Raising Elite Competitors

Latest Episodes:

Athlete Tip: How To Not Play Down To Your Competition Apr 27, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever played a game or participated in a competition that wasn’t challenging to you? But when you actually went out to play, you didn’t play as well as you wanted to? Did you make silly mistakes and have trouble staying focused?

If you can relate, we have 3 tips to help you out. In today’s Athlete Tip episode, we’re talking about why this happens and how to prevent it from happening to you in your future competitions.

Why Does This Happen?
You might think that playing against a team that isn’t quite on your team’s level might be a piece of cake, but that’s not always true. When your competition isn’t on the same level and you don’t prepare for the game, you might find yourself not playing as well as you thought you would.

This happens because you're not preparing for the game. You tell yourself, “we have nothing to worry about'', and with that mindset, you’re not properly preparing your mind and body for competition. When you don’t prepare, you make yourself vulnerable to silly mistakes because you’re not as focused.

The best athletes prepare for every game no matter who they’re playing. It actually doesn’t matter who the competition is or what level they’re competing on. But athletes who prepare by training the mental and physical side of their game show up with consistency, and they’re ready to play their best every time.

How To Consistently Play Your Best

#1: Prepare the same as you would for any other competition.
It’s important to prepare for games the same way every time. A great way to prepare for every game is by using visualization. To visualize, find a quiet place to sit down, breathe, and visualize what you want to happen in the game ahead of you. Picture yourself playing how you want to play, and feel what it feels like to play your best.

#2: Pick a goal and stick to it.
When picking a goal, it’s important to pick a goal that’s 100% in your control. For example, if you pick a goal such as, “I want to score 10 points”, that goal has some elements to it that are outside of your control. But if you pick a goal like, “I want to be available for every set” then you’re picking a goal that you can fully control and can help you get to the goal of scoring 10 points. When you have a goal for the game that’s something you can control, you’ll stay grounded and focused.

#3: Be in the present moment.
It’s important to focus mentally on the present moment, because this is when you’ll play your best. When you’re in the middle of a game, pause and ask yourself, “what do I need to do at this moment to play my best?” You might have to do this over and over again, but when you own the present moment you’ll play to your full potential.

Wrap Up
Regardless of the things you can’t control in a game, don’t forget that you are 100% in control of your energy. Don’t let someone else control your energy for you. I want to challenge you to go into games with full control over your own energy, because when you do, you’ll play your best.

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Helpful Links:

Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do
Visit our podcast website for more great episodes

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How To Fit Mental Training Into Your Busy Schedule - 3 Practical Tips That Actually Save You Time! Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

Do you want to fit mental training into you and your athlete daughter's schedule, but you don’t know how? Do you continue to tell yourself that you’ll do mental training “one day”, but that day keeps getting pushed?
You already know how important it is for your daughter to train the mental side of her game. You want to see her play with confidence, and you know that if she focuses on mental training, she can get there. As her mom, you also want to make time to train your mental game too, so you can help. But how do you fit it in?
Today, we’re sharing three practical tips that will help make it easy for you and your daughter to incorporate mental training into your busy schedules. These tips come directly from our sports moms and their athlete daughters that are making time for the Elite Competitor Program in the midst of their own busy schedules. If they can make it work, we know you can, too!
How To Prioritize Mental Training
Before we jump into the three practical tips for incorporating mental training into your schedule, it’s important to address the two things you can do to prioritize mental training. When mental training becomes a priority, it’s easier to incorporate it into our schedules.
First, we naturally make time for the things that are important to us. There’s no way around this truth. You already do this for the things in your life that are important to you. So, if you’re struggling to find time for mental training, it might be worth checking in on how much of a priority it is, or isn’t, to you.
Second, know that investing time in mental training will save you time in the long run. Ask yourself, how much time have you already spent trying to convince your daughter she’s good enough? How often does she dwell on mistakes after a game? Spending a relatively small amount of time on the mental side now will save a big amount of time later.
3 Practical Tips To Help Moms + Athletes Get It Done

Put it in the calendar: What gets scheduled, gets done. Take a look at your week and find a 30-40 minute window to schedule in ECP time for both you and your daughter. Once you add it to your calendars, it won’t be an afterthought.
Make mental training something that you both look forward to: This can be a really fun mom and daughter bonding experience. Make it a coffee date, go grab a treat, and do your ECP work together. Before you know it, you’ll both be looking forward to this blocked out time together.
Stack mental training onto something that you’re already doing: Squeeze it in with something else where it makes sense. If you’re doing a mindless task such as folding laundry, you can easily stream the program through your headphones like you would a podcast. This applies for your athlete as well.

In Conclusion
These tips come directly from moms and athletes in the program that are making it work for them. A little bit of investment on the front end goes a long way and saves a lot of time on the backend. Remember - mental training doesn’t take a lot of time, and it's time well spent!
You already know how hard you’re working to help your daughter get to the next level. But with the help of mental training, you can double down on helping her get to where she wants to be, help her play with confidence, and believe in herself as much as you believe in her.

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Helpful Links:

Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.
Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

Join our FREE live training for sports parents: The Do's and Don'ts of Strengthening Your Athlete's Mental Game! -> REGISTER HERE

How To Know If Mental Training Will Pay Off For Your Athlete w/ Sports Mom Kourtney Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

Have you been on the fence about investing in mental training for your athlete daughter? Mental training is an investment for the both of you, but it’s an investment that has significant payoff and impact throughout her sports journey, your journey with her, and for life after sports.
Today, we’re joined by two members of the Elite Competitor community, sports mom Kourtney and her volleyball player daughter, Danika. They share more about how the investment of mental training has paid off for them in both the short term and the long term.
Kourtney + Danika’s Backstory
Kourtney desires to be a cycle breaker. She describes that she was raised in a home where she felt like she could never do anything right. As a mom now herself, it’s important to her that her daughters aren’t raised in the same way.
Before starting the program, Danika describes that she struggled with her mindset. If she made a mistake, it would cause her mind to spiral into thoughts such as, “I can’t do anything right” or, “I’m never going to be good at this.”
Kourtney shares that from her perspective, she could tell Danika was struggling to get past mistakes. She saw Danika pouring her heart and soul into her sport, but she would get stuck. Kourtney shares that it was hard to watch her daughter go through this. She didn’t want to see Danika fall out of love with the sport.
What Kourtney + Danika Have Learned
After starting the program, Danika shares that she started to notice a difference in her mindset. She became more positive, and she told herself things like, “I’m a good player, I can do this.” Danika's favorite part about the program was learning helpful breathing methods and how to slow down when she starts to feel stuck in a spiral.
Kourtney shares that once they started the program, she noticed that Danika’s level of self confidence significantly grew. She even saw a difference in her stature and the way she played. She was more positive, she cheered on her teammates, and she kept her head up throughout the game.
Kourtney mentioned that even though they’ve completely gone through the program once already, they continue to talk about what they’ve learned and they go back to their ECP work frequently. Just like physical skills, mental training skills need practice and repetition too. If you don’t use it, you lose it!
Takeaways
Danika explains that going through the program with her mom has brought them much closer. She shares that when she would get frustrated while playing her sport, her mom would get upset, too. But after going through the program together, their approach to athletics is more calm and they encourage each other to remember and practice their mental training skills.
If Danika was talking to an athlete who was considering jumping into the program, she would tell them that they can trust the process. In the beginning, Danika didn’t understand how the program would help, but afterwards she was much more confident and her overall mentality was more positive.
And if Kourtney was talking to a parent who was on the fence about the program, she would encourage them to jump in sooner rather than later. She shares that she has previously spent so much time, money, and energy on her daughter’s physical training, but the investment in the mental side of the game isn’t always prioritized.
Kourtney + Danika, we're so grateful to have you both in the community! We’re so proud of you both for all the hard work you’ve put in, thank you for opening up and sharing your experience with us.

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Helpful Links:

Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.
Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

Join our FREE live training for sports parents: The Do's and Don'ts of Strengthening Your Athlete's Mental Game! -> REGISTER HERE

A Mom's Essential Role In Building Her Daughter's Confidence w/ Jill + Mary of Girls Mentorship Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

Did you know that as a mom, you play an essential role in your daughter's understanding of what confidence is?
Today, we’re joined by Jill and Mary from Girls Mentorship, and we’re talking about the important role that moms play in building up their daughters' confidence. Girls Mentorship is a personal growth and development company for teen and tween girls, and they are on a mission to help girls understand who they are.
Jill and Mary share their perspective on how important the role of a mom is in a daughter’s confidence building. Through Girls Mentorship, Jill and Mary see firsthand how beneficial it is when a mom gets involved in the journey.
The Current Level Of Confidence In Our Girls
Our girls are growing up in a time where we falsely believe that we’re more connected than ever because of the way life is shared online. However, we’re actually more disconnected and isolated than ever, and this has a big effect. They’re increasingly less confident and they lack the skills and tools they need to deal with feelings. They desire confidence, but they struggle to know how to get there.
Through the workshops that Girls Mentorship puts on, girls are encouraged to open up and share their experiences with one another. Little by little, they start to realize they aren’t alone. Over time, the walls start to break down and they feel less isolated and more connected. They learn how to verbalize their feelings instead of shoving them down internally or numbing them out. They leave with tools to relate to others, open up, and process feelings.
The Important Role That Moms Play
Jill and Mary share that the most important part of the equation of confidence growth is life at home. We can teach girls the tools they need to grow in confidence all day, but if these messages aren’t being reiterated and practiced at home then what they learn can get lost or forgotten.
It’s important for moms to ask themselves the hard questions, too. It’s imperative for moms to take inventory of their own level of confidence. The key is for parents to be self-aware of their own confidence, and aware of the level of confidence or lack of confidence that they’re fostering at home. If parents aren’t willing to do their own work and change themselves, they can’t expect their daughters to change either.
When parents are curious and want to know more about what their daughter is learning through their workshops, and they ask questions and want to know how they can continue encouraging these tools and behaviors at home, this is when they see the most growth.
Healthy and Reasonable Expectations
Often, moms have expectations for their daughters that are through the roof. When their daughter is constantly trying to live up to unreachable expectations, they feel defeated and start to self-sabotage their confidence. As her mom, it’s important to remember that although she’s an extension of you, she's still her own person.
Jill and Mary want you to know that you’re doing a great job as a mom, and none of this is meant to make you feel wrong or bad about the job you’re doing! Their hope is to encourage you on your motherhood journey, to tell you that it’s not too late to turn things around and that you are capable of making a difference in the life of your daughter when you do the work, too.

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Helpful Links:

Come hang out with Jill and Mary at Girls Mentorship on social @girlsmentorship or online at girlsmentorship.com.
Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.

Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

Join our FREE live training for sports parents: The Do's and Don'ts of Strengthening Your Athlete's Mental Game! -> REGISTER HERE

The Most Overlooked Part of Mental Training And Why Your Athlete Needs It To Play To Her Potential Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

Are you a sports mom looking for ways to build up your daughter on her sports journey? Do you want to see her grow in confidence, but you’re not sure where to start?
Today, we’re sharing the most commonly overlooked part of your daughter’s sports journey by parents.
Don’t Play The Waiting Game
It’s inevitable that your daughter will face things like feeling pressure, missed expectations, nervousness, lack of belief in herself, making mistakes, and the list could go on. These are all normal aspects of being an athlete.
So, we don’t have to play the waiting game. When it comes to training the mental side of her game, we can expect that she’ll benefit from it. We don’t have to “wait and see” if she can get through the highs and lows without mental training. Instead, we can help prepare her for what we know is coming.
The Most Overlooked Part Of Her Sports Journey
The most overlooked aspect of your daughter’s sports journey is YOU! Yes, YOUR involvement, as her mom, is a major part of her sports journey. Did you know that you have the most influence on your daughter's confidence and her overall mental game?
We often see our athlete daughter as the “doer” in the sports situation - she’s the one going to practices, training, and competing. Because she’s the one “doing” most things, we can be guilty of believing that it's only up to her to work on the mental aspect of her game. Sure, we’re typically providing support through things like transportation, feeding her, coordinating her schedule, and pay for things. These are all very important aspects of supporting her on her sports journey, but what if I told you that your role goes far beyond those things?
In reality, we have a huge impact on the mental side of her game. And as her mom, the more work you do to train yourself mentally, the more you’re able to provide a solid model of confidence for your daughter.
I challenge you to take inventory of a few things. What are you saying to your daughter before, during, and after games? When your daughter doesn’t get what she wants and she’s disappointed, how do you navigate that with her? How do you help her handle the pressures of her sport?
Pulling Back The Curtain
When we started the Elite Competitor Program, we set out to help athletes train the mental side of their game. The more we got into it, the more we realized that the missing piece of the puzzle was the influence of the parents, and specifically, the influence of the mother/daughter relationship. That’s when we added in the side of the program for the moms, dads, and caretakers of athletes.
The mentally challenging aspects of your daughter's sports journey that she’s experiencing are all normal. They might be new to her, but they’re not new in general.
The magic of the program happens when moms, dads, and caretakers invest in working on their own confidence, what they’re saying, and how they’re providing support throughout their daughter’s sports journey. When athletes feel supported, heard, and seen, they start to build confidence and let the pressure go.

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Helpful Links:

Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.
Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

Join our FREE live training for sports parents: The Do's and Don'ts of Strengthening Your Athlete's Mental Game! -> REGISTER HERE

Athlete Tip: What To Eat Before & After Games To Play Your Best! Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Are you an athlete who wants to feel good while you compete? Are you curious about what foods you can eat before and after games to fuel your body so you can perform your best?
Today, we’re joined by Amy Dirks, a registered sports dietician, who is sharing with us everything we need to know about fueling our bodies so we can feel our best and compete at our highest levels.
How Should You Fuel Up Before The Game?

The largest meal you should be having before a sports event should be about 4 hours before the event.
However, if your event is an early morning event, fueling up might look a little different than 4 hours before. In this case, you want to make sure you get something in the tank to fuel yourself.

Build Your Performance Plate:

4 hours prior to your game or competition, you’ll want to build your performance plate.
To build your performance plate:
- First, divide your plate in half. Fill the first half of the plate with your favorite vegetables.
- Next, take the second half of the plate and divide it in half again.
- The first fourth of the plate you’ll fill with a lean protein source.
  - As a note, you want to avoid beef before a game if you can. Because beef takes a long time for your body to digest, you want to save beef for a recovery meal or a meal for an off day.
- Lastly, you’ll fill the last fourth of the plate with a starchier type of carbohydrate, such as rice, sweet potato, etc.

What About Right Before, Or Between A Game?

You can certainly grab a snack before you play if that’s helpful to you, an hour or 30 minutes prior, but nothing heavy.
- Snacks such as some trail mix, grapes, a handful of nuts, a piece of turkey, an apple with almond butter, etc.
If your sport includes a halftime, you can reload at that time if needed.
- Some good mid-game snacks are orange slices, grapes, an applesauce packet, half of a fruit bar, figs, dates, etc.

A Few Things To Note:

Never eat “new to you” food, or intake a new supplement that you’ve never had before prior to game day. You don’t want to experiment right before you’re about to compete!
Be careful with convenient snack foods. Be sure to look at what the ingredients are.
- Pre-game foods and snacks shouldn’t include a lot of bad fats like trans fats, bad oils like canola oil or vegetable oil, or artificial ingredients.
- A good rule of thumb is to make sure that you can pronounce the ingredients on the label, and know what those ingredients are. If you can’t pronounce it or you don’t know what it is, it’s probably not the best to consume!

Alright athletes, I hope those tips were helpful to you, and something that you can use right away! Remember that these athlete tips are for YOU. To help you level up, play with confidence, and compete to your potential.

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Helpful Links:

Come hang out with Amy on social @amydirkssn and learn more about her sports nutrition programs!
Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do
Visit our podcast website for more great episodes

3 Easy Ways To Get Your Daughter On Board With Mental Training So She Can Level Up & Play With Confidence Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Looking for an easy way to bring up the mental game with your daughter (without getting eye rolls back?) Download our Convo Guide with tips, conversation starters, and a fun quiz she can take!

As a sports mom, you already understand the importance of the mental side of the game. But maybe, your daughter isn’t quite on board yet. What can you do to get her on the same page?
Today, I'm sharing 3 easy tips to get your daughter on board with the idea of training her mind. These tips will help her understand that training her mind doesn’t mean anything is wrong with her, but in fact, it’ll help her get to the next level.
Tip #1: Connect mental training to her goals
Start by asking her, “what are your goals?” She might not know what her goals are, but this question will get her wheels spinning. If she doesn’t have goals to share, encourage her to think about it and ask again later on. She’ll likely come up with something!
By having her communicate her goals to you, you both can be on the same page. She’ll be more open to information and feedback from you when she knows and trusts that you have her best interest at heart. Once you both have a better idea of what her goals are, you can start to connect mental training to her goals.
Tip #2: Show her examples of other athletes who use mental training
Your daughter probably has athletes that she looks up to and admires, right? If you’re not sure if she does, ask her! Any athlete who has achieved anything of significance didn’t do it without training their mind. These days, we can easily find content online from athletes who share more about their training journey.
Seek out those athletes and their stories, and point out the mental traits these athletes possess. Point out that these athletes weren’t simply “born” with these mental traits, but instead, share with her that these traits can be trained.
Tip #3: Utilize the resources I’ve created for her!
Inside and outside of the Elite Competitor Program, I’ve created several helpful resources for your athlete!
In episode 56, I interview athletes who have been through the Elite Competitor Program. They open up about their experience and how training their mind helped them in their specific sport.
In episode 39, I go into detail about what mental training really is and how it can help her reach her goals.
Any of the podcast episodes labeled “Athlete Tip” are great episodes for your daughter to tune into. She will have the opportunity to hear from me, hear how I talk, and what I talk about to give her a glimpse into what the content would be like.
Bonus Tip: This program isn’t only for her…
It’s for you, too! Inside the Elite Competitor Program, half of it is geared toward learning how to support your daughter. The other half is where she learns the foundation of mental skills. Both of you have lifetime access to the program, so this means you don’t have to wait to jump in!
Athletes have a competitive advantage when they have moms and parents who know how to support the mental side of their game.

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Helpful Links:

Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.
Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

The BEST way to help us spread the word and get this

Join our FREE live training for sports parents: The Do's and Don'ts of Strengthening Your Athlete's Mental Game! -> REGISTER HERE

How To Improve Communication With Your Athlete Daughter So She Can Play With Confidence With ECP Mom Lauren Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

Do you want to improve communication with your athlete daughter?
We’re catching up with Lauren, a mom who has been walking alongside her daughter through the Elite Competitor Program (ECP). We previously talked to Lauren in Episode 120 right before her and her daughter, Lyla, were about to get started. At the time this episode was recorded, they were 4 weeks into the program.
Lauren shares how the program is going, what they’ve both learned so far, and her hopes for their growth as they continue the program together.
Lauren and Lyla’s Background
Lyla is a highly driven, athletic 11-year-old basketball player and cheerleader. As Lyla’s mom, Lauren wants to do what she can to support Lyla and not hinder her throughout her sports journey. Lyla faces a mental block when it comes to tumbling, and she’s had trouble throwing skills that she’s been able to throw previously.
What Lauren and Lyla Are Learning So Far
Lauren has learned that mental training is just as much about herself as it is about Lyla. She shares that she didn’t know what to say most of the time, and she wanted to offer her support, but didn’t know how.
When Lauren asked Lyla, “how can I best support you?” Lyla said, “you always have the right thing to say, you just don’t always say it at the right time.” This moment was a turning point for them. Since starting the program, their communication has opened up.
What Lauren Is Seeing In Lyla
Now that Lauren lets Lyla be the driver of their conversations, she’s seen Lyla become much more even-keeled. When they discuss things that previously may have caused Lyla to shut down or have a bigger reaction, she’s now much more willing to talk it out. Lauren feels like she has a guidebook on how to have better conversations with Lyla.
How Lyla Is Liking The Program
On Wednesday evenings, you can find Lauren and Lyla posted up at their kitchen table doing their ECP work. Lauren shares that not only is this good quality time for them, but Lyla has expressed that the program work has really made her think.
How Did Lauren Get Lyla On Board
Lyla first responded with, “oh, another person to try to fix me.” And of course, this broke Lauren’s heart! But Lauren was able to reassure her that ECP was a program they would do together, and she would get to meet and talk to other girls her age who are going through the same things.
Lauren could tell that Lyla needed to sit on it for a bit. Lauren would present it to her here and there when the time was right, but she didn't push or pressure Lyla into it. Finally, Lyla realized on her own that going through ECP would be helpful.
What Lauren Would Say To Moms Who Are On The Fence
Lauren wants moms to know that if they’re looking for ways to support their athlete daughters and open the lines of communication, explore ECP. The things they’re learning apply to what they’re going through now, and also to the years ahead.
Lauren and Lyla, we're so grateful to have you both in the ECP community. We're so proud of you for all the hard work you’ve put in so far, and for the ways you continue to show up!

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Helpful Links:

Come hang out with Lauren on social @runawayjursit and follow her and Lyla's journey through The Elite Competitor Program!
Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.
Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

Join our FREE live training for sports parents: The Do's and Don'ts of Strengthening Your Athlete's Mental Game! -> REGISTER HERE

Playing Time Issues? Do This First To Help Your Athlete Deal Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

Is your daughter not getting the playing time she wants? Are you torn on how to help her as her mom?
Today, we’re talking about what you can do to support and empower your daughter, and how you both can use this situation to build her confidence.
Step 1: Keep the big picture in mind
It’s tempting to jump to conclusions, but when we do this, we only make the situation worse. Ask yourself - why is your daughter playing spots in the first place?
Too often, parents are tempted to allow their child to fall into a victim mindset around the topic of play time. Your daughter could start to believe that she’s a victim, and she might believe that there’s nothing she can do to change her circumstances. This could leave her feeling stuck.
But it’s these situations, when she’s disappointed or not getting what she wants, that turn into great teaching opportunities. As her mom, you get to help her develop her long-term confidence by teaching her how to navigate a tough circumstance.
Be sure to check in on yourself, too. Is the issue really about the play time, or is her play time pointing to a different issue?
Is your daughter:

Developing good work habits?
Setting goals for herself?
Working towards improving at her sport?
Navigating challenging situations?

Step 2: Know how playing time is distributed on your daughter’s team
Play time is an expectation that should be laid out by your daughter’s coach. If you have the opportunity, ask questions about play time before you join a team. It’s helpful to know, both for you and for your daughter, how play time is distributed and earned.

Athletes thrive with clarity, and knowing their specific “role” on their team can really allow your athlete to grow.
Step 3: Strengthen what's in her control
The biggest things in your daughter's control is her mindset, attitude, and her thought patterns.
When we help her focus on what's in her control instead of getting hung up on things she can’t control, then we’re helping her navigate the situation with actionable steps. If she gets hung up on negative thoughts, that mindset quickly becomes unproductive.

Another thing in her control is her contribution to her TEAM. Don’t forget, she’s part of a bigger picture. Reminding her to think of someone or something outside of herself is important for her overall mindset.
If a conversation would be helpful…
If your daughter wants the situation to change but she doesn’t know how, it’s best if you empower your daughter to have the conversation with her coach herself.
By empowering her, she has an opportunity to learn the skills to advocate for herself and navigate tough conversations. You can certainly be there as support for the conversation, but helping her initiate on her own is key.
You can frame questions for her to ask her coach, such as:

Can you help clarify what my role is on the team?
What do you see that I have an opportunity to improve on?
What can I be doing to help the team?
Is there an opportunity for me to earn more playing time?

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Helpful Links:

Visit our podcast website for more on this episode.
Join our FREE Training for Sports Moms - How to Strengthen Your Athlete Daughter’s Mental Game so She Believes in Herself as Much as You Do

Join our FREE live training for sports parents: The Do's and Don'ts of Strengthening Your Athlete's Mental Game! -> REGISTER HERE

How To Get Your Athlete To Prioritize Nutrition Without Being Pushy w/ Sports Dietician Amy Dirks Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

Do you find yourself trying to prioritize nutrition for your athlete daughter, but you’re struggling to know where to start? Does the topic of nutrition overwhelm you, so you throw in the towel before you even get started?

Today, we’re talking about how to get your athlete to prioritize nutrition without being pushy. We had the pleasure of talking with sports dietician Amy Dirks, who is a fellow sports mom herself.
Two Things Amy Wants Moms To Know

First, you’re doing a great job.
- Being a mom is challenging, and being a sports mom is a challenge on another level.
- It’s important to try to thrive as a sports mom, and not just survive.
Second, know that it’s okay if you have to push the “easy button” sometimes.
- As a mom, you’re always going to be your own worst critic.
- To avoid having to press the easy button, plan ahead as much as you can.

How To Handle The Athlete Who Can “Get Away With Anything”

As moms, we know nutrition is important for our athletes. But doesn’t it seem like our kids can just get away with anything?
Food is medicine, and good food can heal your body as much as bad food can harm your body. We can help our athletes understand how their bodies are being affected by good food and bad food by helping them understand the differences they feel when it comes to their performance and recovery.
When our athletes understand this connection, they are more likely to make good nutrition a priority.
One Change To Start With
Amy shares that focusing on eating whole foods changed everything for her. Processed foods made with chemicals that we don’t cook with at home can be harmful to our overall health.
This change itself is simple, but it can be a challenge to change the types of foods you’re eating . Take it easy and start small by swapping a few things at a time. Move towards eating more fresh, whole foods.
How To Fit This In
As moms, we want our kids to eat nutritious foods that will fuel their body to help them perform their best. But how can we fit it in? It’s challenging, but it’s possible.
Amy shares her “semi-homemade” mindset, which means that sometimes, you have to add in some convenience to help yourself out. Don’t be afraid to utilize the tools you need to use to make it happen for your family.
The best thing you can do is to just start somewhere. Even if you start with one meal a week that you make at home, that’s a great start. Over time, small steps can make a big difference.
It’s also important to remember that prioritizing nutrition looks different for every family, and it can even look different in different seasons of life. You really have to look at your own life and what’s practical for you to do. It doesn't have to be all or nothing!

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