Why Athletes Play Passively and How to Stop!

Why Athletes Play Passively and How to Stop!

From Sports Psychology Coaching by Eli Straw

April 22, 2026 · 9 min

About this episode

This episode discusses why athletes may play passively and offers strategies to shift their mindset towards confident play.

Do you play passively and defensively during games? Learn why this happens and a mindset shift you need to make to go from playing scared, to playing confidently! 🧠 Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes: If you’re struggling with confidence, anxiety, fear of failure, or overthinking during games—or you’re a parent of an athlete dealing with that—I work 1-on-1 with athletes to help them perform freely and confidently. Learn more about the program and see if it’s a good fit: https://ww...

People in this episode

Host: Eli Straw

Topics covered

  • athlete mindset
  • confidence
  • performance anxiety
  • mental coaching
  • playing style

Keywords

  • passive play
  • mental performance
  • confidence
  • fear of failure
  • overthinking

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