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Eli Straw

Eli is a sport psychology consultant and mental game coach who works 1-1 with athletes to help them improve their mental skills and overcome any mental barriers keeping them from performing their best.

He has an M.S. in psychology and his mission is to help athletes and performers reach their goals through the use of sport psychology & mental training. 

ELI'S STORY
Mental Game Coaching for All Sports & Athletes of All Levels
 
The Mentally Tough Kid Course
 
Become the Champion You’re Meant to Be With Proven Mental Training Strategies
 
 
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Sports Psychology Articles

Why Athletes Play Scared (And How to Stop)

Eli Straw December 4, 2025

Quick Summary:

  • Athletes play scared because of fear, not because they lack skill. Playing scared shows up as hesitation, second guessing, and holding back during games, even when athletes perform well in practice.
  • The most common driver of scared play is fear of negative consequences, such as making mistakes, getting embarrassed, losing a starting role, getting yelled at, or letting others down.
  • Outcome-focused thinking increases fear. When athletes fixate on results they want to avoid, their brain shifts into protection mode, leading to cautious, timid decision-making.
  • Fear of injury or contact can also cause athletes to play scared, especially when they try to avoid physical situations that are required to perform at a high level in competition.
  • Athletes stop playing scared by accepting fear, shifting from avoidance-based goals to controllable process goals, and training themselves to play aggressively and freely under pressure.
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How Does Attitude Impact Performance?

Eli Straw December 3, 2025

Quick Summary:

  • Your attitude directly impacts your performance by affecting your resilience, focus, effort, and actions during competition.
  • A negative attitude makes it harder to bounce back from mistakes, stay locked in, and put yourself in positions to succeed.
  • Attitude is driven by your thinking—not the situation—meaning the same moment can produce very different performances.
  • A positive attitude improves focus, confidence, and effort, helping athletes play better and more consistently.
  • The most effective way to improve attitude is by changing your thinking, especially after mistakes, tough calls, or when things aren’t going your way.
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Setting Goals for Practices & Games

Eli Straw December 2, 2025

Quick Summary:

  • Goals give athletes clear intent, direction, and focus during both practices and games.
  • The most effective goals are process-based (controllable), not outcome-based.
  • Long-term goals provide motivation, but daily practice and game goals should focus on improvement and performance.
  • Two key questions guide goal-setting: What will help me improve? What will help me play my best?
  • Clear, controllable goals improve practice quality and help athletes perform more consistently in games.
  • Process-focused goals reduce anxiety, keep athletes present, and support confident performances.
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Three Pillars to Becoming a More Consistent Athlete

Eli Straw November 20, 2025

Quick Summary:

  • Consistency comes from mindset, not results—repeat the same confident, present-focused mentality each game.
  • Weekly physical preparation and extra skill work reduce worry and build trust in your abilities.
  • Mental preparation tools like visualization, self-talk, and pre-game routines create a reliable game-day mindset.
  • Consistency depends on how you respond to mistakes—reset quickly instead of letting errors snowball.
  • Respond to bad games with learning, not overthinking; avoid unnecessary mechanical changes driven by fear.
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Is it Okay to Feel Nervous Before Games?

Eli Straw November 17, 2025

Quick Summary:

  • Nervousness before games is normal and can even boost performance, but it becomes harmful when it leads to anxiety or timid play
  • “Playing nervous” happens when fear of mistakes, worry about others, or outcome-focused thinking changes your style of play.
  • Accepting nervousness is the first step—fighting the feeling creates more anxiety and tighter, more fearful performances.
  • Staying present is key to overcoming nervousness; focus on breathing, controllable objectives, visual cues, or simple self-talk.
  • You can feel nervous and still play aggressive, confident, and free by accepting the feeling and redirecting your attention to the moment.
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Mindset Shift to Play Better in Games

Eli Straw November 14, 2025

Quick Summary:

  • Shifting your focus from yourself to helping the team win reduces anxiety, fear, and self-doubt.
  • Self-consciousness and overthinking often fuel performance issues like the yips and fear of mistakes.
  • A high school catcher overcame the yips by unintentionally focusing fully on supporting his struggling pitcher.
  • A college basketball player improved her performance by ignoring field goal percentage and prioritizing team impact.
  • Focusing on teammates and team success helps you play more freely, naturally, and without overthinking.
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