10 Mental Performance Tools Every Athlete Needs
Two-time USA Hockey National Champion. NCAA Division 1 athlete at The Ohio State University. Professional coach at Ohio State, University of British Columbia, and what is now RINK Hockey Academy in the CSSHL where all of my players went on to college scholarships, and some to the PWHL and Olympics . As a mindset coach and mental performance specialist, I work with athletes from youth to professional (WHL, OHL, USHL, NCAA, NHL) and Olympic levels, using sports psychology strategies I’ve lived, played, and coached, not just studied.
Here’s what I’ve learned after years in the room, on the ice, and in the therapy chair: talent gets you noticed. Mental preparation is what makes you consistent.
Below are three of the ten tools I put in every athlete’s hands, whether they’re 10 years old, like my own son, or playing professionally, like the ones he looks up to.
1. Visualize How You Want to Play
Mental rehearsal isn’t just “thinking positive.” It’s specific. Before I ever step into a session with an athlete, I ask them to go there before they go there, to run the play in their head, using every sense, before they run it on the field. Research backs this up: athletes who combine visualization with physical practice consistently outperform those who rely on physical practice alone.
2. Turn Pressure Thoughts into Power Thoughts
“Don’t miss this shot” and “pick your spot” send your brain two completely different instructions. One points at the fear. One points at the target. Athletes who learn to catch and flip their pressure thoughts before competition build a skill that outlasts any single game, in sport and in life.
3. Build a Reset Routine
Sport is a game of mistakes. The athletes who last aren’t the ones who never mess up, they’re the ones who recover fastest. My Reset Routine is three steps: Release. Reset Breath. Lock In. It works on the bench, in the crease, before a free throw, anywhere.
The 5 C’s I Coach Toward
Everything I teach comes back to five things:
- Character — how you treat people who can’t do anything for you
- Confidence — how you carry yourself, win or lose
- Composure — how fast you reset after a mistake
- Consistency — whether your effort shows up every single time
- Compete — whether you battle for it like it matters
Most of the athletes I coach are chasing one or two of these specifically, whether they’ve named it that way or not. It’s the same framework whether we’re working on a shootout mindset or a job interview.
Get All 10 Tools, Free
These three tips are just the start. My free guide, Top 10 Tips for Mental Preparation, walks through all ten tools I use with athletes across every sport, hockey, basketball, soccer, track, swimming, and more, each one with real examples you can use before your next practice or game.
Want to Go Deeper?
If mental preparation is something you or your athlete want to build on purpose, not just hope for, I offer 1-1 athlete mindset coaching and a full course system for athletes, parents, and coaches.