Coaches: Start Coaching the Mental Game

If you’re anything like I was when I coached college football, you know the feeling.

You lie your head on the pillow and ask yourself, “Did I do everything I could today to prepare my players?”

It’s the question that separates real coaches from sideline managers. The ones who carry the weight of responsibility, not just for the game plan, but for the growth of every young man or woman in their program.

And if you’re not coaching the mental game, the answer to that question is probably no.

The Truth: Most of the Game Is Mental

Make a list of what it takes to be great:

• Confidence under pressure

• Grit when things get hard

• Focus when it matters most

• Adaptability after failure

• Emotional control in chaos

• Self-belief when nobody’s watching

• Leadership when things break down

  
  

That list? That’s not physical training. That’s not a scheme. That’s not a playbook.

That’s mental strength.

Yet most programs spend 99% of their time training the body and almost no time training the mind. We talk about toughness, composure, resilience, but we don’t teach it. And if we don’t teach it, they don’t learn it. Not under pressure. Not when it counts.

The Old Way: Damage Control

Most coaches wait until something goes wrong before they bring in mental or emotional training.

An injury. A breakdown. A losing streak. A panic attack. A player who just can’t bounce back.

Then we scramble. We react. We do damage control.

But by that point, it’s often too late.

The New Way: Build It Before You Need It

The best programs in the country are flipping that model. They’re training the mind and heart before adversity hits.

Because they know it’s not a matter of if — it’s when. And when it comes, the athletes who’ve been coached mentally are ready.

They’ve practiced breathwork. They know how to reset. They’ve rehearsed self-talk, visualization, and emotional regulation. They’ve built a foundation that holds when pressure tries to break it.

They don’t just survive adversity, they learn from it, grow through it, and become stronger because of it.

Here’s the Standard

You can’t just tell kids to “be tougher” anymore. You can’t give a speech about the good old days and expect it to translate. We are in a new era. The challenges are different. The distractions are louder. The pressure is heavier.

And if you want to coach the whole athlete, not just the body, but the mind and heart, you need to be intentional. You need a system.

Mental training is no longer optional. It’s the edge. It’s what separates great teams from good ones. And leaders are managers.

So if you want to sleep at night, start coaching the part of the game that matters most.

And if you don’t know where to start, that’s where we come in. Click Here to book a free clarity call to learn more about how we can work with your team.