By Collin Fehr
(March 17, 2026)

Many coaches believe the difference between winning and losing has more to do with the mental side of sport than the physical (Fraser et al., 2025). At the same time, few coaches systematically integrate mental skills training (MST) into practice (Ribeiro et al., 2025). This may be, in part, because purposeful MST is outside their boundaries of competence. Although skilled mental performance consultants may be better qualified to implement these kinds of programs, occupations for these practitioners are in limited supply across the United States (Martin, 2019). And for many colleges, high school programs, and youth sports, the expense required for these professional services is a significant barrier (Barker & Winter, 2014; Ford et al., 2022; Moreland et al., 2018). Because of this reality, it may be worthwhile for coaches to learn some basic principles for fostering mental skill development in their athletes. This article will explore a few of these basic principles to help coaches conceptualize how to integrate MST into practice. The perspective shared is directly informed by the author’s work as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant.

Step 1 – Obtain Athlete “Buy-In”

Unfortunately, many athletes understand very little of what constitutes proper mental training and may resist coaches simply because of a lack of knowledge. To overcome this tendency, coaches may need to “sell” the concept before implementing strategies. Below are some potential tools for coaches to overcome this resistance and gain commitment from their athletes:

Stories. Share historical accounts of great athletes who used mental training. For example, I once consulted a college basketball coach who was struggling to gain buy-in for some mindfulness exercises he wanted to implement with his team. I reminded him about Phil Jackson, the legendary former coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, Coach Jackson was known as the “Zen Master” and mindfulness was a central part of his success formula. And some of the best players in history (e.g., Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, etc.) participated in these practices. Teaching his athletes that all-time great players practiced mindfulness was just what this college coach needed to get his players to give it a try.

Literature/Media. Expose athletes to books, articles, and videos/podcasts that illustrate the importance of a winning mindset. I’ll never forget when my dad, a long-time high school tennis coach, gave me a copy of the Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy Gallwey (1974). The mental concept of self-talk (i.e., one’s inner dialogue) revolutionized my thinking as a player. Today, coaches have access to seemingly endless digital media. By thoughtfully procuring these types of resources for their athletes, coaches can expose athletes to a range of perspectives that reinforce the importance of fostering the “mental game.”

Guest presenters/former athletes. Invite role models to practice and facilitate discussions about the benefits of mental sharpening. This is especially powerful when the role model is a former athlete on the team or has unique ties to the coach or community. I was fortunate enough to do this on several occasions at the request of my high school tennis coach. Our team won the first state championship in school history during my senior year. In each of the subsequent five seasons after I graduated, my coach asked me to attend an early season practice to reflect on those experiences and help his players believe it was possible for them. Of course, a winning mindset was at the core of what I talked about with those teams, and they have now won several subsequent championships.

Step 2 – Understand the Psychological Demands of the Sport

Although it can be argued that some mental skills are universal, the way in which they are applied varies across sports. For example, mental training for a combat sport like wrestling should be different than the training undertaken by a golfer. Moreover, coaches should consider their athletes’ age, experience, and skill level, since all these factors will influence the effectiveness of a MST program. Take energy management as an example. Some athletes need to “psych up” before competition while others need to calm down. If coaches deliver every pre-game speech to elevate hype, it might cause some athletes to overshoot their optimal mental state, resulting in decreased performance. To overcome this, coaches need to understand each athlete’s optimal level of competitive arousal. In general, athletes who are older, more experienced, and highly skilled, can tolerate higher levels of arousal than younger, less experienced, and lower skilled athletes (Robazza, 2006). Once coaches understand each athlete’s individual profile (e.g., Figure 1), they can tailor their program to meet those diverse needs. Although the example here is focused on competitive arousal, this general approach applies to other psychological demands as well (e.g., concentration, pre-performance routines, etc.).

Step 3 – Assess Athlete Needs

Every athlete will have slightly different needs, and an individualized approach is essential to optimal MST implementation. Both strengths and weaknesses should be identified to better serve the unique needs of each performer. Some strategies for accomplishing this are included below:

Direct Observation. Coaches should thoughtfully observe practices and competitions to gain valuable insight into athlete behaviors. Importantly, multiple perspectives should be considered when reflecting on these observations. For example, I once observed a college basketball practice where the coach made a joke after a play ended in a turnover. The joke was directed at an individual player (who lost the ball), and it happened in front of the team. I sensed by the athlete’s body language that the comment wasn’t received as a joke. Instead, it was perceived as criticism and ridicule. After practice, the coach asked me if I had any observations to share and I brought up this incident. He was shocked when I shared my perspective because it didn’t match his intent. It was a good lesson in the importance of considering multiple perspectives and the power of assessment using direct observation.

Performance Profiles. Although several validated instruments exist to measure performance psychology constructs (e.g., confidence, motivation, etc.), sport coaches may benefit from taking a simpler approach. The Performance Profile (Butler & Hardy, 1992) is a tool that requires minimal training to understand and is easy for coaches to administer at any point during the season. In essence, coaches instruct athletes to make a list of the 8 most critical mental factors they need to perform their best. Then, the athletes describe what each of those factors personally mean to them. Once the factors are described, the athletes should rank each factor in order of importance. Next, each factor should be rated on a scale from 0-10, where 0 means “no skill at all” and 10 means “I completely own the skill.” Using a pie chart (like the one below) or other graphical representation, athletes should display these mental factors according to their ratings. Finally, they should discuss their strengths and weaknesses and develop an action plan to improve their three weakest areas. A key benefit of the Performance Profile is that it makes mental skills more “tangible” (because of the graphical representation) and helps athletes visualize possible improvements.

Team Dynamics. Another useful component for coaches to consider assessing is team cohesion. Although they may have a general sense of this from informal observation, a formal assessment may provide deeper insight. The Group Environment Questionnaire (GEQ; Carron et al., 1985) is one possible option for exploring team dynamics. This tool has been used to determine whether team-building activities are effective (Kleinert et al., 2012) and, given the widespread use of team-building exercises by many coaches, may be worth exploring as part of the overall assessment plan. The results, in turn, can be used to facilitate targeted interventions aimed at enhancing team cohesion in any area the team may be lacking.

Step 4 – Determine Your Methods for Delivery

The most effective MST programs take place in a healthy and active practice environment. Creating and sustaining this environment is of paramount importance for coaches. In addition, coaches should ensure that MST programs are relevant, engaging, and support athlete autonomy. In other words, athletes should be partners in the process and any information they receive should be relatable and individualized. Importantly, opportunities for reflection and discussion should be encouraged. Below are a few potential strategies for coaches that meet these stipulations (note: this is not an exhaustive list):

Voice Building. Provide opportunities for athletes to voice their perspectives. This can occur organically or be part of formal team meetings. For example, coaches can facilitate preseason discussions where every athlete speaks. Not only is this effective for promoting team cohesion, it also directly cultivates communication skills. An alternative way to help players establish their voice is to empower team captains to support this when the coach is absent. These voice-building approaches will set the foundation for all other interventions by showing athletes that their voice matters and they can be involved in the process.

Mental Skill Highlights. When reviewing past performances with athletes, showcase positive examples of mental skills. For example, during film sessions, coaches can intentionally highlight situations where athletes demonstrated mental toughness. This will reinforce the behavior and help athletes see the connection between mental skills and what happens in competition. Alternatively, coaches can pause the film at crucial moments and ask athletes to recall their thoughts. This exercise builds self-awareness, a necessary precursor for cognitive reframing in instances of negative thought patterns. If an athlete recalls a dysfunctional thought at a particular moment, they can reframe it during the film session and be better prepared for future situations. Similar “highlighting” strategies can be directly applied in practice. For example, consider a golfer playing a practice round. Before approaching the ball, the coach can instruct the athlete to briefly recall the best shot they have ever hit with the club they are about to use. Not only will this flood their mind with positive images, it will likely be accompanied by helpful self-talk and feelings of confidence, all factors that promote optimal performance. In short, the key to leveraging mental skill highlights is in the way coaches help athletes access memories of their best performances.

See Success. Encourage athletes to leverage the power of imagery. One of the easiest ways to integrate imagery is within pre-performance routines. This could be a lengthier routine that occurs in the buildup before competition or could even be applied to a single-shot routine. For example, many athletes dedicate part of their pre-competition routine to meditative imagery. Sometimes this occurs on the bus ride to the venue, in the locker room, or even at home the night before the event. Coaches can teach this skill by integrating it into practice plans. For instance, if practice typically starts at 4pm, coaches could alter the start time to 3:50pm. From 3:50-4:00pm, athletes are encouraged to purposefully visualize how they want the practice to unfold. The coach could lead them in a group imagery session, or the athletes could do this individually. Then, at 4:00pm, the practice would start as usual but with the athletes already mentally engaged. Since most athletes already spend ten minutes preceding practice doing general warmup activities or socializing, this is meant to better use that time rather than add time to practice overall. For more information on how to promote effective imagery with athletes, coaches are encouraged to review the work by Williams et al. (2013).

Breathe to Believe. Center breathing at the core of all MST interventions. It can help athletes manage stress, overcome mistakes, and stay focused in competition. Indeed, breathing is a foundational component of any MST program. Embedding purposeful breathing within drills is one of the simpler strategies coaches can use. For example, consider the pre-shot routine of a basketball player at the free throw line. Not only is this a great time to use imagery to visualize success, it is a perfect moment to take a deep, centering breath. Doing so can help calm nerves if the stakes are high, but it also gives the athlete something to focus on. Then, the breath can be a catalyst for the rest of the pre-shot routine to unfold automatically, just as the athlete has practiced hundreds of times. Coaches can elevate free throw shooting practice by teaching players to integrate breathing into these routines. Moreover, they can help players anchor that calm, focused feeling they develop in practice by attaching a word or affirmation (e.g., “believe”) to the breath. Of course, the timing of the breath and word can be individualized to each player’s routine, so players should be encouraged to experiment with different combinations.

Step 5 – Evaluate and Adapt

The final step for coaches to consider requires ongoing reflection and adaptation. Just like physical skills, mental skills take time to develop. And it is important to be aware that some techniques may lead to an initial decrease in overall performance until the skill is mastered. This is why continual evaluation is essential. Coaches can assess athlete performance on both mental and physical dimensions. For example, coaches can ask athletes to rate their concentration each week to determine any effect this mental skill may have had on their performance. Additionally, if the coach led the team in several concentration exercises before specific drills or activities (e.g., free throw shooting), any improvements may be partially attributed to those interventions. In short, coaches should make an intentional effort to evaluate whether athletes are improving their mental skills and how that might be affecting their sports performance over time. Then, they can adapt their approach to ensure athletes are striving to improve in all areas of their sport.

Closing Thoughts

Mental skills are clearly an important part of sporting success and coaches occupy a central role in developing these skills in athletes. MST requires intentionality but should not take away from more traditional practice plans if purposefully integrated. Although the steps outlined here only represent one way to do this, coaches may benefit by thoughtfully implementing these principles. In doing so, athletes will develop skills that transcend sport and apply in other aspects of life, another testament to the value of holistic coaches.

Editor’s Note: All articles in Sport Coach America are authentic and original work by the author(s).

References

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