Mental Performance Coaching for All Sports & Athletes of All Levels
Turn practice skills into game-time execution through a structured 12-week mental performance coaching program delivered via phone and video sessions. Learn how to build real self-confidence, improve focus, manage pressure, and develop lasting mental toughness. The program includes weekly one-on-one coaching sessions, a personalized mental training plan, and ongoing text and email support between sessions.
My name is Eli Straw, a mental performance coach working with athletes across multiple countries and competitive levels. Through this structured one-on-one coaching program, I help athletes build confidence, sharpen focus, and perform freely under pressure using applied sport psychology and proven mental training methods.
Call (919) 914-0234 or click the button below to schedule a free introductory coaching call to learn more.
How the 12-Week 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching Program Works
This is a structured, individualized mental performance coaching program designed specifically for competitive athletes. The program follows a clear, step-by-step progression so mental skills are not just understood, but consistently applied in competition.
Here is how the process works:
1. Detailed Mental Performance Assessment
Before our first session, you complete a comprehensive mental performance assessment. This helps identify the specific mental patterns affecting your performance, such as confidence gaps, anxiety triggers, fear of failure, pressure, perfectionism, or focus breakdowns.
2. Custom Mental Game Plan
Using your assessment, I design a personalized 12-week mental training roadmap tailored to your sport, your role, and your mindset. This gives clear direction for your development.
3. Personalized Mental Training Workbook
You receive a structured workbook with exercises, reflection prompts, and performance tools aligned with your specific mental game challenges.
4. Weekly 1-on-1 Coaching Sessions (Virtual)
We meet once per week via Zoom or phone. Each session builds on the previous one, guiding you through a structured progression of mental skills.
5. Weekly Mental Training Exercises
Between sessions, you apply the tools through targeted exercises such as visualization, thought awareness, routines, self-talk restructuring, and pressure-handling strategies.
6. Ongoing Support Between Sessions
You can text or email me throughout the program for real-time support before games, tournaments, or challenging moments.
This is a structured, step-by-step mental performance development process designed to create lasting change in how you compete.
The sections below explain each part of the program in greater detail.
What You’ll Learn in Your 1-1 Mental Performance Coaching
With mental coaching for athletes, you’ll have access to a customized program built specifically for you. We’ll identify areas in your game keeping you from reaching your full potential, and use actionable mental training methods to advance your skills. Over the course of 12 weeks, you’ll learn years worth of valuable mental training information.
The Approach Behind the Program
This coaching is built on a structured mental performance system designed specifically for athletes — not generic mindset coaching and not surface-level motivation.
My background includes advanced study in psychology with a sport psychology specialization, and the program follows a clear, step-by-step process focused on developing real mental skills that transfer directly into competition.
Over the course of the structured 12-week program, we begin with a detailed mental performance assessment, then build a personalized mental training plan, followed by weekly one-on-one coaching sessions and targeted exercises between sessions. Each phase builds on the previous one so you develop stronger confidence, improved focus, better composure, and the ability to perform under pressure more consistently.
Rather than speaking broadly about mindset, we work directly on the specific mental patterns affecting your performance — including fear of failure, performance anxiety, overthinking, pressure, and confidence instability — and develop practical tools to manage them effectively.
The objective is simple: strengthen your mind and apply that strength when it matters most — in competition.
What’s Included in Your Structured 12-Week 1-on-1 Mental Performance Coaching Program
Detailed Mental Performance Assessment
A comprehensive evaluation used to identify strengths, patterns, and specific mental barriers affecting your performance.
Custom Mental Game Plan
A fully personalized mental training roadmap targeting your specific challenges such as confidence, anxiety, pressure, focus, composure, and consistency.
Weekly 1-on-1 Coaching Sessions (Virtual)
Structured weekly sessions that guide your development step by step and ensure consistent progress.
Personalized Mental Training Workbook
A custom workbook with exercises and reflection tools that reinforce session work and accelerate improvement.
Ongoing Support Between Sessions (Unlimited Access)
Direct access via text or email for guidance when challenges arise, especially before competitions or high-pressure moments.
Progress Tracking & Program Adjustments
Regular progress reviews ensure the program evolves with you and stays aligned with your development.
Who Is this Mental Performance Coaching Program For?
This program is designed for athletes in all sports and at all levels who want to strengthen their mental game and perform more consistently in competition.
You may be a good fit if:
You struggle with performance anxiety, fear of failure, low confidence, perfectionism, overthinking, or poor focus during competition.
You perform well in practice but feel like your abilities don’t fully show up in games.
You find yourself tightening up, hesitating, or underperforming under pressure.
You get stuck in your head before or during a competition.
You are looking for a structured, step-by-step mental training program rather than generic mindset advice.
Traditional counseling or therapy hasn’t translated into improved performance in your sport.
You compete at the youth, high school, college, or professional level in any sport.
You are willing to apply the mental training tools and exercises required to improve your performance.
I work with athletes from many different sports and backgrounds, and the coaching is built to adapt to your specific mental game challenges, goals, and competitive environment.
What Makes This Mental Performance Coaching Program Different?
Many athletes are exposed to mindset tips, motivational content, or one-time mental training resources. This program is different because it is structured, personalized, and implemented progressively over 12 weeks.
Here is what sets it apart:
A Structured 12-Week System
The program follows a clear progression designed to build confidence, focus, composure, and performance consistency over time.
Individualized Mental Training
Every part of the program is tailored to your specific mental game patterns, competitive environment, and performance goals.
Personalized Tools and Application
The workbook, exercises, and coaching are designed to be applied directly to real competition, not just understood conceptually.
Consistent One-on-One Coaching
Weekly individualized sessions provide accountability, clarity, and focused development.
Real-Time Support Between Sessions
You are not left to manage challenges alone. Support is available throughout the program.
Ongoing Progress Tracking
The program adapts as you develop, ensuring continued forward progress.
Multi-Sport Experience
The coaching approach has been applied across multiple sports and competitive levels, allowing it to adapt to a wide range of performance environments.
This is not a one-time seminar or generic mindset coaching. It is a structured, personalized mental performance system designed to create lasting change in how you compete.
Benefits of Mental Performance Coaching
Perform With Real Confidence in Competition
Build true, repeatable confidence that comes from trust in your preparation, mindset, and ability to handle pressure. Instead of hoping confidence shows up on game day, you’ll learn how to create it consistently and compete freely.
Stay Focused When Pressure Increases
Develop the ability to stay present and locked in, even when the stakes are high. Learn how to manage distractions, quiet overthinking, and keep your attention on what matters most during competition.
Recover Quickly From Mistakes
Mistakes happen in every sport. What separates athletes is how they respond. You’ll learn how to reset mentally, let go of errors, and stay composed so one mistake never turns into many.
Compete Calmly Under Pressure
Pressure is part of competition. Instead of tightening up, you’ll develop tools to stay composed, manage nerves, and perform with clarity and control when the moment is biggest.
Strengthen Motivation and Consistency
Build a stronger internal drive and learn how to stay consistent in your effort, mindset, and preparation. This helps you perform at a higher level more often, not just occasionally.
Control Your Internal Dialogue
Your self-talk shapes your performance. Learn how to recognize negative thought patterns, shift your mindset, and use constructive self-talk that supports confidence, focus, and execution.
What Parents & Athletes are Saying
“Ever since working with Eli not only my performances have improved but more importantly my mentality has improved. Even while playing through multiple injuries I was still able to have great performances all because of how we worked on the mindset side. Eli has helped me so much with adjusting my mindset week to week and game by game, as emotions are always changing. I went from being afraid to shoot to now not being fazed by misses and its allowing me to have more fun on the court and play freely. I couldn’t thank Eli enough.”
-James T. | Basketball Player
“Direct quote from my 13 year old son (a freeskier – slopestyle). ‘Eli helped me put my fear of crashing into perspective, because in my mind it was worse than in real life. He helped me know how preparation and using visualization can calm my nerves and help me be successful. It is working and I am hitting my goals faster than last year, because I am not afraid to try new tricks.’ As the dad of a naturally cautious kid, I have witnessed my son use the techniques Eli taught him. It has been amazing to see the transformation and rise in his confidence this season. I highly recommend Eli.”
– Tony C. | Ski Dad
Mental Performance Coaching for Athletes is Based on 3 Core Ideas:
- Identify the current mental game challenges keeping you from performing your best: before our first session, you will complete the assessment. I will then create follow-up questions to perform a deep dive during our first call. This will be where we work together to get to the core of the mental game challenges keeping you from performing your best in games.
- Outline a mental training plan to turn your weaknesses into strengths: once your current challenges are identified, I will create a custom plan for you. Mental coaching for athletes is truly personalized. There is no one size fits all approach. I will create a plan that is completely tailored to you. One that will turn your current weaknesses into strengths to help you become the player you know you can be.
- Make the change happen with weekly action steps and coaching: success in mental coaching stems from our weekly coaching sessions, where we work through your current challenges and where you’ll learn mental training tools and skills that will strengthen your mindset. But success also stems from the work you do between the calls. That’s where the action steps come into play. Giving you an opportunity to take what you learn and apply it directly to your game.
Weekly Action Steps Included
Each week you are going to leave our call with action steps for you to do.
Change happens from taking action! All of the skills I’ll teach you require you to put in the effort to make that change happen.
That’s where the weekly action steps come into play. Through the exercises, you will not only be learning how to strengthen your mind and overcome your mental game challenges, but putting the tools into practice!
Are You Ready To Master Your Mental Game & Take Your Skills to the Next Level? Contact Us Today!
The best way to determine whether this mental performance coaching program is the right fit is through a short introductory coaching call. During this call, we’ll discuss your goals, your challenges, and whether the program is a good fit.
If the athlete is under 18, the introductory call is usually with a parent so we can talk through the program, your goals, and whether it feels like the right fit. The athlete is absolutely welcome to be on the call as well, and I’m always happy to speak with them directly.
Schedule a Free Introductory Call
Prefer to reach out first? You can also send a message below and I’ll get back to you personally.
Athlete Success Story
The mental coaching I have received from Eli was a game changer. I started off this program having almost lost hope with ever getting over my performance anxiety and motivation to train anymore because of the fear and anxiety that had become apart of my training.With Eli I was able to learn so much about myself, my triggers and most importantly how to build up my own confidence so that the things I had learnt will stay with me and become apart of my lifestyle and not just exercises. In three months I accomplished more mentally than I could have ever thought possible with proof of it working with my performances.I highly recommend Eli to anyone struggling mentally with their sport. It helps to have someone who has been through it themselves that you can not only relate with but that takes the time to understand you as a person and how your brain works to find strategies that will stick with you in the long run. Thanks Eli!
Professional Acrobat
Change Won't Happen Simply Through Hope!
By working one-on-one with me as your mental coach, you are taking the next step towards change.
It’s time to get off the sidelines and stop hoping for your mental game to stop getting in the way. Get started today and take matters into your own hands, controlling the only thing you have to control…yourself!
Eli Straw, M.S. - Mental Performance Coach
Eli Straw holds a Master’s Degree in psychology with a sport psychology specialization. He has worked one-on-one with athletes from six continents and over ten countries on building a stronger mental game. Combined with his expertise in mental performance coaching, he brings a proactive approach to mental training. Eli has extensive experience coaching, teaching, and consulting with professional, elite, college, high school, middle school, and youth athletes. He has witnessed both the ups and downs of sports, through the eyes of a coach and as player himself, and understands the impact competition can have on your mind. Eli works with athletes of all sports and all levels and is a current member of the AASP.
Meet Your Mental Coach
FAQ
What Kind Of Results Can I Expect From Working With a Mental Coach?
Mental performance coaching is personalized and tailored to each athlete, so results vary based on your goals and challenges. However, the most common outcomes include:
Increased confidence in competition
Reduced performance anxiety and fear of failure
Improved focus and consistency during games
Greater composure under pressure
Stronger mental toughness and resilience
Many athletes begin noticing early improvements within the first few weeks, with deeper, lasting change developing throughout the structured 12-week program.
How Do I Know If Mental Performance Coaching Is Right For Me?
This program is a strong fit for athletes who have the physical skills and work ethic to perform well, but feel something mental is holding them back, such as pressure, overthinking, anxiety, or inconsistent confidence.
It is also ideal if you are looking for a structured, step-by-step mental training system that gives you a competitive edge beyond physical practice.
How Long Does It Take to See Improvement?
Many athletes begin noticing changes within the first few weeks as they apply the mental training tools. Confidence, focus, and composure often improve early.
Deeper, lasting improvement builds progressively throughout the full 12-week program as mental skills become consistent habits used in both practice and competition.
Is This a Structured Step-by-Step Mental Training Program?
Yes. This coaching follows a structured 12-week system that includes a detailed assessment, personalized mental training plan, weekly coaching sessions, targeted exercises, and ongoing support. Each step builds progressively to create lasting change in confidence, focus, and performance consistency.
What Happens During a Typical Coaching Session?
Each session focuses on a specific mental skill such as confidence, handling pressure, focus, managing mistakes, or emotional control.
We review recent performances, identify mental barriers, and apply targeted tools and exercises you will use during the week. Sessions are fully personalized to what you are experiencing in your sport right now.
Will I Get Tools to Use Between Sessions?
Yes. Each week includes structured mental training exercises such as confidence routines, visualization, thought awareness, focus training, and performance mindset work.
These exercises help you apply what you learn and create measurable improvement between sessions — not just during coaching calls.
Does the Program Track Progress Over Time?
Yes. Progress is reviewed regularly throughout the 12-week program, and adjustments are made when needed. This ensures the coaching stays aligned with your development and continues moving you forward.
Do You Offer Support Between Coaching Sessions?
Yes. Athletes have ongoing access throughout the program and can reach out via text or email between sessions. This allows real-time guidance before games, during challenges, and throughout the training process.
Do You Work With Athletes Who Struggle With Performance Anxiety or Fear of Failure?
Yes. Many athletes seek coaching specifically to overcome performance anxiety, fear of failure, pressure, and overthinking. The program is designed to help athletes develop confidence, composure, and the ability to perform freely even in high-pressure situations.
Do You Work With All Sports?
Yes. Mental performance is universal across sports. While the situation may differ — hitting a baseball, taking a penalty kick, serving in tennis — the underlying mental patterns (confidence, pressure, focus, composure) are the same.
The coaching is designed to adapt to your specific sport, role, and competitive environment, and has been used successfully with athletes across many different sports and levels.
What Age Groups Do You Work With?
The program works with athletes across many age groups, including youth, high school, college, and adult competitors. The coaching is adapted based on age, experience, and level of competition.
Is This Program Effective for Younger Athletes?
Yes. Younger athletes often benefit significantly because they are building mental habits early in their development.
Mental performance coaching helps them strengthen confidence, manage frustration, handle pressure, and build a foundation that supports long-term growth in both sport and mindset.
Is Online Mental Performance Coaching Effective?
Yes. Coaching is conducted one-on-one via phone or video, allowing athletes from anywhere to receive personalized, structured support. The tools and exercises are designed to be applied directly in practice and competition regardless of location.
How Is Mental Coaching Different From Therapy?
Mental performance coaching is performance-focused and forward-oriented, not clinical therapy.
Rather than addressing mental health in a clinical sense, we work on practical strategies that directly improve confidence, focus, composure, and game-day execution. The goal is to help you perform your best and enjoy competing more consistently.
Can Parents Be Involved in the Process?
Yes. Strong communication with parents can be very helpful, especially for younger athletes. While sessions remain focused on the athlete, parents can receive guidance on key themes, progress, and how to support the athlete’s mental development.
Is This Coaching Program a Good Fit for an Entire Team?
The 1-on-1 coaching program is designed for individual athletes, but a separate structured 12-week Team Mental Performance Coaching Program is available for teams. This program focuses on collective confidence, communication, handling pressure, and building a strong mental culture within the group.