SESSION 1: DEFINING THE BRAIN PROBLEM - challenges all athletes face

Simplifying and teaching athletes the brain problem as the basic underlying concern of common athlete presentation of depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, and PTSD

Respond vs React - how the culture of sports and mental toughness myths create and maintain the brain problem

Understanding coaching approaches, youth sport systems, and beyond

Explaining depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, and PTSD in athletes

The family system - despite versus support: identifying the impact of parental approach and impact it has on performance

Who vs What - athlete identity and the Respect and Performance Ladder

Am I needy - Identifying and communicating needs with parents, coaches, and teammates

I’ve fallen and I can’t get up - injury recovery and the grief loop

Practicing smart habits - balancing rest and recovery vs hard work and the Mini Donut Rule

SESSION 2: UNDERSTANDING THE BRAIN PROBLEM AND ITS IMPACTS

The slide - understanding cognitive fusion and its impact

It’s 100% mental - the psychophysiology and its contribution to the brain problems

Developing mental fitness - changing the frame and the conversation

Accepting the brain problem, challenging emotions, struggles, and the courage to ask for help

Measuring and defining mental fitness

Building a mentally fit competition system

Building a mentally fit change system

Integrating 15-30 minutes of daily mental fitness

Heart rate variability training, meditation, visualization, and competition grids

Expected outcomes

Learning how to play through challenging and difficult emotions

Developing a Just Play Zone

Commitment to challenges and growth

Characteristics athletes will develop

Self awareness; emotional flexibility; problem-solving orientation

ADJUSTMENTS TO THE COMPETITION SYSTEM

You will learn how to teach adjustments athletes need to make to their existing systems that will lead them to success in sports and life. Athletes are often told to “get out of your head” but never told how to do this.

System 1 - The Competition System. - Educating athletes about flow (Just Play Zone or Optimal Performance Zone) and the continuum of intensity. We teach athletes how to get, stay, and return to the Just Play Zone. This system is designed to give athletes the tools and skills they need to perform through the inevitable. Strong emotions - anxiety, pressure and frustration that show up when you are trying to Just Play in the moment.

Ring Ring: The bell curve

Reboot your Brain Skills

Using Heart Rate Variability Training to teach coherence and the Just Play Zone

SESSIONS 3: THE CHANGE SYSTEM

System 2 - The Change System - This system helps athletes identify things they need to adjust. And we aren’t talking pennies, dimes, nickels and quarters.

Identify performance-interfering thoughts (PITS)

Build Mental Models

Understand Psychophysiology

Heart Rate Variability Training - teaches athletes to respond rather than react

Learn clinical skills and interventions important for successfully working with athletes.

Developing performance language and partnering with athletes

Deep dive mental fitness vs mental toughness

Externalizing the brain problems

Cultivate belief and commitment with solution focused approaches to get results

Miracles start with mindsets - The 5 Star Mindset

The challenge process

Create a buzz - Bee you

The self-forgiveness process - Learning to let go

Learning from failure - Developing a process

Being comfortable with the uncomfortable

Goal setting with athletes - process vs outcome goals - a simple framework

SESSIONS 4: HURTS SO GOOD

Understanding and identifying hidden traumas in athletes

Abuse of power

Injuries and PTSD

Pressure, anxiety, and OCD

Interpersonal trauma - difficult coaches, teammates, parents and systems

Outline of EMDR with athletes

Learn the Parnel 8 stage EMDR protocol adapted for athletes

Clinical stories of athletes that used EMDR to create mental fitness