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SummaryCompetition season brings pressure, emotions, and expectations—for athletes and coaches. In this episode of the Mind Over Mental Block Podcast, Mandy Patterson speaks directly to cheer and gymnastics coaches about how to prepare athletes for competition in a way that builds confidence, trust, and resilience instead of fear and overwhelm.

These 10 coaching strategies focus on mindset, communication, and environment—what truly helps athletes perform their best when it matters most. This episode is perfect when you’re in the gym every day preparing for a big competition coming. You will learn practical, grounded guidance to help you lead with clarity, confidence, and impact that benefits your athletes far beyond the mat.

Takeaways

• Mental blocks are common in athletes and can be overcome.
• Coaches play a crucial role in athlete development beyond just skills.
• Limiting last-minute changes helps athletes build trust and confidence.
• The language and emotions of coaches significantly impact athletes' performance.
• Mimicking competition conditions in practice prepares athletes mentally.
• Setting goals with athletes fosters ownership and reduces pressure.
• Focusing on controllables helps athletes feel empowered and confident.
• Practices can be approached functionally to encourage learning and growth.
• Resetting rather than fixing during warm-ups reduces stress and anxiety.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Mental Performance Coaching

00:57 The Role of Coaches in Athlete Development

01:49 Preparing Athletes for Competition

02:55 Building Trust and Confidence in Athletes

05:42 The Importance of Language and Emotions

07:58 Mimicking Competition Conditions

09:30 Setting Goals and Defining Success

13:33 Focusing on Controllables

15:38 Approaching Practice Functionally

19:27 Resetting Instead of Fixing

22:24 The Importance of Enjoyment in Coaching

Keywords

mental performance, coaching, athlete development, competition preparation, trust, confidence, language, emotions, goal setting, practice, reset, enjoyment