The Mental Mettle Podcast
Episodes
165 episodes
Ep. 163: Playing from Identity, Not Approval with Ricky Scruggs
What if the biggest obstacle to peak performance isn't a lack of confidence—but a misplaced identity?In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, I sit down with mental and spiritual performance coach Ricky Scruggs ...
Ep. 162: Six Throws: Years of Preparation, Seconds to Perform with USA thrower Rachel Richeson
What if everything you've worked for came down to just six attempts?That's the reality for Team USA hammer thrower Rachel Richeson. After years of training, sacrifice, and relentless improvement, Olympic dreams and World Championship opp...
Ep. 161: Faith, Ironman, and Stage 4 Cancer: Just Keep Tri-ing with Jim Logan.
What happens when a lifelong endurance athlete is suddenly told he has Stage 4 cancer and may only have months to live?In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Ironman competitor and author Jim Loga...
Ep. 160: Ryan Davis is not a great coach despite his anxiety; he is a great coach because of it.
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Roanoke Benson girls basketball coach Ryan Davis for a powerful conversation about anxiety, expectations, coaching, and vulnerability.Ryan shares his persona...
Ep. 159: Be Willing to Be Bad – From Hoops to Team USA Handball with Katie Timmerman
Most people think mental toughness is just grinding harder at what you’re already good at. This episode is about the opposite: choosing to be a beginner again on purpose.In this conversation, I sit down with USA Team Handball player and ...
Ep. 158: When Lightning Strikes: Responding to Life’s Hardest Hits with Author Scott Lackey.
When life changes in an instant, who you are after matters more than what happened.In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt sits down with Scott Lackey — U.S. Army veteran, former college basketball...
Ep: 157: Full Send: Paralympic Powerlifter Ashley Dyce on Persistence and Progress
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Matt sits down with Team USA para powerlifter Ashley Dyce, who was born with spina bifida and has fought her way onto the world stage through a decade of relentless commitment.Ashley shares h...
Ep. 156: Raising Superheroes: Megan Gilmore on Mental Health & Well‑Being for Kids
In this episode of The Mental Middle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Megan Gilmore—founder and executive director of Larksong, certified coach, and author—to talk about how early we should be building mental health an...
Ep. 155: Time on Feet: How Kyle Thompson Uses Adversity to Chase Excellence
Regional Superintendent and ultramarathoner Kyle Thompson joins The Mental Mettle Podcast to break down how “time on feet” in the mountains has reshaped the way he leads, parents, and lives.Kyle is the Regional Superintendent of ROE #11 ...
Ep. 154: Secrets Behind the Third Skill Set: Mental Performance
Unlock the real difference-maker in sports performance: your mind.In this solo episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann reveals the Secrets Behind the Third Skill Set: Mental Performance—the ...
Ep. 153: "Raging Psychopath" to Transformational Coach with Lee Mateer
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with 24-year coaching veteran and fellow Millikin alum, Coach Lee Mateer of Taylorville High School.By his own words, Lee used to be “the raging psychopath” on th...
Ep 152: "Throwing it into the pole" with Olympian Joe Brown
Today’s episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast is all about what you do after you hit rock bottom, in sport and in life.My guest is Olympian discus thrower Joe Brown (@joethethrower on Instagram)—one of only a handful of Division II...
Ep. 151: Before the Crisis – How Coach Chad Cluver’s Habits Shape Team Adversity Response
Before the crisis hits, your team has already decided how it will respond.In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with IBCA Hall of Fame coach Chad Cluver to unpack how daily habits, st...
EP. 150: Do All Your Labor as Unto the Lord: Faith, Failure, and the Hammer with Olympian Alex Young
On this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Matt sits down with 2020 Olympian and NCAA national champion hammer thrower Alex Young to talk about what it really means to “do all your labor as unto the Lord.”Alex grew up in Lavern...
Ep. 149: Never Done Learning with HOF Coach Pat Ryan
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Pat Ryan, Director of High School Relations for Illinois Football and longtime head coach at Metamora High School.📌 About Pat RyanPat Rya...
Ep. 148: Reborn in the Ring: Gabi Jacobs on Walking Away, Coming Back, and Trusting the Process
Team USA discus thrower Gabi Jacobs didn’t start track dreaming of the Olympics. She joined in 7th grade just to hang out with friends, then quietly became a three-time All-American and three-time SEC champion at Mizzou. After a heartbreaking O...
Ep. 147: Fear vs. Faith with Dr. Dave Jones: Beating Toxic Motivators with True Mental Toughness
Former pro hockey player, Air Force veteran, and sport & performance psychologist Dr. Dave Jones joins The Mental Mettle Podcast to unpack the battle between fear and faith—and how “toxic motivators” quietly drive so many athletes and high ...
Ep. 146: Pedaling with a Purpose with USA Track Cyclist McKenna McKee
McKenna McKee is a 16-time National Champion in sprint cycling, she is an Olympic hopeful for Team USA, and she is also in school to become a nurse. She is an impressive young woman and her accomplishments are notable. What makes it...
Ep. 145 The Resilient Parents Playbook
👉 Get the free playbook here: resilientparentsplaybook.comResilient Parents Playbook: 5 Mistakes Killing Your Athlete’s Confidence (and What to Do Instead)In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann pu...
Ep. 144: Persistence Over Prodigy with Team USA Climber Ben Hanna
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Team USA climber Ben Hanna, one of the grittiest and most consistent competitors in American climbing.Ben was never the “young phenom” who won ...
Ep. 143. Skydiving into Sharks with Travis Thomas: Improv Tools for Athletes and Coaches
Skydiving with Sharks with Travis Thomas: Improv Tools for Athletes and CoachesIn this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with performance coach, keynote speaker, and author Travis Thomas to ...
Ep 142: Zen & Grit: The Mental Game of Nordic Combined with USA Olympian Niklas Malacinski
Olympian and U.S. Nordic Combined national champion Niklas Malacinski joins The Mental Mettle Podcast to break down the real mental side of elite performance.Nordic combined is already wild: ski jumping plus cross-country skiing in one ...
Ep 141: Shane Fisher USA Bobsled Pilot Part 2
In Part 2 of my conversation with Team USA bobsled pilot Shane Fisher, we go deeper into the real cost of chasing an Olympic dream—and why mindset alone isn’t enough when the bills keep coming.Shane pulls back the curtain on the...