Unstoppable Athlete - Mental Resilience for Teen Athletes

Many well-meaning parents and coaches believe confidence comes from praise, but confidence is actually built through effort, growth, and overcoming challenges. In this episode, Sara and Michelle explore the difference between empty praise and meaningful feedback, and why constantly telling athletes they’re amazing can sometimes undermine their development. Instead, they discuss how to recognize and reward the behaviors that truly matter—showing up consistently, embracing hard work, learning from mistakes, and responding to setbacks with resilience. By shifting the focus from outcomes and natural talent to effort and growth, parents and coaches can help athletes develop authentic confidence, stronger self-talk, and the belief that success is something they can create through their actions rather than something they either have or don't have. Inspired by lessons from successful athletes and teams, this conversation offers practical ways to foster a growth mindset that supports both performance and personal development. Top 3 TakeawaysPraise attitude and effort to create growth mindsetInquire with your athletes to guide them how to excel in the role they haveLet go of bad days and keep out of the perfectionist mindset

In this episode, Sara and Michelle explore the tender and tricky stage of adolescence, when teen girls naturally begin pulling away from their mothers while forming their own identities. Through the lens of coaching 12- to 16-year-old athletes, they discuss why girls need strong adult women outside their family, how sport provides healthy role models and peer examples, and why parents need to guide—not “lawnmow”—their kids through discomfort. For parents, this conversation is a reassuring reminder that the push-pull of the teen years is normal, and that teams, coaches, captains, and trusted adults can help girls build independence, confidence, communication skills, and resilience. Top 3 TakeawaysPulling away is developmentally appropriate, as a mom we can hold space to allow this process Healthy role models, like your athletes female coach, team mom and older team mates can be very valuableSupporting our children through the challenging times when things may not be going their way, acknowledging the emotion but allowing them to find their own ways through

Develop the habit of goal setting. Start by writing them down. This will give you a map of where you want to go and also helps you keep your intention and motivations clear. You will build confidence as your stick to your plan, and can also notice when you might need some problem solving to get you back on track.Start with performance goals - This is what you want to achieve, include both sport, school, relationships…Then move to process goals - there are the efforts, habits and behaviours you can control and need to engage in on a daily basis to move you towards you goals. Make them measurable. Find an accountability buddy who can support you. And each night do a quick reflection of how today went, maybe a score from 1-10, or a celebration of something you did, or an area you can dial up tomorrow. Top 3 Take AwaysProcess AND performance goalsReflection - follow up each day with how things wentAccountability - enroll someone in the version of yourself that you want to beVisit skool.com/unstoppable2026 to join our community, watch the Parent Intro Video, join a workshop or have your athlete on our waitlist for upcoming Unstoppable Athlete Program offerings.

Celebrating the journey and not just the final result. Sara and Michelle riff on the podcast and their volleyball seasons both club and high school. Highlights include - shining your light, focusing on the things we can control - redefining success - instead of winning we made it about trying new things and the success was in being brave and making the attempt to try something new (not the result!)Our goals and intentions for the upcoming year. Doing more athlete interviews and improving our consistency (especially when life gets busy and throws us curveballs)We invite feedback! Please leave a comment or send us a message to share what is insightful and maybe what you’d like to hear less of.Check all our programming out at www.skool.com/unstoppable2026 and join our community to be part of the conversations.

Michelle surprises Sara with a prompt about playing time philosophy which leads into a conversation about the different strategies coaches may take. They also touch on all the ways coaches are considering different perspectives and maybe where both parents and coaches can become aware that their beliefs colour their reality.Top 3 TakeawaysThere is no right answerConfirmation bias can cloud your perspective and its important to be aware that you may be filtering out facts that don’t support your opinionLearn and grow from your experience by analyzing and reflecting on the processCheck out our upcoming dates at www.unstoppableathlete.caParent Workshop and 12 week Unstoppable Athlete workshop waitlist open now!

Check out our upcoming dates at www.unstoppableathlete.caParent Workshop and 12 week Unstoppable Athlete workshop waitlist open now!Michelle and Sara know what its like to watch athletes underperform, end up in tears and struggle to let go of perfectionist tendencies. Learn what this may mean and where you can go to learn how to support your athlete.Top 3 Takeaways1. Parents can embody a growth mindset2. Emotional regulation happens when we can regulate our nervous systems and physiology3. Embrace failures as opportunities, notice when perfectionism is creeping in and help your athlete reframe

How athletes need to take ownership for what they are learning from coaches or programs. Where does your fire from within come from and how does it motivate you to move towards your goals? Learning skills to take you to the next level and being motivated to apply them on a consistent basis will define your results.Top 3 Take AwaysBe accountable to yourselfWhat am I willing to do to actually achieve my goals?How do I apply the learning and coaching I receive?Check out www.unstoppableathlete.ca for our 12 week athlete mental resilience program upcoming dates and times for a parent information session that interested parents should definitely check out.

#10 - Athlete Interview with Mona. Track athlete, pilates instructor and counsellorKey TakeawaysReasons we compete can be varied and unique to each of usThe body doesn't always speak to us in words, its important to listen to the whispers and trust the intuition.Its all okay! Learning to feel what's true and being okay that things can change. Your motivators of yesterday may not be right for you today. Check out our Unstoppable Athlete 8 week program for you or your team! www.unstoppableathlete.ca