If you could go back in time, what would you change? What message would you tell yourself? On this week's episode, I go down memory lane and share my love letter on 10 essential lessons I wish I knew during my college softball career.

Episode Highlights:

• Take the weight room seriously
• The Spotlight Effect
• Your relationship with coaches and teammates takes on new meaning when you understand their true motivations
• Listen to your mom's advice to have fun while playing
• Your dad pushes you because he cares deeply
• Mental skills matter
• Develop interests outside softball
• You are enough

If any of these lessons resonated with you, I'd love to hear your feedback! My DMs are open on Instagram, or leave a comment if you're watching on YouTube.

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

In today's episode, I am sharing a co-hosted parent workshop from 2021 with Coach Nicole Dennis, a mental performance coach, on growth mindset. We explore how understanding and developing a growth mindset can transform athletic performance, especially for young pitchers.

Episode Highlights:

• Creating awareness about fixed-mindset language and behaviors
• The power of "yet"
• Praising the process and effort rather than talent or natural ability
• Using intentional conversations to get curious about athletes' perspectives
• Celebrating failure in controlled environments to reduce fear

TED Talk: Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Dr. Carol Dweck

The Big Life Journal

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

This week, I am sharing our Mentorship Call from January with Jordan Roberts. She takes us on her journey with Coach Kara and our Warriors about how she went from a college catcher at the University of Florida to a professional player with Athletes Unlimited, revealing how mental performance tools transformed her game and life.

Episode Highlights:

• Key mental tools: journaling and breathwork
• Forging mental resilience through repeated exposure to challenges
• Value of creating an identity outside of softball
• The power of viewing pressure as a privilege rather than a burden
• Finding joy in the game after overcoming the fear of disappointing others

Connect with Jordan:

IG: @jojo_beans14

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

This week, I sat down with Lucinda Snyder, a mental performance coach, yoga, and mindfulness instructor. She reveals how mindfulness and meditation transform athletic performance and help teams win championships. She shares why she became a mental performance coach and the importance of teaching athletes to anchor themselves in the moment.

Episode Highlights:

• Mindfulness is a conscious choice
• Athletes need techniques to anchor themselves in the present
• Five minutes of mindfulness practice daily can change brain chemistry
• Mindfulness extends beyond sports into all areas of life

Connect with Lucinda:

IG: @peak_flow_

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

This week's episode takes you back to one of our mentorship calls from 2021 featuring Riley Sartain-Vaughan. She answers questions from our Fearless Warriors about Leadership and how she used mental skills during her time at Texas A&M and in the pros with This is Us Softball.

Episode Highlights:

• Succeeded through relentless effort and self-awareness
• Understanding your own unique strengths is crucial
• Intangibles that require zero talent: attitude, effort, and accountability
• Consistent daily actions that build trust and establish leadership credibility

Connect with Riley:

Instagram: @rileysartain

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

For this week's episode, Coach Kara interviewed her high school volleyball and softball coach, Marlie Davis. Coach Davis, better known as Coach D, shares her approach to mental skills training that helped shape athletes' mindsets long before it became mainstream in the sports world. Her 33-year coaching career across multiple sports reveals how implementing mental skills extends far beyond the playing field.

Episode Highlights:

• Daily affirmations require athletes to identify specific strengths
• Visualization sessions to help athletes "watch their own highlight reel"
• Goal-setting requires both dream goals and actionable plans
• Emphasizes the importance of letting athletes own their successes and failures
• Focuses on winning and losing "the right way" by emphasizing effort and process

Ready to discover where your team stands mentally and how you can help?

Take our Team Assessment. The results will give you detailed insights on areas for growth, where your players need more coaching from you, and how you can bridge the gap with real solutions!

Check out our Team Curriculum: https://www.fearlesswarriorprogram.com/team

Have questions? We'd love to chat with you more! Book a call with Coach Kara: https://fearlessfastpitch.as.me/team

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

In this week's episode, I interviewed Ellie Cooper, a former Florida State University (FSU) softball player and the Director of Player Performance for FSU's softball team. She shared her experiences from struggling college freshman to mental performance coach and how the mental game transformed her athletic career and coaching philosophy.

Episode Highlights:

• Creates an environment where athletes can express their authentic selves
• Focuses on teaching how to respond to adversity
• Advocates for intentionally developing environments where it's safe to fail
• Emphasizes that what we consume "waters our mindset"

Connect with Ellie:

Instagram: @coachelliec

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040

May is Mental Health Awareness Month:

In this week's episode, I share a parent workshop from 2023 with Alex (Madsen) Hinger, LMHP. We discussed the importance of mental health on and off the field for players and parents!

Episode Highlights:

• Breathing techniques provide immediate anxiety regulation
• Reframing thoughts provides productive thinking
• Guided meditation grounds athletes in the present moment
• Sleep hygiene is vital for mental health
• Positive reinforcement from parents builds the self-esteem buffer

Connect with Alex:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/alex-madsen-omaha-ne/1017784

More ways to work with Fearless Fastpitch

• Learn about our proven Mental Skills Program, The Fearless Warrior Program
• Book a One on One Session for your Athlete
• Book a Mental Skills Workshop for your Team or Organization

Follow us on Social Media

• Facebook @fearlessfastpitchmentaltraining
• Instagram @fearlessfastpitch
• X @CoachAB_
• YouTube @fearlessfastpitch5040