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 Athletes Build Positive Self-Talk Habits Before and During Competition
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What’s the best way for athletes to develop positive self-talk habits before and during games? In this episode, mental performance coach Eli Straw explains how your thoughts shape your mindset, emotions, and performance, and how to train your thinking to compete with confidence and freedom.
You’ll learn how negative thought patterns create fear, tension, and hesitant play, and how positive self-talk helps athletes stay confident, focused, and resilient under pressure.
Eli breaks down a simple, practical system for building strong self-talk habits both before competition and during games.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why self-talk directly impacts confidence, emotions, and performance
- How to identify and replace negative thought patterns before competition
- A simple daily self-talk routine to retrain your mindset
- How to use mantras during games to stay calm, focused, and confident
- How reframing helps you recover quickly after mistakes
- How proactive self-talk keeps your mind positive under pressure
- How to stay present and avoid outcome-focused thinking during competition
Positive self-talk is not about “just thinking positive.” It is about training your mind to support your performance, manage fear, and help you compete freely and confidently.
If you want to strengthen your mental game, build confidence, and learn how to control your mindset before and during competition, this episode will give you a clear system to start using immediately.
Eli Straw is a mental performance coach who works with athletes around the world through a structured 12-week mental performance coaching program focused on confidence, composure, focus, and resilience under pressure.
Learn more about 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching
Share this episode with an athlete who struggles with negative thinking, fear, or confidence during competition.
🧠 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.