, let’s give it a try.”

Real Tools Instead of Empty Encouragement

One of the biggest frustrations was hearing “just be confident” over and over.

Chris’ daughter was struggling. “She was like, ‘I’m trying to be confident, but I don’t know how,'” Chris explained. The program gave her the tools she needed. Chris said, “That was the magic button she needed. Not just being told, ‘just be confident.’”

Carlos’ daughter talked about the difference too. “She told me, ‘I’m not confident, but I trust myself. I’m trusting my progress, I believe in myself, I love myself.’ It’s not about being confident but trusting in yourself.”

How the Program Fits Into a Crazy-Busy Schedule

Time is tight for growing athletes.

Carlos’ daughter trains from 3 to 8 PM every day but still finds “15 to 30 minutes a day” to do the mental training. Some days, more if she can.

Chris’ daughter likes to organize her own time, often working on it during car rides. She probably spends about an hour a week on mental training and tries to catch the live Zoom calls.

Chris said, “She really likes that live Zoom.”

Live Calls and Text Support Are a Big Plus

One thing both parents loved was the live group coaching calls. Chris explained, “She comes off like pumped up, she’s excited. It makes a difference from when she jumps on to when she jumps off.”

There’s also coach-on-call texting for quick questions. Chris shared, “We had a really rough situation where I didn’t know what to do, so I texted and I got really great perspective that helped me process through it and manage it differently.”

Parents Learn Their Role Too

This program supports parents as much as athletes.

Chris felt stuck before. “I was really feeling like, ‘Man, I am really failing as a mom. Like I can’t figure this out’.” She found value in hearing from coaches and other parents, learning “there’s nothing wrong with me and I don’t need to fix things alone.”

Carlos echoed this. “I learned about my boundaries as a parent. I’m not the athlete, I’m not the coach. My role is to be support and guidance, not to act like an athlete.”

Carlos said his daughter uses the texting “every time she has a doubt or when she’s learning something and she’s not quite sure about how to use it,” and she “immediately does the texting. She got some good responses and she’s been using it a lot.”

This Is Different From Therapy or Other Programs

Chris had tried short mental performance programs with her daughter before but wanted something more comprehensive.

Carlos tried therapy, but his daughter felt like, she was in a ‘police interrogation’, doing this back and forth, answers and questions. She felt not okay.

He said, “We tried other things but nothing worked. This program is working, so we’re hands-on with this one now.”

Not Just for Sports: Useful for Other Performance Areas

Although designed for athletes, these skills also help performers in singing, theater, and debate.

One parent asked, “Do the tools help with jealousy dealing with difficult teammates or peers?”

The answer: yes. The program covers comparison and jealousy with bonus trainings addressing drama and tough relationships.

Getting Started Is Easy

Once your athlete signs up, they get a login and start with the warmup quiz. It’s self-paced and broken into bite-sized pieces.

Chris shared, “I printed out the workbook for her, and she makes notes and works on the modules as she likes.”

Parents get lifetime access to support groups and a private podcast for ongoing advice.

No Risk, Plenty of Reward

Both Chris and Carlos pointed out the two-week money-back guarantee as a key reason they felt comfortable signing up.

Chris said, “There’s really no risk. Like, just jump in for two weeks and give it a try. I imagine there aren’t many who leave.”

Carlos added, “The two weeks of trial was huge for us. If it’s not working, you can cancel and get a refund.”

Final Thoughts on Mental Training for Young Athletes

So, here’s the deal: mental training isn’t just about winning games or nailing the next play. It’s about helping young athletes actually trust themselves and stay calm when things get tough. It’s about giving them real tools to handle pressure instead of just telling them to “be confident” and hoping that sticks.

And it’s not just the athletes who get something out of it. Parents figure out how to step back a little, support better, and stop trying to fix every little thing. It changes how families handle the whole sports experience together.

Most importantly, it helps kids fall back in love with their sport. Instead of stressing about messing up or winning all the time, they learn to enjoy playing, growing, and having fun, both on and off the field.

If your kid’s been struggling with stress, confidence, or just feeling burned out, this kind of mental training might be exactly what your family needs to flip the script.

Episode Highlights: 

[00:00] Introduction to Real Parent Stories. Two parents share honest experiences about how the Elite Mental Game program helped their daughters overcome mental struggles in sports.

[00:01:00] Chris’s Daughter’s Mental Challenges. Chris talks about her 15-year-old volleyball player who used to break down in tears at tournaments and how traditional pep talks made things worse.

[00:01:30] Carlos’s Daughter Nearly Quitting Gymnastics. Carlos shares his daughter’s loss of confidence and how nothing was working until they joined the program.

[00:03:00] Why Parents Need Support Too. Chris explains how the program includes parents because how they communicate greatly affects the athlete’s confidence.

[00:06:00] Presenting the Program to Teens. Chris and Carlos discuss their approaches to getting their daughters on board without making it feel like something was wrong.

[00:08:30] First Changes Noticed: Confidence and Peace. Both parents describe seeing real confidence build and fewer emotional meltdowns as their daughters used the mental skills.

[00:10:00] Applying Tools Outside Sports. Chris’s daughter used breathing techniques before a debate and nailed it, showing mental skills transfer beyond athletics.

[00:12:30] Overcoming Mental Blocks and Shifting Mindset. Carlos shares how his daughter went from struggling with confidence to trusting herself and enjoying her sport again.

[00:22:00] How Mental Training Fits Busy Schedules. The parents describe how their daughters fit 15-60 minutes of mental training into their busy days, including during car rides and before practices.

[00:35:00] Importance of Live Group Calls and Coach Texting. Athletes benefit from live calls with coaches and peer interaction; parents value coach texting support for real-time advice.

[00:46:00] What Parents Gain from the Program. The program helps parents redefine their role, to support without over-coaching or pressuring, and improves family communication.

[00:52:00] Mental Training vs. Therapy and Other Programs. Carlos explains how previous therapy didn’t help but the practical, tool-focused approach of this program did.

[00:45:00] Program Applicability Beyond Sports. Though sport-centered, the skills also help with performing in theater, singing, and managing difficult teammates.

[00:58:00] Easy Getting Started and Lifetime Access. Athletes get clear, self-paced steps to begin, plus lifetime access to materials and parent support communities.

[00:55:00] 14-Day Risk-Free Trial Eases Joining. Both parents highlight how the no-risk trial helped them commit without fear.

[01:01:00] Recap: Building Trust, Confidence, and Joy. Mental training builds trusting self-confidence, equips for challenges, and helps athletes enjoy their sport, while parents learn effective support.

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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