Sports Psychology Coaching
The Sports Psychology Coaching Podcast by Eli Straw is a mental training podcast for athletes, competitors, coaches, and performers who want to improve confidence, focus, and performance under pressure. This podcast teaches practical sports psychology strategies to help athletes overcome fear of failure, performance anxiety, overthinking, and loss of confidence after mistakes so they can trust their training and compete freely.
Each episode covers key mental performance topics, including:
• Sports psychology and mental training for athletes
• How to build confidence in sports
• Overcoming performance anxiety and pressure
• Trusting your training and competing without fear
• Focus, composure, and mental toughness in competition
• Letting go of overthinking and perfectionism
• Visualization, mindfulness, and present-moment performance
• How to perform consistently in games, races, and competitions
Hosted by mental performance coach Eli Straw, this podcast provides simple, practical mental game coaching used with athletes from youth to elite levels. Learn how to stop playing scared, compete with freedom, and unlock your true performance.
If you’re an athlete, parent, or coach looking for sports psychology tips, mental toughness training, and performance mindset strategies, this podcast will help you build the mental skills needed to perform at your best when it matters most.
*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist.
Sports Psychology Coaching
How to Build Game-Day Confidence
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Game-day confidence isn’t about hyping yourself up. It isn’t about convincing yourself you’re the best player on the field.
It’s about trust.
In this episode, I break down why confidence often disappears during competition — even when you’ve prepared well — and I share a simple three-pillar strategy you can use to build real game-day confidence and perform more freely under pressure.
If you play well in practice but struggle during games, I explain:
- Why preparation alone doesn’t guarantee confidence
- How fear and anxiety overshadow trust during games
- What real confidence actually is
- How to shift your focus away from outcomes and onto controllables
- The three pillars of building game-day confidence
- How to reset quickly after mistakes
I also explain how I help athletes build confidence week by week inside my structured 12-week one-on-one mental performance coaching program.
Confidence isn’t about guarantees.
It’s about learning how to be present, relaxed, and trusting yourself — even when pressure is high.
If you’re ready to stop chasing fake confidence and start playing freely, this episode will give you a clear direction forward.
Learn more about working with me 1-on-1 here:
https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/
🧠 If you want to strengthen your mental game and work directly with me, you can learn more about my personalized 1-on-1 mental performance coaching program here: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching
🥇Team Mental Performance Coaching Program: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-coaching-for-teams/
📖 Mind Games Book: https://a.co/d/gXZfORN
📖 Athlete Mental Training Book: https://a.co/d/bfojamY
Free Training: Top 5 Mental Mistakes Athletes Make
*This podcast is for educational purposes only and does not constitute psychological or medical treatment. I am a mental performance coach, not a licensed psychologist. For clinical concerns, consult a licensed professional.