The Mental Mettle Podcast
Episodes
156 episodes
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...
Ep 140: Shane Fisher USA Bobsled Pilot Part 1
Shane Fisher is an elite athlete on a mission to become an Olympian. He started in tennis, moved into the decathlon, and now competes as a pilot for the USA Bobsled Team.Along the way, Shane has learned that mental skills matter more th...
Ep: 139: The Winning Edge with Morgan (Kane) Brons
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Matt sits down with Morgan (Kane) Brons—former Iowa State women’s basketball standout, D2 Sweet 16 finisher at Nova Southeastern, and founder of Winning Edge Coaching.Morgan’s j...
Ep. 138: "Coach the Heart First" with Greg Gisinger
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Coach Greg Geisinger to dig into what it really means to “coach the heart first.”After more than 20 years in boys’ high school basketball and a successful ru...
Ep. 137: Making football the best part of a kid's day with State Champion Coach Garrett Mueller
“Football should be the best part of a kid’s day.”In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, host Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Coach Garrett Mueller, head football coach at Stewartville High School (MN), to unpack how a shift in ...
Ep 136: Use Your Strengths and Own Your Limitations with Coach Adam Lewandowski
Welcome back to The Mental Mettle Podcast with Coach Matt Thomann – the show where we break down the habits, mindset, and systems behind real mental toughness in sport and life.In this episode, Coach Adam Lewandowski of And...
Episode 135: If you want to grow in 2026, Be Vulnerable.
If your idea of toughness is resisting all change and never admitting your weaknesses, you’re blocking your own growth. It really is that simple.True strength means being willing to see where you fall short—and yes, even asking for help....
Episode 134: Beyond the Pitch: Maya Lambert on Turning Soccer Lessons into Career Strengths
In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Thomann talks with former Purdue University captain and professional defender Maya Lambert about how her soccer journey prepared her for life and work beyond the game.We talk abou...
Episode 133: 100% Mettle: Coach Matt Thomann’s 9 Core Topics for Positive Toughness
In Episode 133 of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann breaks down his framework for **100% Mettle**—the ability to recognize your strengths and limitations in adversity while embracing the repetition of positive actions that demonstra...
Ep. 132: The Power of Hope with Derek Gordon
Derek Gordon is a Ministry Coordinator at a men’s homeless shelter in Peoria, and he understands the power of hope. In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, Derek sits down with Coach Matt Thomann to discuss how his own mistakes—and his wo...
Ep 131: Way of the Warrior: Leadership Coaching with SGT. Brett Miller
Coach Matt Thomann hosts The Mental Mettle Podcast with guest Brett Miller—Air National Guard Sergeant, Caterpillar auditor, youth coach, and founder of Way of the Warrior Leadership Academy. Brett takes us inside his Captain’s Class program, w...