Welcome to Mental Grit

Mental Performance Coach for Elite Teen Athletes & Their Parents!

The Struggle

As a mental performance coach, my philosophy is based on OPTIMIZING POTENTIAL rather than fixing problems.
With that being said, I understand that athletes can struggle with being:

Unable to Shake Off Mistakes

Fears Failure, Avoids Risks

Distracted by the Echoes of the Crowd

Dominated by Performance Anxiety

Stuck in a Rut of Comparison

Lost the Joy of Competition

Rattled by Criticism

Lost in Over Analysis

Blinded by Expectations

Visualizes Failing, Predicting Their Own Downfall

The Struggle

As a trainer, my philosophy is based on OPTIMIZING POTENTIAL rather than fixing problems.

With that being said, I understand that athletes can struggle with to following:

Burnout

Perfectionism

Lacking Motivation

Anger & Frusteration

Low Self Esteem

Inconsistent Performance

Anxiety & Fear

Fragility

Low Confidence

Communication Issues

Meet the Trainer

The training is a blend of teaching and tactical application in the areas that are identified as most important for the athletes needs.

Coach Nate Last

What’s Our Process?

Step 1 - Initial Assessment

The athlete completes an online mental performance assessment called the Performance Profile. This can happen within 24-48 hours of initial contact to kick things off.

This profile will provide a detailed overview of the athletes’ type as well as a report for the parents and coach to understand how best to support and coach their specific type.

The Performance Profile is the longest-lasting mental performance assets that I have had the pleasure of offering. I hear athletes refer back to it as a pivotal self-awareness exercise and developmental moment years down the athletic journey. Even further, many have used it as keystone information in collaboration with their coaches and parents to help inform best practices with that unique athlete.

Consider this assessment a cornerstone of the athletic personality, measuring the most impactful mental aspects of how the ATHLETE works!

Over an online connection with the athlete and major stakeholders, we review the assessment results and clarify any questions.

This step can occur within 1 week of the initial contact.

Moreover, we take the opportunity to gain a deeper insight into the athletes’ unique performance attributes from the perspectives of all on the call.

A set of training opportunities will be identified and initial goals of training will be put in place. The athlete will walk away from this meeting with tangible techniques to get to work on prior to ongoing training.

Based on the athletes’ needs and goals we will decide which direction the athlete wants to go for training. All athletes are required to complete the intensive 90 program to spin up their knowledge and develop the relationship between coach and athlete.  Training will aim to dig deeper into the opportunities of the athlete to get straight to training the skill needed to start performing with their head game at its best!

This step can occur within 2 weeks of initial contact.

After the intensive training the athletes have the option to go into maintenance programming where they will have lifetime access to our curriculum, community, and coaches for as needed training throughout their career.

Every 6 months the assessment can be taken again to update the athlete profile. A review will also occur and new opportunities will be identified.

The Outcomes

Confidence

The simple belief that you can take on anything that comes your way. Did you know you can manipulate your confidence?

Motivation

The engine and fire behind your actions. Although not required for elite performance, it always helps! Learn to foster and sustain your motivation.

Focus

Find yourself distracted by cues not relevant to your performance? Learn to choose your focus to be where you need to be to perform your best.

Consistency

You have incredible potential! Performing to your full potential consistently is a key to great success!

Resilience

You are going to face hard things every day! Most break over time, the best press on and push through. What have you done? Better yet, what will you do?

Self-Trust

You must be able to trust your thoughts and actions in order to take you higher in your performance. You can create this trust within yourself over time!

Team Cohesion

The bond between teammates that increases performance and overall enjoyment of the game. How well does your team strive for a common aim?

Mindfulness

Paying attention in a particular way on purpose on the present moment no-njudgmentally as if your life depended on it. -Jon Kabat Zin

The Mental Grit Community

🧠💪

Mental Performance Coach In Your Pocket

We’re a community that’s dedicated to helping competitive adolescent athletes, their parents, coaches, and the teams they belong to develop the mental edge that’s necessary to achieve success in sports. With a focus on mental strategies and tactics, we aim to help athletes perform at their best, regardless of the challenges they face.

What role do you play?

PARENT

For parents, our community is a supportive environment of elite sports parents who are aiming to develop the most effective environment for high-performing athletes. Within our community, you’ll find answers that only those who have been there, done that, would know. You’ll also find strategies that you can use to develop a more effective parent-athlete relationship as your kids take on the challenges of competitive sport.

At Mental Grit, we want parents to feel that they know the important factors of what their athletes are experiencing, and more importantly, how they can be there to support them along their journey in a healthy and productive way. We understand that parenting a high-performing athlete can be challenging, but with our community, you’ll find a supportive environment where you can learn from others who have been through the same challenges.

For athletes, our community is a well of engaging content that’s targeted at helping them use applied mental strategies and tactics within every aspect of their sporting experience. Whether you’re looking to improve your self-talk, generate effective imagery, or control the activation that comes with intense situations, every topic we cover is aimed to help you use your mental skills and flex your mental muscle to bring your full athletic potential when it matters most.

Our community is designed to help you generate confidence, motivation, focus, consistency, resilience, and an effective mindset for long-term athletic engagement. We know that performing at your best isn’t just about physical skills – it’s about having the right mindset, too. That’s why we’ve created a supportive environment where athletes can learn from each other and from experts in the field of sport psychology.

For coaches, our community is a valuable resource that’s filled with material on best practices in generating the most effective performance environment for your athletes and programs. Our aim is to help coaches utilize the best in applied sport psychology as it applies to coaching high-performing teams.

Whether you’re looking to develop a high-performing culture through the use of a team creed or seeking answers to common problems that your program might be facing in the social, emotional and mental spaces, our community is here to help. With a focus on community and collaboration, we aim to help coaches find the answers they need to take their programs to the next level.

DEFINING MENTAL GRIT

Mental Grit isn’t just about mental toughness; rather it is about deliberately and intentionally making the tough decisions that need to be made in order to accomplish success.

Imagine, your body is screaming at you to stop, but you push for that extra rep, that additional step, that one more move, despite the looming shadow of despair. It’s the honest introspection, acknowledging who you are as a performer now and visualizing the performer you yearn to become. It’s the resolve to act when every fiber of your being resists, the courage to step forward despite the gripping fear.

There is an expanse between what science knows and what performers do. You’re already aware of the significance of the mental game, but the question remains, what are you willing to do to train it?

Science tells us that it’s possible to become more confident, more positive, more in control of your thoughts. That you can harness a laser-focused mind, build resilience, and maintain consistency. It tells us that you can train your mind to give yourself the best shot at stepping into the limelight as the performer you aspire to be.

By training your mind, you’re optimizing your potential. You’re tapping into an internal power that empowers you to rise, to conquer, and to succeed. You are embracing the journey of continual self-improvement and accomplishment. You are embodying the essence of Mental Grit!

What does a Mental Grit – Mental Performance Coach Do?

1) 🏆 Boost Athletic Performance through Mental Skills Mastery 🧠

At Mental Grit, we’re all about unleashing the untapped potential of athletes, not just physically 💪, but, more importantly, mentally 🧠. While physical training receives its fair share of attention, it’s the power of the mind that truly dictates an athlete’s success when it comes to crunch time in competition ⏱️.

We don’t see our athletes as individuals needing to fix problems 🚫, but rather as high-potential performers 🌟 who we can guide to unlock their mental strength. Our unique approach to mental training focuses on cultivating individualized skills designed to enhance an athlete’s performance.

Through our programs, athletes can master critical mental skills such as:

  • Activation (arousal) regulation 😌,
  • Focus and Attention Control 🔍,
  • Self-talk 💬,
  • Imagery 🖼️,
  • Priming & Routine 🔄.

By harnessing these mental skills, athletes can transform potential into peak performance, optimizing their capabilities and truly mastering their game.

Mental skills training encompasses a broad spectrum of strategies, some of which go beyond the standard practices. At Mental Grit, we go the extra mile to ensure our athletes reach their peak potential, covering all bases in mental performance enhancement.

Our approach includes but is not limited to:

  • Goal Setting and Motivation 🎯: We work with athletes to establish specific, attainable short-term and long-term goals. In addition to setting these goals, we provide strategies to maintain motivation and commitment, driving athletes to continually strive for their targets.
  • Stress and Anxiety Management 😌: Athletes often face high-pressure situations. Our mental skills trainers teach effective stress and anxiety management techniques, ranging from relaxation tactics to mindfulness exercises and cognitive restructuring strategies.
  • Transition Support ↔️: We assist athletes during significant transitions, such as moving from junior to senior competition, returning from injury, or retiring from sport. Our goal is to make these transitions as smooth and mentally pain-free as possible.
  • Performance Evaluation and Feedback 📊: We guide athletes on how to accept and utilize feedback constructively. Our approach encourages athletes to objectively analyze their performances, fostering a mindset of continual improvement.

In the arena of sport, challenges extend beyond the physical. Emotional hurdles like fear of failure, performance anxiety, and apprehension about injury or embarrassment can be just as debilitating. That’s where we step in at Mental Grit.

We don’t just coach athletes on how to perform better – we equip them to face and conquer their fears head-on 🚫💔. Our mental skills trainers specialize in helping athletes navigate through these emotional challenges, transforming them into stepping stones for success.

Our goal? To help athletes cultivate an unshakeable confidence, foster self-belief, maintain composure under pressure, channel energy effectively, and ultimately, trust in their ability to perform exceptionally.

Through our programs, athletes gain the tools to:

  • Combat fear of failure and performance anxiety 😨🚫,
  • Develop solid confidence and self-belief 💪🔝,
  • Maintain composure under pressure 😌⏱️,
  • Manage energy for optimal performance 🔋🏁,
  • Build trust in their own abilities 🤲🌟.

At Mental Grit, we believe that the ability to overcome mental barriers is not just about surviving, but thriving. It’s about transforming fear into faith, and setbacks into comebacks.

Being an athlete’s parent in a high-performance environment extends beyond being a cheerleader on the sidelines. At Mental Grit, we recognize that parents play a pivotal role in an athlete’s performance, not only in the competitive arena but also at home.

With this in mind, we’re here to help parents define their role in the athlete’s performance team. This goes beyond simply offering encouragement – it’s about actively contributing to a positive, conducive environment that fosters the athlete’s growth and performance 🏠🌳.

Our mental skills trainers are equipped to guide parents on:

  • Facilitating productive, supportive conversations with their athletes 💬👂,
  • Understanding the mindset required for high-performance sport 🧠🎯,
  • Recognizing their influence and impact, both on the field and at home 👪⚽,
  • Defining their role within the performance team 👥📋.

We believe that a supportive performance environment starts with the parents. Their understanding, mindset, conversations with their athletes, and the role they play in the performance team are crucial elements in the athlete’s journey to success.

Let us at Mental Grit help you, the parents, foster a positive and empowering environment that will fuel your athlete’s ambition and drive their performance to new heights. Be more than just a parent – be an essential team player in your athlete’s journey to success.

At Mental Grit, we acknowledge that the athletic environment crafted by a program significantly impacts the performance of its athletes. The right environment and culture can empower athletes to thrive and achieve their peak performance 🚀.

However, a poorly designed program can equally stunt an athlete’s potential. This is where our expertise as mental skills trainers comes into play. We don’t just work with individual athletes; we partner with program directors and coaches to craft an environment that fosters high-performance 🎯.

We can assist you in:

  • Developing a performance-focused environment and culture 🌎🏆,
  • Creating effective training methods and routines 🏋️⛹️,
  • Maintaining a supportive and productive performance space 🔄👥.
  • Team Dynamics and Communication 👥: We focus on strengthening team cohesion and communication. We provide conflict resolution strategies to ensure optimal team performance.

Working directly with program directors and coaches, we aim to optimize the performance environment to meet the needs of every athlete, fostering a culture where they can truly flourish.

Let us at Mental Grit aid you in transforming your athletic program. Together, we can create an ecosystem where performance thrives, and success is the norm, not the exception.

Coaches wield a significant influence over athletes, shaping their performance capabilities and mindset. At Mental Grit, we believe that a great coach isn’t just born, but built. They are shaped by experience, learning, and the continuous pursuit of becoming better 🏗️🔝.

As such, we are dedicated to helping coaches elevate their craft. Our mental skills trainers can guide coaches in developing optimized training plans that expedite athletes’ learning and effectiveness in training 📝🎯.

We can assist coaches in:

  • Creating training methodologies that maximize learning and effectiveness 🏋️‍♂️⏱️,
  • Developing a high-performance environment for athletes 🌐🏅,
  • Pursuing continuous self-improvement and effectiveness as a coach 📈💡.

As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are great coaches. But with the right guidance and support, the process can be more strategic, more effective, and more rewarding.