You’re Not Choking—Your Identity Is Collapsing Under Pressure- Brandon Sprout

Most athletes don’t lose because they lack talent.
They lose because their internal system collapses under pressure.

They dominate in practice.
They prepare, train, visualize…
Then the lights come on—and something shuts down.

In this episode of the Crackin’ Backs Podcast, we dive deep into the real mental game of performance with Brandon Sprout, a mental performance coach who works at the intersection of identity, subconscious programming, hypnosis, and NLP to help athletes perform consistently when it matters most.

This isn’t surface-level “mental toughness.”
This is about why athletes choke, what’s actually happening in the mind–body loop, and how to rewire the internal operating system that drives confidence, focus, and execution.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why athletes perform great in practice but fall apart in games
• What “choking” really is—and the fastest lever to interrupt it
• How athlete identity forms, fractures, and controls performance
• Why confidence disappears after mistakes—and how to rebuild it fast
• A simple 3-step framework to turn mistakes into information, not identity
• How hypnosis and NLP are actually used in high-performance settings
• What Brandon targets in the subconscious—and how progress is measured
• The clearest signs an athlete’s identity is fragile and outcome-dependent
• How to build a stable performance identity that holds under pressure

If you’re an athlete, coach, or high performer who feels like your talent doesn’t always show up when it counts, this conversation will change how you think about confidence, pressure, and mental training.

This episode is for anyone asking:
“Why can’t I do in competition what I do in practice?”

About the Guest

Brandon Sprout is a mental performance coach specializing in subconscious reprogramming, identity development, and pressure performance. He works with athletes across youth, collegiate, and professional levels, using tools such as hypnosis, NLP, and cognitive-behavioral strategies to help athletes align identity with execution. Brandon’s work focuses on building stable confidence, emotional regulation, and repeatable performance under stress.

Learn more about Brandon Sprout and his work:
https://brandondsprout.com

We are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies.

Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Transcript

Dr. Terry Weyman: 0:01

All right? Well, I'm excited about this show, and have you ever thought about that most athletes don't lose because they're not talented. They lose because their internal operating system may crash under pressure. Today we have Brandon sprout, and I can't wait to hear him talk, because he claims that he can rewire that system where you won't crash. So let's dive into this. Welcome to the show. Brandon, Oh, thanks. Guys. Appreciate it. You know, I just want to jump. I just want to jump right in. You know, when athlete says they choke, what actually, in your opinion, is actually happening in that mind, body loop, and what's the first level you want to pull to get that to stop?

Brandon Sprout: 0:44

Yeah, that's a great question, especially when it comes to professional athletes. I mean, we all know that they have the skills and the ability. It's not a skills issue. A lot of it is just their internal programming, you know. So, you know, a lot of time we're in fight or flight, usually, you know, when it's game day, it's kind of what happens we we operate from what has been programmed from just, you know, our entire life. And so, you know, moments of stress or fear, a lot of that's when a lot of mistakes happen. So, you know, they choke because of, you know, it's just a few different things, right? It's usually, you know, either stressed induced. So you know, they're either worried about, you know, not making they're worried about letting their fans down, letting their coaches down, or letting their team down, or dropping a pass, or not making that throw, and what happens is, because that's what they're telling themselves constantly. You know, they end up actually doing what they're trying not to do, right? So they're playing not to lose, rather than playing to win. And you know, when moments like that happen, that's when the mistakes happen the most. And so, you know, when it comes to athletes, you know, I try to instill a full, you know, a confidence that's not going to allow them to really play in that state, right? They're going to play with kind of just out of, you know, a new operating system that's just, they're there to perform what they already know how to do, rather than, rather than, like, try to do the things right and what they already know how to do, obviously.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 2:36

So let me ask you, because we see it often, is it at or hear about it often amongst our Dr Terry's and my patients. You know that they do well in practice, and then they're on the they're on the stage, and they screw up, fall apart. You know what? What would be? You know, aside from maybe two root causes of that, what is a, I guess, what could be a simple reset for some of them, for ones that maybe you've experienced in the past?

Brandon Sprout: 3:06

Yeah, you know that's, it's very common, right? Because there's no pressure in practice, right? It's normal. It's something that you do regularly, right? Don't have, you know, 1000s of fans screaming, and it's something that's not foreign, right? So it's familiar, right? It's at the same place. They practice, usually at the same place every week. And so on an unconscious level, that's just a familiar place. So there's a much, there's a lot less pressure, right, involved. And so what happens is, when they go into a new environment with different stimuli going on, that's what's going to kind of change the change things for them, right? And so, you know, usually, when they're in practice, they're they're playing from a state of just kind of having fun and with very light pressure. And then when they're going into a game, it's a completely different mode, right? It becomes, it becomes completely different for them, especially on an unconscious level, like we were talking about earlier. It's just, you know, they're playing from now a state of fight or flight. So on an unconscious level, they're only going to be, you know, they're not going to be really, you know, you know, thinking about what they're going to be doing. They're just reacting, you know. And so if they're, you know, if they're operating from a state where, you know, it's stress induced, they're going to play, you know, they're going to play a lot different than, you know, playing from a state of, like, of calm certainty. And a lot of the time is when they make mistakes, it's that's usually the issues for them, because you know, every athlete's going to make a mistake. You know, no matter. I don't care if you're Tom Brady right. Tom Brady's throwing a lot of picks in his career, right? And and so, you know, the goal isn't to avoid making mistakes. It's. Is resetting after a mistake and and then keep going, rather than trying to play to make up for the mistake, just learn from that mistake, use it as data, and then continue and grow from there. And don't let you know that one mistake ruin the rest of your game. What would they see?

Dr. Spencer Baron: 5:20

What would be a typical thing that I screw up, and then, what would I? What would by my internal dialog be? Like, what would I? What would you tell someone to say to themselves? Oh, okay, yeah.

Brandon Sprout: 5:31

I mean, listen, it's, it's literally, it can be very simple. It's just a reset, you know, like, obviously you want to take accountability for whatever it is that you did, especially, you know, to yourself, to your team and and, and then just move forward. Okay, you know. So I always like try to, to add in there, like, if, if I make a mistake, rather than trying to, you know, to make up for the mistake. I'm just going to see what I can do in order, you know, really, just be in the moment, right, not worried about the past or focus on the future. Like, what can I do right this very moment to to move forward, to make the to be the play the best right now each play, play by play, I always try to get everybody to play just, you know, just one That one, that one moment right there, right then. Don't worry about what just happened in the past. Don't focus on the future. Just be in the moment. And so an internal dialog could just be, sometimes I just anchor, okay, reset. That's it. Keeping it simple it's honestly the best, right? Complexity is the enemy of execution. The more things that we complicate, the harder it is to execute and move forward. So I just keep things simple.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 6:52

It's funny, you know, you make it, you know, so simple, and it is, I I'll never forget. I'll never forget on the sidelines seeing a cornerback allow a receiver to score on him, and, I mean, everybody was like in shock, because he was one of the better cornerbacks in the NFL, and he he pops up and yells out, I'm still the best cornerback in the league. Holy crap that now that is a reset times 10.

Brandon Sprout: 7:25

So that would be important. Also, it is, I think also it's very important for them to, you know, to understand that greats are not perfect either, right? And I think that once they really on an unconscious level, understand that, then they don't beat themselves so much about making a mistake, because, yeah, that's one mistake, and you're probably going to make a lot more in your career. And so instead of, you know, really dwelling on it, like, just be the best from this moment forward, you know, and and, like I said, keeping it simple is the easiest way for them to kind of reset on those moments. But yes, I think an identity is very important for, you know, one's career, especially, you know, throughout their career, right? Like you have to be the best. You have to believe you are the best, right? Like, if you don't believe you're the best, you're not going to be the best. And you don't have to believe it in, in, like, in, like, a cocky or arrogant way. You just have to know, you know by the work that you put in and your skill set, your ability, that you are the best, right? And if you are the best, then you're going to go out there and you're going to play, you know, 110% every game, right? And you're also going to put in the work, you know, be outside of the game too, right? If you're the best, you could think you're the best, but if you don't, you know, if you don't train like the best, then you're not going to be the best, right? And so there is a component, you know. You know you could believe you are the best, but you also have to do what you know the greats do, which is, you know, work twice as hard as everybody else. And if you, if you combine the two elements, right, the you know, the identity of the best, and then you also have the work ethic of the best. Those are the two things that are going to help create someone's career, for them to really shine in their performance.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 9:34

You know, you you make a comment. You've made a comment a couple times about identity. I don't think people realize how important it is to change, to have an identity. You know, I tell my kids sometimes I go, you know, don't let you know material things like a car or your cool looking hair or, you know, to become your identity. Make it something more internal, oriented. So how. Do you? How do you is there like a protocol that you help people to create that identity, even though they might not be the best in the league? That might be obvious, but how do you, how would you give, like a stepwise approach to helping them change their identity? Yeah, I

Brandon Sprout: 10:19

mean, that's a great question. I mean, obviously, you know, I can't choose the identity for them, and so, you know, it's really just learning, you know, as I learn more about the individual and, you know, and what they want to accomplish in their career and in their life, too, outside of whatever they they do, you know, I'm a real component. I'm real advocate for, like, you know, I think that you should be the same guy on the field, off the field, and so, you know, when you can really, you know, help someone champion not only you know, their sport, but also life. Like, how can I be the greatest at being a husband, How can I be the greatest at being a father? How can I be the greatest at being a son? How can I be the greatest at being a teammate? How can I be greatest at being a leader? When you can try to excel and be the best at whatever it is you do, then that really is your identity. Does that make sense? Like you know, if you you know, if your identity is only being the greatest at your sport, you know, then you know, once that sport is done, then who are you? Yeah, wow, that's right, what I mean. And who are you after that? You know, because you know this only, you know your career is only for so long, right? And so, you know, I try to instill that champion mind in everything that they do, because what happens is, there's a snowball effect, right? If you're, if you're, if you're putting in the effort and and of being the greatest at whatever it is you do, then that becomes your standard, right? And when your standard is, you know, is you know, you know, is not being mediocre at anything, then that's going to impact your work ethic. That's going to impact your your standards. It's going to impact everything, your performance, because you know, you're not going to settle for being, you know, lousy at anything, right? So, you know, in the game of life, I mean, you know, how do we become fulfilled? How do we feel full, right? And it's been my experience, at least, that, you know, when I'm constantly growing and trying to, you know, chase my potential. That's when I feel the most filled, right, when I'm constantly trying to better myself and get better and better and better at everything that I do. And, you know, when I can have the mind of a champion in all areas of my life, that's what, that's what kind of makes that identity complete, right? Like I am a champion, not just at this, but in life. That's a

Dr. Spencer Baron: 13:05

good one. You know? I think it's worth repeating because you said something that was one of those golden moments, that you should have multiple identities, in case one of them fractures, you know, one of them becomes not your identity anymore, and if you only have a single identity, but I think that is worth repeating. I think that was, I really believe that you should have, you know, feel good about yourself in multiple areas,

Dr. Terry Weyman: 13:33

because, hey, Spencer, is that when we call you what they at them, I

Dr. Spencer Baron: 13:49

I just had this conversation yesterday. That's why the school, that's why the colleges don't require me to do the DEI program anymore. But anyway, that's a whole nother interview.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 14:07

I'm sorry.

Brandon Sprout: 14:10

The reason why, you know I brought that up too, is because I have it, you know, that was my experience, right? I was, you know, I I played. I was on a my football team in high school. We were state champions, right in 2003 and you know, my whole existence was football and training. And, I mean, I was the guy in high school that woke up at five in the morning and and training before school. And I was the guy that trained after, after practice, and so, like, that was literally my identity, right? That was kind of everything I knew, and so much so that I didn't really do well in, you know, in class, because I didn't really, you know, put my attention towards my academics. I was just so. Focused on ball. And because of that, you know, I got put myself in a position where I wasn't able to, I wasn't going to be able to graduate, and so I had to, you know, essentially, I got kicked out of high school and had to go to continuation school, and so I missed my senior year in football. And, you know, this was like, you know, just got off a year where 11 of our starters went to d1 schools, like, I met Pete Carroll when he was at USC, two of our guys went there. And, like, I was trying, you know, that was kind of my vision, you know, I wanted to, you know, hopefully, kind of go play college ball and, and, you know, that kind of was just taken away. You know, we attempt, we attempted to see if we could try to figure it out. I don't know it was, it was me coming early to school and taking an extra class, but everything, my coaches and I tried, it just wasn't going to work. And so it was done, and, and because of that, I was lost. I had no idea what to do. I mean, I didn't know who I was anymore. I was lost, you know. And because of that, I started kind of going down the wrong path. And it just, you know, you know, I learned, you know, a lot from that experience, and that's why I, you know, it's so important to me, and I always bring it up with these young athletes, is because you never know life. Can you know your life can be one way, but you know, in the snap of a fingers, things can be completely different and and so who are you? Beyond just this is also just as important as you know who you are on the field as well.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 16:43

Oh yeah, no. Thanks for being candid, because you know it, a lot of people would identify with that same thing that stresses that go on for student athletes are remarkable. And I don't think people realize how much stress there is that I've often made comment when I learned what a NARP was non athletic, regular person, and that's what the student athletes would refer to, the ones that didn't you know that they were just academics, you know. And it was always, yeah, I would always feel bad for when a player would get injured or not play up to par and lose their scholarship or whatever it might be, and, you know, their identity just starts spiraling, you know. So thanks for sharing, because I absolutely believe that people can make a different identity that could be superhuman that they didn't realize they can tap into. So there's 100%

Brandon Sprout: 17:39

and kind of, going back to you asked me a question on, like, kind of, why certain individuals are, kind of like, you know, they'll play good in practice and then mess up in the games is, you know, there's, there's those stressors too, right? Especially for like, you know, young rookies or anybody like, you know, they're accustomed to being in college and being the best of the best, and then they go into to the league, and now they're just like, you know, average. That really impacts the confidence, their confidence, right? They're no longer, you know, because it's much easier to play well when you when you're, you know, when you're, like, known as being the greatest or whatever. If you're like a top high school or a college quarterback, right, and you're just having pillar seasons, right? You're just like you're you're nominated for the Heisman or whatever, right, like that builds this confidence and ability and identity to where your your your performance is going to match that right? Because you've built that organically. And what happens is, when that changes, let's say if they go to either a different school or they, you know, or they get drafted, you know, and then they start playing against people that have been, you know, that have been in the league for years and years, and have tons of experience, and they have their identity already built in that league, they start outperforming these guys, and then these guys get very discouraged, right? They get very discouraged, and then their performance starts to match their emotions, right? And so, you know the reality is, is, if you want to change your performance, you have to change the way that you're how you respond to stress. It's literally, like, to keep it very simple, that's, that's what it is, right? Like, how do I perform under a complete stress is going to impact, you know, kind of, you know, your future and your career, right? And so if you, if you're not responding well to stress, you know you're going to, you're going to be making a mistake after mistake after mistake, and it's going to be a long road of trying to kind of gain that confidence and identity back up. And with what I do is, is, you know, it helped them. I. Um, eliminate, you know, our, you know, kind of eliminate the stressors that are that are kind of bringing them down and helping that, and adding a new beliefs, new identity and new emotions that's going to allow them to perform the way that you know they want to perform. And that's the beautiful thing about, you know, what I do and and so, you know, for the people that don't know, I'm, you know, I'm a, I'm a Clinical Hypnotherapist, and my approach to mental performance, it's a little bit more different than most people that do, you know, that are mental performance coaching. You know, I use more subconscious performance conditioning. And so, you know, hypnosis, what it is, is just a state of hyper suggestibility, right? It's just a, you know, a state where I'm able to receive more information and kind of cement it in the subconscious easier than if I, you know, if I was just kind of walking, my eye always open, you know, using my conscious mind, right? So our mind is is divided in two different, you know, parts, right? We have the subconscious mind and we have the conscious mind. Our conscious mind only makes up about three to 5% over, you know, of kind of our our behavior and and then our subconscious mind is about 95 97% of it, right? And so the conscious mind is like, you know, where our logic and thinking comes from start, our short term focus, willpower, our decision making. And then our subconscious mind is like, where identity, our self image, our emotional responses come from, you know, all of our habits and behaviors, all of that stuff is what's been, you know, programmed over years and years and years and years of experience, right? And and so what happens is, when we're in fight or flight, we are operating from a subconscious level, right? We're just reacting based off of our programming. And so if our pro and our subconscious likes what it what it knows, it's homeostasis. You know, even though our conscious mind knows, hey, I want to perform this way when I feel this way, if our subconscious is programmed to this to the complete opposite, even though, consciously, I know this is the better route. We're always going to be, we're always going to perform to our programming. And so, you know, with what I do is I eliminate basically the old programming and input new programming. It's almost like a computer, right? You know, I get rid of the virus and I upload new programming and, and it's funny, because I think that a lot of people don't understand what hypnosis is, and so it's one of those kind of taboo words, you know, people think of it as, like, you know, a little pocket watch, or, you know, they think it's kind of like a hoax, kind of magic thing. But you know, the hypnotic state. Everybody's in a hypnotic state. We all experiencing it every day, right when you right when you wake up in the morning, you're in a hypnotic state right before you go to bed. You're in a hypnotic state when you're driving, you know, you know, driving on the freeway and like you're kind of dazing off, like you're not consciously thinking about, I'm putting my foot on the wheel. I'm going to press it down and put my hands right here. No, everything is just, you know, all of its reactions based off of your, you know, your programming, right? And so, you know, we're always in, you know, every day we experience states of hypnosis, right where we're and just it happens to be in that state is where your subconscious will obtain information without resistance. And so when it comes to hypnosis, and someone that does what I do, I'm able to get somebody in that state rapidly, and I'm able to use that as a tool to really input, you know, new data into their into their mind.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 24:06

That's pretty cool. I think, yeah, hypnosis is definitely misunderstood. I want to, I want to step into one of my favorite forms of communication that I know that you are skilled at, Neuro Linguistic Programming, also known as NLP. Now you've explained hypnosis. Now, totally dive into that. What NLP is and how you use it to, you know, target the subconscious as well.

Brandon Sprout: 24:39

Yeah, I mean NLP. I mean, there's, it's been used for years. I mean, a lot of salesmen use it, you know, people don't understand that. You know, language, how powerful language is, you know, and the words that we use, and, and, and. So, you know, when it comes to NLP. Um, it's just a way of framing things that we say that, you know, to make it more powerful. I mean, it's, it's, again, I'm trying to make things this very simple and not as complicated, because, you know, you know, I could, if I can give all the textbook information, it's just going to sound weird and people, it's going to be really hard to understand, but it's basically how it sounds, right? Neuro Linguistic Programming, right? You know, I'm using language right to, you know, impact someone neurologically and and a lot of the time is, you know, how I do it, at least is, you know, the language I use is the subject's language, right? And then how I use it too. It all depends, right? Because, you know, some people I'll explain it this way. Some people respond better to to to inference, right? Like, you know, some people don't like being told what to do, maybe based off of how they were raised. So, like, if I were to tell someone what to do directly, they might be more resistant to that. But if I used, if I used inference, things like maybe telling a story about something that happened to me that was similar to that person, and then saying what I did is almost a way to communicate a solution to somebody for them to kind of adopt on themselves, rather than me just telling them what to do. And so it really depends on the person if I'm going to use it or not. But it's so fascinating because, you know, you know, over the years, just watching all of this kind of work itself out and to see how it all works is interesting, because there are lots of people that don't respond well to direct suggestions or direct, you know, direction, right? And so when I can use, you know, certain language in order to kind of break through that barrier, even though I might be, you know, you know, using a different approach, it's always the same goal, right? I'm, you know, telling someone's mind, you know, I'm basically helping someone understand what it is I want them to do without telling them directly. And so using inference is a great way to kind of to get people to do something that you want to do. It's a little secret. I mean, it's what I like to do with my wife. Sometimes, you know, is, you know, I'll either ask questions inferring, you know what I want her to do, you know, and or I'll, you know, I'll use an experience you know. Like, let's say, you know. Let's say, like, I you know, there's, there's dishes in the sink or something that she left in there. And I don't want to go do it. I want her to do it.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 27:52

And Megan, don't listen to this show.

Brandon Sprout: 28:01

You know, I will, you know, I'll share an experience one time of, you know, leaving dishes in the sink, and then some type of crazy mold was on it, and then cockroaches came in from the scene, you know, just something really crazy. And then what happens is, because of that, they think, oh, did I leave? I think I left dishes in the sink. And what happens is, you know, because I've implant, I've, you know, I've kind of planted the seed of 30 dishes using that experience in that story. Now she's going to kind of think, Oh, I left dishes in the sink, and even, you know, so and then she'll probably go do it, because obviously, on the unconscious level, she doesn't want, like, you know, cockroaches coming out of the sink or whatever. And that's not the greatest example, but it was just a, kind of a random example I thought off of the top of my mind. But it's just using, you know, like, there's ways we can get people to do certain things without, without, without, actually, you know, literally telling them what to do. And that's, that's a huge, you know, that's a huge, you know, honestly, a big part of you know what I do. Because, you know, again, a lot of people might be resistance, resistant to me and giving them direct, you know, instructions on what they should be doing based off of, kind of how there it is. Like, for me, exactly, I don't like being told what to do, like, if my wife tells me what to do, I, you know, like, I don't like, I mean, I just, even though I might need to do it, actually, I just, I don't want to be told what to do, so I won't do it, right. And so for me, you know, it's if someone were to use more, you know, if they would infer stuff more, they'd probably get me to take more action on the things they want me to do. And that was based off of just how I was raised, you know, I mean, so, you know, you have to also take those things into consideration, doing what I do with even athletes. You. Um, because that's going to affect the approach you take in how you deliver these suggestions to their subconscious. And so this thing is like an art man, and that's kind of what fascinated me about it as well. Because originally, about 10 years ago, I actually went to school for Kinesiology. I was studying kinesiology, and wanted to kind of get in sports medicine and and then a buddy of mine who is going to HMI, which is where I went for school for hypnosis. It's called hypnosis motivation Institute out in Reseda, and one of the most declaration declarated schools for hypnotherapy in the world, and we would always have these fascinating conversations, right? And he'd be kind of sharing what he's learning. And it just always fascinated me and and I was like, You know what I want to get into it. It was really random, because I never thought that, you know, my goal out of high school or whatever, it was. Never like, Oh, I'm going to get into hypnotherapy. Or, you know, I mean, none of that was like in the books, right? It kind of happened organically. And, you know, even after I got into it, I graduate, you know, even after I graduated and had some clients, like, part of me still really didn't believe in it, right? I still thought like, this was like, like, this can't be real, right? Like, this is, this is too this is like, this is like, it's too cool to be real. And and then, as I, you know, started, you know, becoming, getting more clients, having more success, and started seeing these people's lives change and impact. It's just, I mean, I had to, I became a believer, and then once I became a believer, my work even got better, you know, because obviously, if you, if you don't believe in what you do, it's going to be kind of hard to be good at it.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 32:00

So, so you so you adopted a new identity.

Brandon Sprout: 32:06

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And what's cool too is I'm naturally a creative guy, and so I knew that whatever I did had to have some, you know, some form of creativity involved. And you know, my ability to story, tell and use the subjects language of their own language, with kind of how I navigate things, how and like there's a there's a fine art to all of what I do. I have to build rapport and complete trust, and I have to have complete confidence, just like the athlete. I have to believe I am the best at what I do, and that way, you know, they will let go fully. Because what happens is the people that don't have success with other hypnotherapists is because they're usually resistant, right? And what that means is that they're not really allowing the practitioner to do this their job, right there. They might be going through the motions, but they're resisting, right? They're not letting go. And anybody can be hypnotized, right? Or, I mean, some people, you know, there's, there's people that say, oh, there was only you know, you know, not everybody can be hypnotized as false. Anybody can be hypnotized. There are people that are more suggestible than others, right? But anybody can be hypnotized because hypnosis is a natural state we already go through. It's like alpha and theta brainwave activity that is like the hypnosis state and and so, you know, because we are always, you know, everybody you know is in that state at some point of the day. We all experience it, which means that we all can kind of go through it, right? You know, there are some, you know, there are kind of, there has been, you know, things that came up where people can't, you know, imagine things in their mind. They can't visualize in their mind, and that's kind of hard to work with, but there are ways around it. It's weird. I never thought that that's a thing. Because, you know, I think, you know, I visualize in my mind all day long. It's kind of how I process, right? You know, thinking about things ahead, right? Because that's what, if you think about it like, what do you think anxiety is like? You're, you're anticipating something negative in the future, and so you're, you're playing this. You know this, you know this, you know this idea or story in your mind that's not even true. And it's a creating, it's creating physical changes in your body, emotional issue changes. And so it's your mind is adopting it as the truth, right? And so, you know, because that is capable, we could do the same on a positive note too, right? That's how we can kind of create confidence and identity and all this, right? So, you know. When it comes to, when it comes to hypnosis and sports in a performance like, you know, you know, I use it to kind of break through the, you know, the conscious mind get into the subconscious, and that way we can kind of get them to to perform. And maps the way that they want to perform in, you know, or what they're capable of performing like. And what's cool too, is that, you know, our mind, like our mind, doesn't know the difference between imagination and experience, right? And because of that, you know, we can rehearse scenarios in hypnosis over and over again, and the mind will adopt it as if they were actually doing it. So our nervous system will will respond to the way that they've been practicing in their mind. So, like, what's cool is, I can, I can put them in hypnosis, slow things down, you know, and help them get into a certain state during certain scenarios. So then what happens is, when it happens in the game, that's how they're going to feel and perform, because they've been already wired to do so in hypnosis.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 36:21

Bridge, I would like to clarify to our viewers and listeners that, you know, you use the term when we were describing neuro, neuro linguistic programming, or NLP, as to manipulate or to, you know, I want to kind of clean that up for a moment, because it's not about manipulating them to what you want. It's really just or coercing them or anything. It's actually inspire. It's inspiring them using, you know, words are as we know are only 5% of communication. It's our physiology, it's the way we describe things and and we step in when, when you develop trust, as you do with athletes or business or high level business people, you know it's a trust thing. And if you can enter their world by using the forms of communication the way they move their eyes. I mean, you ever, you ever, you ever asked a kid why they think another kid's weird? They go, Oh, he's so weird. Well, then if you ask them, Well, what, what is weird about? Well, they they stare, they look, they don't look away, or they make me uncomfortable. But when you can decipher those little nuances and then step into that world and then motivate them using, you know, the suggestions that you were talking about, man, that is powerful. And there's a whole lot more, but I just wanted to clarify what how potent hypnosis and NLP can be for someone, yes, no, it

Brandon Sprout: 37:49

definitely, it definitely is. And it has to be used ethically for sure, right? And so, you know, I guess I should clean that up, because I kind of used it in a more of a manipulative way, but I guess I was just describing the power of it. And so to reframe that and kind of go back, you know, when I work with someone using these tools, you know, I'm helping them achieve what they want, not what I want, right? And and so, you know, that's why it does take a lot. You know, rapport is the most important component into, you know, working with especially high level, you know, elite athletes, right? Because this is their career, their livelihood, you're talking about, right? And so you have to have complete trust and and so that's kind of part of the job too, is, you know, you have to be able to be a likable person first of all, right? And you have to be confident, and you have to be like you have to, you know, you know they have to be certain that you're on their team and not on your own.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 39:05

I had to laugh. I had to laugh about the the the dishes and your wife, because I had the same issue with my younger brother like you know, 3040, years ago, when we were living together, he would leave the dishes all the time. But I wasn't as nice as you were. I said, bro, if you leave the dishes in the sink again, I'm putting them in your bed dirt. I'm gonna put them in your bed. And you know what? He did it again, and I put the dishes in his bed, the dirty dishes in his bed. So there was no NLP back then.

Brandon Sprout: 39:40

That works too, you know, there's a lot of things that you know when it comes Angel transformation, there's a lot of different avenues, you know. But you know, I am. Experience, I feel like I found one that was that kind of gets people there very quick, but also it's sustainable, right? You know, it's not like a quick, you know, it's not like a something that you're only going to have for like, you know, a day or two. You know what I do is literally, you know change. You know the identity, right? So that way you know the change is everlasting, and I think that's also important, right? So that way you're not like, really band aiding anything. You're, you're, you're really attacking the core issues here, right, which is how I respond to stress, and, you know, an identity, and then also kind of align my, you know, just, you know, kind of creating new neural pathways into kind of what it is that's needed in order for them to perform at the highest level. And, you know, it's a it's been so fun. I enjoy it. And I get to, you know, it's also, I get to think also, why I really got into this is because part of me just misses the competitive nature of sport, right? You know, I think there's a little kid in me misses being, you know, you know, the lights being on, kind of running out in the field. And so this is an opportunity me to, like, kind of, kind of help, you know, and be a part of one's journey of winning and and then I also have my own things as well, right? I got into boxing not too long ago. Don't know how much longer I can do it competitively. My body is just not allowing me anymore, you know. But you know that, you know that kind of brought back, you know? You know that part in my life where I get to train for something, you know, I think that part of my life is, you know, you know, it was so big for me when I was young that once I didn't have it anymore, like part of me was missing, right, and, and so I kind of going back into, like, you know, Trying to be a champion and everything I do, you know, I think that, you know, that's really been my, you know, my mantra and my my life today is like, you know, when I focus on how I can be the best at whatever it is I do that's gonna snowball into everything I do. And so when I, when I picked up boxing, I'm like, You know what? I'm going to be the best, like 40 year old boxer is, and, and so I'd say that as if I was, you know, that person. And unfortunately, my body doesn't think so. So I had, I had this crazy bursitis in my elbow that got to the size of like, like a softball, and then drain it with like, and syringes.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 43:13

Brendan, I might wait, wait a second. I want to get back to the identity. Bringing it back. We've been talking about identity a lot, and yeah, what happens when that identity becomes fragile and and what are some of the signs that that identity is starting to become a little fragile? And what are some resets that you do to try and get back on track? So when they do go into a slump, they're okay.

Brandon Sprout: 43:37

I mean, you'll it's, you'll be you'll see it. I mean, you'll see it in the demeanor. You'll see it in even their body language, right, how they stand. Are they standing like this? Are they standing like this? Their attitude, their performance, their leadership, like you'll tell when their identity is unaligned with, you know, kind of where they want to be. A lot of it is they will play timid and scared, rather than playing, you know, confident and just and calm, right? A lot of the time is, you know, I think with there's a misunderstanding that, you know, which I still don't understand. I get it, but you know, you need to be like, pumped up before a game in this, like, super crazy state. And yes, I agree to an extent, right? But I also believe that there needs to be a calmness, because, you know, you want to almost be able to slow down the game right, to where you're able to kind of predict when, when kind of things are happening or or you want to be able to have that moment where you're using your training, or whatever film you studied. You want to be able to kind of use that right. And so you have. To be able to slow down the game. And when you're able to slow down the game, you're able to make, you know, a lot better decisions. But how do I, you know, how do I help somebody when they're in that identity crisis, is, you know, with what, with what I do is, you know, there's not, there's nothing I can do or say that's going to help them. But you know what I would do is, I would work with them, right? I'll give you, I'll just give you an example. So if I were to train with like a I'll give you this example, right? So I'm, I might be training with this, this quarterback who started in the NFL last year and got bent and and, you know, he trains really hard outside in the gym, right? But there's, there's a huge identity issue, because he came from, you know, kind of like what I was talking about earlier, came from college being like, you know, a highly talked about, highly decorated quarterback, to now just, you know, getting benched and doesn't know what's going to be next for his career, right? You know, the fact that he doesn't know what's going to happen in the future, like he doesn't like, he's not certain that he's going to be, you know, you know, back and playing for either another team or that team, like he is not playing to win. He is now playing from, like, you know, from like, a fear state, right? And that fear is because he's lost that identity. And so, you know what I you know, my goal for someone like that would be to really explore, you know, what is your identity, help them find that right, and then implement it in our sessions. And really, you know, really compound every week to cement it, cement it during the off season. And so that way, when you know when the season starts, we can focus more on other things, but now at least the you know, the core issue right, which is the identity and how he responds to those stressors, has been reprogrammed. And there's not like a, you know, there's not like, I mean, in our sessions, we'll create anchors, right? We'll create anchors so that way, if they do start to feel some type of like, you know, emotional slip, where they can kind of create that anchor I like to use. I mean, it depends on if they have like kind of certain traits or ticks they like to use normally. But normally I'll use though they'll pinch their their thumb to their pointer finger, and that will put them back into that identity, in that state that we've already conditioned through the off season.

Unknown: 47:59

Okay, so an anchor

Dr. Spencer Baron: 48:02

is probably best described for those who are not sure. It's like Pavlov's dogs. You ring a bell, they salivate, you know, and you've trained them to ring, ring the bell and all that. You know, anchors are powerful. And when you can recall, you know, what's interesting is you to develop an anchor to try to have someone recall the best or greatest moment in their entire life. Now, I when I ask somebody that or patient to get them out of their shitty state, they they don't have a they can't even recall a time, but I go, Okay, let's see the difference, and I'll ask them, tell me about the freaking worst time in your entire life. And boom, they come up with, like, three things. I go now, is that fair? And so when they when you finally cultivate what that greatest moment in their entire life was, and then you can develop an anchor, like when, you know, like a, you know, pumped fist, or, yeah, something like that. It's a it is a powerful tool. So thank you for bringing

Brandon Sprout: 49:02

that up. Oh, absolutely no. Anchors are important. I mean, we all kind of have them unconsciously too, whether we know or not, we all have some forms of anchors to kind of help us. You know, positive or negative anchors, to be honest, right? But you know, kind of going back off what you're talking about with how, you know, most people can't remember, like, you know, the best time, but they can remember all the bad times. I have a secret, right? A little, a little, a little mental secret, where I can kind of get answers from people, and it seems like, right, when I say, it's going to seem so dumb, but I promise, if you use it, you'll always get an answer. All right, so when someone says, when you ask someone a question, like, Hey, so what was the what's the best time? What's the best moment of your life you can or, what can you recall was the best time? You'll. It, and they say, Ah, man, I don't know. Ask them if you did know what would it be, and you will always get the

Unknown: 50:12

Yeah, yeah. You will always get the answer. If

Brandon Sprout: 50:15

you did know what would it be, and that, they will give you answer, and it's the actual answer, because they're just going to tell you something which is coming from the subconscious, right? Because they can't, in their conscious mind, can't think of anything right now, so they're going to have to use whatever has been actually programmed in order. They're just going to say whatever it comes out, which is the truth, usually, and that's going to be the answer. And so I've used that a million times, and it's always worked.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 50:45

It's worth repeating again. Say,

Brandon Sprout: 50:48

Okay, so if someone says they if you ask them a question, like, hey, what was the you know, what's the best time of your life? And they say, I don't know. Ask them if you did know, what would it be? And they will always give you the answer,

Dr. Terry Weyman: 51:03

there's your fist pump there. Hey, I gotta ask something else while we have the time. It's like you started your career working with high schools and dealing with parents and dealing with these kids and all that. And I know you loved that part of your life, but when we first started, it was different. Now you've got this n, i L, stuff, you've got this pressure, and now these high school kids are asking to be adults and what they didn't have to deal with in high school. They had to wait till d1, or or pros. Now they're having to deal with that stuff in high school. So what you because you started with that part of your career in high school, now you're working with the pros. What are some advice for both parents, for kids that are in this 1819, and they're having to be act like adults, what's some of your your stuff you're seeing now, that and some mental landmines that you're seeing and ways of handling it.

Brandon Sprout: 52:05

Yeah, you know, I think the parents kind of get too involved in their you know, and I think it's just natural they're trying to protect their kids and and put them in a good decision and protect them from themselves. But I think it does more damage than good. You know, I think that you have to let your kids make mistakes and learn and grow, and it's their journey, right? It's their journey, and they and, you know, we only grow with from adversity. We don't grow when things are easy. We only grow when things are hard. And so I think, as you know, for parents, a lot of these kids have issues because the parents won't let go of control, and then the kids become dependent on them, and then that also affects their confidence, right? You know, it robs them of confidence, of self sufficiency, self reliance. And so what happens is, you get all these kids that you know, mommy and daddy just took care of them and made sure everything was perfect. Then, you know, you blink, they're 28 years old, and they Hey, Mom, can you go grab my medication from CVS for me, please? You know what? I mean. It's ridiculous. And and, and then, you know, when you say, when they finally say, No, you know they're gonna throw tantrums, kick and scream, and because they it's they don't know how to do anything themselves. And so I think it's also very important for for parents with with any, no matter of sports or not with any 18 year old. Like, let them learn how to like, let like, let them fall, let them, let them grow right. Like, give them responsibilities. Like, like, don't just try to escape that. Like, let them make mistakes, even if you don't, even if you think it's they're going to ruin their life. Like, Oh, you know, you got into Yale, but you want to become a electrician instead, right? Like, let them be electrician. Like, you know, I think a lot of the time is, you know, these parents, they think they're doing good, but they're really, you know, it's, it's almost, you know, what they're really doing is they're, they're saving their own emotional state by by trying to get their kids to do what they want them to do, rather than just, like, deal with their own emotions and let their kids just kind of figure it out. And, yeah, I mean, it's, it's a big it's like an epidemic. These parents are, it's, it's sad to watch, and I totally get it.

Dr. Terry Weyman: 54:44

What the reason I brought this up? I, you know, I heard actually had a patient that day this it was like, Well, my kid is only, you know, 1718, doesn't have a frontal lobe, doesn't have full brain development. He's having to make multi million dollar decisions. And so the. Parent is looking at this going, this is a multi million dollar decision for an nil money. They don't understand the consequences yet. And if they make the wrong decisions, they're, you know, I mean, it's, it's a tough balance and and so, from your standpoint, when the kid is trying to make the right decisions but doesn't have the the life knowledge to make those decisions? The parents are over pushing because they do have life, but they're also there. It's a multi million dollar decision, where, how do you find that balance, and how do you work with both sides?

Brandon Sprout: 55:30

Yeah, that's a different Okay, okay, now I'm understanding the question, yeah, you know what? I think that's actually an avenue for maybe a new job for somebody. I think there needs to be advocates for these younger kids. And when it comes to money, I mean, even for NFL players, they'll tell you, man, they there's more people that go bankrupt, you know, after they, after they retire, then then, you know, keep, you know that actually have success and keep their money. And you know, unfortunately, you know, we don't come from a family that you know has money. There's no one there to help teach you how to like, you know, how to invest your money, or how to even like, balance your checkbook, right? And so no one you know, no one has you know, given all this person money with no financial literacy, right? And so, you know, I think that, I think that having somebody, it doesn't happen to necessarily be your parents, but having somebody help you, like getting a financial advisor or something, right? Like, I have a financial advisor, I'm not the best with money. I'm, you know, I'm okay, but I'm not perfect, right? I make stupid financial decisions sometimes, and because of that, you know, you know, I had to find somebody that you know can help me kind of see the bigger picture of of my career and finances as a whole. And so I think that, you know, if I were to be working with a young, 1718, year old that was dealing with some, you know, coming into a big chunk of money, I would recommend him connecting with a financial advisor to kind of take it, to have, you know, to get a professional opinion. You know, I'm not a financial advisor, so I can't tell nobody what to do with their money, nor do they probably want my advice or should have it, but I would recommend, I would always recommend them to seek professional counsel for that, for sure, because you can really mess it up if you know. And I think at that point, you know, they should probably be talking to if they're dealing with contracts and money like that. I'm guessing they should have management or or like an agent or something like that. You know, I'm sure that would probably be pretty helpful as well. Having somebody that can kind of, that has, has an understanding of the industry, kind of guide you in the right direction, and hopefully you find a good one and not a bad

Dr. Spencer Baron: 58:18

I wanted to before we go into our final stage, where the program, I wanted to make mention that, you know, with the high divorce rate that goes on, you know, parents are at odds with each other, and they're trying to win the kids over, and they are enablers, and that is a message to any of the listeners or viewers, is to be cautious of being an enabler and trying to win over your kid, because you're probably given. You're giving them leeway to make, to make mistakes in a bad way, versus inspiring them to make good decisions. So you know, I always suggest parents to default to someone who's not in the family to provide questions or answers to questions, especially in the financial world. You know so but yeah, thanks for that.

Brandon Sprout: 59:11

I would never recommend them. It gets too weird when your parents are dealing with especially if you're 1718, years old, and your parents are dealing with your money, that's going to be like 90% that's going to be a headache, and it's going to create a lot of friction within, you know, your family dynamic. And I would not suggest that whatsoever

Dr. Spencer Baron: 59:29

and and fortunately, over the years that we saw in professional sports that they do provide financial advisors, because that world is making so much money more than ever before. The contracts are hideous. And you know, what do you do? Yeah. So Brendan, thank you for that. I'm gonna, we're gonna step into our rapid fire questions, which I I'm gonna see how. How fast you can answer some of these questions to wrap up the program, they're fun questions, and there's five of them. Are you ready for question number one? Okay, what's one mental hack you think every athlete should learn before they ever step on the field or the court? And why? Visualization?

Brandon Sprout: 1:00:23

I think they should do mental rehearsals, right? So if they have a strategy depending on the sport, right? You know, for for a boxer, I would, you know, I would visualize kind of your fight, almost like kind of rehearse it, be in the ring. Feel the emotions get hit. Visualize yourself resetting, chin down, hands up, and then striking right back. Visualize like I would, visualize it in slow motion, in regular motion, and then in fast motion, right. And when you when you're able to do that, you're able to, kind of, your nervous system is going to respond much quicker when you're actually in there, because you've just kind of experienced the fight, you know, already on a subconscious level, which is taking it in as you know, as real anyways, right? Because our mind doesn't know the difference. And so when you're able to do that, you're conditioning yourself. You're creating experience. And like I said earlier, your subconscious likes what it knows. It's homeostasis. And so if you just, if you're, if you're just rehearsed yourself, you know countering, you know, a certain combination over and over again in your mind, then when you're in the ring, it's going to become second nature. It's not going to you're not going to have to think about it. It's just going to be, it's going to be a reaction. So I think visualization is so important. I think it's, I mean, it's talked about, but I don't think it's used enough, and I think it's going to be a huge game, game. It's going to, you know, it's going to be a game changer for anybody that starts implementing it.

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:01:59

Question number two. Now I want you to visual. This is not question number two, but I want you to visualize what it would be like to give a rapid fire answer to the next four questions. Question number two, you work with subconscious and identity, not just performance strategies. What's one belief? One belief most athletes are unaware of. It's holding them back. Confidence, good, wow. What a comeback he made. Did you see that? Yeah, that was great. Perfect question. Number three, you lived in a high pressure environment since youth sports, snowboarding, BMX, which is that's a tough one, boxing, what's the give us a funny, you know, most humbling moment that reminds you that you're human too.

Brandon Sprout: 1:02:57

I'll give you a recent one. So I was, I was sparring at the gym with this little guy, right? Just fine. He was not that good either. And so I was kind of like, you know, sparring with him, you know, I'm like, You want me to go easy? He's like, No man, you know, and, and so I still was going to be easy on him, and he broke my notes,

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:03:31

that's a rough one. All right, thanks for sharing. Question number four, I saw you post something about staying calm on the field, being more about breathing than talent. What is the weirdest place that technique has actually helped you stay grounded, the bedroom. Friend and that was great. That was great. I almost want to make that the last question. I got four more for you. If you could give every young athlete one belief about the mind that would change the course of their career, and what would it be and why

Brandon Sprout: 1:04:20

that is program that it's you're able to program it that what you're feeling and who you are, that's not the end all be all. You can become anybody you want. And you know, you can have somebody program that and, and so if you know, if you're, if you're talented at something, you can, you can match that your mind with your abilities, right? You could. I'm trying to think of it the best way of putting this, you know, you can be talented and you can be, you know, I. The most confident. You know, you can believe you're the best, right? I've seen a lot of talented people that weren't that confident. They didn't think they were that great, right? And once you help them believe they were great, they became, you know, like they're you know, nothing even changed outside of of the of their abilities or their performance. They just want this, their charisma, their demeanor changed, right? And so they had more fun. Their experience with the sport has changed for them, right? Even though nothing has changed on the physical world, right? But to them, everything has changed, right? And so, you know, I think that, you know, building an identity, you know, building an identity would be my answer for that one, for sure,

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:05:52

that was great. Thank you. And I gotta tell any of the audience listening or watching, is it, man, you gotta check out Brandon's website. It is going to be one of the badass, most badass websites I've seen before. So anyway, I had to throw that in there, because I saw it, and it was really, really impressive. So hey, just like the show. Thank you so much, man. I appreciate you being on the show. Of course,

Brandon Sprout: 1:06:17

I appreciate you guys. And hey, merch is going to be coming pretty soon on my website too. So if anybody wants to pick up some goat merch dropping pretty soon,

Dr. Terry Weyman: 1:06:30

thanks, brother and I look forward to seeing you soon. Thanks, of course,

Dr. Spencer Baron: 1:06:38

thank you for listening to today's episode of The Kraken backs podcast. We hope you enjoyed it. Make sure you follow us on Instagram at Kraken backs podcast. Catch new episodes every Monday. See you next time you.