Your athletes know mindset matters. How do you help them put it into practice when training gets hard or doubt creeps in?

Zach Brandon, founder of MVP Mindset Consulting, discusses the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it. Drawing on his work with the Arizona Diamondbacks and IMG Academy, Zach shares ways coaches can make mental skills part of everyday training.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to help athletes recognize unhelpful self-talk, develop more useful responses, and rehearse them in practice.

• How questions about who an athlete wants to become can turn broad goals into concrete next steps they help choose.

• How the word “and” can help athletes acknowledge fear or doubt and still take productive action.

Connect with Zach Brandon

• Listen: Win More, Live Better — stories and conversations on coaching, leadership, and performance.

• Read: Winning With Words — Zach’s newsletter for coaches and leaders.

• Explore: Zach’s coaching and resources.

About Momentum Sessions
Momentum Sessions is a free, private community where coaches explore how culture, leadership, and standards actually work inside real teams.

Join future sessions:
👉 momentumteams.com/sessions

You’ve named your captains. How do you help them—and the rest of your team—actually learn to lead?

J.P. Nerbun, founder of TOC Culture and author of The Culture Captain, explains why leadership begins with self-awareness and grows through everyday experiences. He shares how coaches can help athletes speak up, support teammates, and take responsibility when they fall short.

In this episode, we explore:

• How the four levels of leadership—know yourself, lead yourself, lead others, and lead the team—give athletes a framework for growth.

• Why understanding what stops athletes from challenging teammates matters before giving them the words to say.

• How to build a leadership group with clear responsibilities and coach athletes through the real situations they face.

About Momentum Sessions
Momentum Sessions is a free, private community where coaches explore how culture, leadership, and standards actually work inside real teams.

Join future sessions:
👉 momentumteams.com/sessions

Respect. Effort. Teamwork. What do those words actually look like at practice?

Emma Doyle, coach and author of What Makes a Great Coach, discusses how coaches turn team values into specific behaviors athletes can understand, practice, and take ownership of.

Coach EM also shares why athletes need a voice in shaping their team’s values and how coaches can guide that process through better questions and consistent reinforcement. She also explores how everyday coaching choices help athletes build the confidence to think and make decisions for themselves.

In this episode, we explore:

• How to involve athletes in reviewing team values and defining what they look like in practice and competition.

• How “next time” questions help athletes learn from mistakes and identify what to try next.

• How to design practice activities that give athletes opportunities to solve problems and make their own decisions.

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Connect with Emma Doyle

Continue learning with Coach EM through her book, podcast, and programs for coaches and leaders:

• Read: What Makes a Great Coach? — practical coaching lessons drawn from conversations with more than 500 coaches across sport and business.

• Listen: The Coaching Podcast — conversations about communication, leadership, and bringing out the best in others.

• Explore: Coaching and leadership programs — learn more about Emma’s courses and training opportunities.

About Momentum Sessions
Momentum Sessions is a free, private community where coaches explore how culture, leadership, and standards actually work inside real teams.

Join future sessions:
👉 momentumteams.com/sessions