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 philosophy transformed his program on the field and in the minds of his athletes.

Garrett’s resume is stacked:

• 18 years coaching, 15 at Stewartville
• 8 years as head coach
• 70–14 record, 2 state championships
• A 30‑game win streak

But the real story is how they did it.

We dive into:

• Why he moved away from the “grind” model of football practices
• How Feed the Cats / sprint‑based football changed everything
• Making football the best part of a kid’s day instead of a daily beatdown
• How shorter, high‑intensity practices actually improved performance
• The role of mental health, joy, and recovery in building a championship culture
• Coaching alongside his Hall of Fame dad and now coaching his own sons
• Avoiding youth burnout (and why they don’t push early tackle football)
• What happens when success dips and how to re‑center on your core principles
• The power of “Hunt the Good Stuff” as a daily mindset

If you’re a coach, parent, or athlete who senses there has to be a better way than endless conditioning, punishments, and grind culture, this conversation will give you a concrete, proven alternative.

Subscribe to The Mental Mettle Podcast and start forging your 100% Mettle today.

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