Sports Psychology Coaching

What to Say to Your Athlete After a Bad Game (Avoid This Mistake)

• Eli Straw

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0:00 | 10:26

In this episode, I explain what to say to your athlete after a bad game and how the wrong conversation can actually hurt their confidence moving forward. I break down how criticism increases fear and pressure, why athletes struggle to move on from poor performances, and how you can guide them to bounce back faster.

🧠 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes:
If your athlete struggles with confidence, pressure, or letting one bad game turn into many, I work with athletes through my 12-week one-on-one mental performance coaching program.

Learn more: https://www.successstartswithin.com/mental-performance-coaching/

🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • When to talk to your athlete after a bad game
  • Why criticism can increase fear and lower confidence
  • How to shift their focus to effort, attitude, and controllables
  • How to talk about mistakes in a way that builds confidence
  • How to help them learn from mistakes without overthinking
  • Why separating identity from performance is so important


🧠 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/


👉 Confident Competitor Academy: Go from playing with fear & anxiety to playing with confidence in just 6 weeks!


👉 Mentally Tough Kid Course


📖 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.