Ready to level up your game?!
Mental Skills Toolkit:
Welcome to the
Mindset Mastery Academy
(FOUNDATIONS PROGRAM)
A one-of-a-kind, game-changing, 12-week mental skills mentorship experience
for female soccer players age 10-18
Izzie, 2012 ECNL player (U12 year)
Listen as Izzie talks about how her confidence went from a 3/10 to a 9/10 in just a few short months.
⬅️ This young lady TRANSFORMED her entire outlook on the game 🔥⚽️. This healthy striving mentality is 100% possible for YOUR daughter too. Keep scrolling to find out how.
MMA has been amazing for our daughter. She’s playing with confidence and is a totally different player than before. It’s like a switch flipped and the tools she gained will carry her beyond soccer. We are so grateful to Jenn.
MMA is exactly what you've been searching for...
As much as we love the beautiful game, we also know that these days it can be HARD being a female soccer player playing at competitive and elite levels of the game. The pressure, expectations, that players sometimes put on themselves to produce certain results can take a huge toll not just on their confidence and performance, but on their overall wellbeing, their sense of self worth and their love for the game 😔💔⚽️
As a parent, it can feel overwhelming because you just want to see your daughter believe in herself and play with confidence, bravery, freedom, and JOY. You’ve tried everything you can think of, but you just don’t know how to help her get out of her head, stop overthinking, stop being so hard on herself, and actually SEE herself for the amazing person and player that she is.
Your player CAN learn to COACH themselves through hard things , they CAN learn to switch from self-doubt to SELF-BELIEF, they CAN learn to build unshakeable CONFIDENCE. I know because I’ve seen dozens and dozens of young women make these shifts and blow their game wide open, and your daughter can as well. To summarize, the Mindset Mastery Academy is here to help her not just SURVIVE in this environment of pressure, expectations and comparison culture, but THRIVE 🙌
Here at Expand Your Game, we KNOW that each and every player can find success each day on that field as it relates to them moving forward toward becoming the player and person they want to be 🫶🏾🌱🔥. We care immensely about each player we work with and we truly want YOUR DAUGHTER to be able to experience her own greatness and reignite her passion for the game.
The Mindset Mastery Academy is offered in 3 formats:
THIS is how you get ahead of your competition. THIS is how you gain an edge. Reach out today.
This program is 12-weeks long with options to get started as early as this week.
Please take a moment to watch some of these videos below.
These are real results from real players and will help give you a sense of the transformation that is possible inside of this program.
Alayna, 2007 high school multi-sport athlete (U17 year)
Listen as Alayna reflects on her experience with the Mindset Mastery Academy and talks about the self-awareness and confidence she was able to build for herself. Alayna talks about her newfound ability to overcome challenges, let go of mistakes and play with bravery, freedom and creativity on the soccer field – a complete transformation from where she was at before she started this mental skills training.
Sophia, 2010 ECNL player (U13 year)
Listen as Jenn and Sophia talk about the huge changes that Sophia was able to make in her confidence in just 3 short months after starting this mental skills training program. Hear Sophia talk about how she was able to shift her perspective away from the negative and refocus on the controllable pieces of her game. She also explains how learning to mentally prepare before games helped her quickly be able to play with more consistency and composure and help her bounce back and keep her head in the game after errors and mistakes.
Jenn Ireland is absolutely a gift to developing young, female athletes! Her perspectives were so appreciated and valued. We were amazed at her ability to connect with our daughter and achieve the goals that we set at the beginning of the program. Our child looked forward to the sessions and was enthusiastic at completing the homework.
Jenn is clearly great at motivating these young women! If you and your child are willing to put in the work, you will see the results. There is no downside to doing this course and definitely her principles can be applied to all aspects of one's life.
This program is exactly what our daughter needed. Technically she is a very sound player, however, lack of confidence really impeded her ability to apply that skill on the field. Through the Mindset Mastery Academy, she has unlocked her potential and is truly enjoying the game even more. She learned how to set controllable objectives – freeing herself of the outcome of the game. She worked on self talk, learning how to coach herself into the right headspace for championship games (which came into play twice recently).
We are THRILLED at how she is now able to play with the confidence and skill set we always knew she had. We HIGHLY recommend the Mindset Mastery Academy to anyone seeking to improve their game.
Lauren, 2010 ECNL player (U13 year)
Scroll down for curriculum, dates, additional testimonials, pricing and more information about the program.
Soccer Players, your next level is closer than you think
In the Mindset Mastery Academy, our mission is to help you:
Expand your Mental Skills
Uncover Authentic Drive
Reframe Limiting Beliefs
be your own best inner coach
🔥⬇️ This high school junior did LIFE-CHANGING work for herself inside of MMA ⬇️🔥
The Mindset Mastery Academy is for soccer players across all levels of competition including: high school athletes, select/competitive club, ECNL, Girls Academy, ODP, OPDL (Canada) and all divisions of the college game.
We've worked with athletes at:
This one-of-a-kind transformational program offers individualized, personal 1-on-1 mental skills coaching and small group coaching for youth female soccer players. Over the course of the twelve week program, players will be led through thoughtful, engaging conversations and self-reflection activities to help them identify and explore their current strengths & weaknesses while simultaneously working to normalize the conversation around mental skills and mental wellness for athletes.
In this program, players will learn a variety of mental performance skill strategies and be given techniques & tangible tools to implement into their training and games, learning to coach themselves toward more confident, composed, resilient play. Players will work with their coach to uncover ongoing themes and specific situations that are holding them back from maximizing their potential, in the process gaining invaluable insight about themselves both as a person and as a soccer player – insight that empowers them to own their growth and expand their game both on and off the field. Insight that leads to them to discovering the superpower that is THEIR MINDSET.
While educating yourself on the mental part of the game is really helpful for a lot of players, there is literally no replacement for the value of mental skills coaching when it comes to making the greatest impact in the shortest amount of time. That is because 1-to-1 coaching provides a safe, supportive environment where players are given the expert guidance, tools and care they need to empower themselves to reframe their thinking and transform their soccer mentality.
Working with a mental skills coach is the BEST way to accelerate your learning and growth in regards to making the biggest impact on your confidence and your game play in the shortest amount of time.
Meet our Mental Skills Coaches:
Current team: Spokane Zephyr FC
Position: Forward
BIO: Alyssa has played professionally for 3 years in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and in the NWSL for the Portland Thorns. She is currently playing in the USL Super League for Spokane Zephyr FC. Alyssa has a Bachelors degree in Health Care Administration with a focus on Mental Health for athletes. She played collegiate at both University of Iowa and University of Richmond. While at the University of Richmond, she cofounded “as yoU aRe”, a mental health support group for athletes where they organized events for athletes centered around mental health topics and community building and facilitated the creation of an internship under the Sports Psychologist to ensure the longevity of the program. At the University of Iowa she assisted with the organization of mental health events with the Green Bandana Project, including a Mental Health Awareness game for Iowa Women’s Soccer. Prior to joining Expand Your Game, Alyssa has previously coached 1-on-1 individualized sessions and group sessions with youth players ages 6-18, as well as collegiate players.
BIO: Autumn currently plays for Lexington SC of the USL Super League. She has played Semi Pro soccer with Chicago Red Star Reserves, Racing Louisville USLW, and Lexington Sporting USLW. Autumn began her youth club career at FC Peoria and then joined Illinois Fire, Indiana Fire, and traveled internationally with Central Maine United. She played collegiate soccer at IUPUI and Louisville. Facing initial setbacks at IUPUI, her determination led to a starting lineup and leadership role. Leaving IUPUI, Autumn explored five potential D1 Soccer Universities but chose Louisville for its location, coaching, and mentoring. Driven by a desire for professional soccer preparation and exposure to higher-level play, Autumn believes in embracing every success or failure in her soccer and coaching journey: her mantra is “Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard.” Prior to joining Expand Your Game, Autumn has spent time coaching and mentoring youth players through Indiana ODP and Premier Soccer Training.
Current team: Lexington SC
Position: Center back
Current team: U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team
Position: Midfield
BIO: Hannah has played professionally in Israel and Denmark, including on a Champions League team. She has also played for Racing Louisville in the NWSL and Minnesota Aurora FC in the USL W League. Hannah currently plays Professional Beach Soccer for Cali Beach Soccer Club and for the USA Women’s Beach Soccer National Team, where she was named the 2023 US Women’s Beach Soccer Player of the Year. Growing up in Southern California, she played club soccer for Real So Cal (now LAFC) and for Oak Park High School Varsity. She played NCAA Division 1 College Soccer at the University of Denver, where she was a Captain. Hannah is a co-founder of Beyond the Baller, a group of pro players who run trainings and clinics in the Santa Barbara and San Diego areas.
Jenn Ireland is a USSF C licensed soccer coach & Mental Skills Coach who empowers female athletes to own their growth and maximize their potential by expanding their mental performance skills, reframing limiting beliefs and uncovering authentic passion & drive.
more Testimonials from players & parents:
The Expand Your Game Mindset Mastery Academy mentorship program was priceless. My takeaways from the program are how to be a better soccer player on and off the field. Specifically, I learned how to prepare for my games effectively by understanding my controllable objectives, which basically means breaking down big goals into achievable steps.
I have also gained more awareness of the way that my mind works, which has helped me step back and be able to objectively see what is happening. Because of this, I can now take positive steps to do things differently and help myself on the field instead of getting in my own way.
The work I've done with this program has been fun, but more than that, I see it paying off in practice, games and in everyday life.
Jenn Ireland’s program on mental toughness was excellent in helping me to move to my desired level as an athlete. Jenn is very knowledgeable, encouraging, and easy to talk to. She taught me concepts that I can use not only in soccer, but also in life. This program helped me to redefine my definition of a successful game, which has helped me to enjoy soccer more. Jenn encouraged me to set specific, achievable goals that I can put into practice every time I’m on the soccer field. Whenever I have a problem, I know I can go to Jenn and she will guide me in the right direction. I am so thankful for Jenn Ireland and her mental toughness program.
We are just returning from our first tournament in 2 years since COVID. The growth in our daughter’s game is not only noticeable on the field in her ball play, but also palpable presence and confidence on and off the pitch. She had some good touches and some not so good touches, but she kept her head in the game the entire time. Most importantly for us, she was happy and had fun playing the game she has loved since she was 4 years old. This hasn’t always been the case. As a teenager now playing at more and more competitive levels, the pressure she has put on herself has at times clouded her ability to see where she is improving and leading her to focus only on her mistakes, leaving her feeling like she is failing. Her time with Jenn has been invaluable. Through Jenn’s approach and their work together, we see her now being able to objectively breakdown her play; be proud of what she did well, identify where she is growing skills, and encouraged and empowered about what she can do to continue to improve. Our daughter’s time with Jenn has taken her game to a different level. For a super passionate, curious, driven, self-critical kid, we see the approaches that she is working on with Jenn show up in every other part of her life. At such a vulnerable age, Jenn has provided our daughter with skills to approach challenging situations with focus and confidence. We are so grateful for her ‘ Jenn-Time'.
Not only does 1-on-1 mental skills training help you enjoy the game more and experience greater wellbeing and balance, but mental skills training is also how you LEVEL UP and GET AHEAD.
This personalized soccer mental training program helps players:
Grow their confidence and belief in
themselves & their abilities
Overcome toxic perfectionism and
move past fear of failure
Play with focus & composure and learn how to keep their attention on the controllable parts of their game
Become more resilient, overcome obstacles and cultivate mental toughness & authentic drive
Be more intentional with their self-talk and use it to help them level up their game day performance
Increase their ability to handle high pressure game situations and stay confident despite the nerves
Mental skills work is a combination of enhancing performance AND working on wellbeing. 1-on-1 mental skills work has the power to help soccer players see their worth beyond the bounds of their performance. It is what leads to players lessoning their dependance on external validation and working towards becoming their own best inner coach by building true, stable, deep confidence and belief in themselves and their abilities. When players are given the space to learn about themselves and focus on identity and character development alongside their soccer game, they come to see that who they are as a person is ultimately what will drive their success in the long run ❤️🔥🙏
Mental skills work helps to normalize conversations around the difficult topics of mental wellness, perfectionism, confidence, self-worth and limiting beliefs. Just by having these discussions and providing players with the knowledge that they are not alone, that these are actually shared experiences that many, many players go through, you are moving the needle and helping them start to overcome the mental hangups that they’ve become beholden to on the soccer field.
Once a player truly understands that THEY have the power to change all of this stuff, and the only one standing in their way is themselves, THEY BECOME UNSTOPPABLE. This is the focus of mental skills work, to awaken this passion and create true authentic drive and motivation to change things.
This is the focus of the Mindset Mastery Academy.
Overview of our 12-week Mental Skills Course
Unit 1
Building a Foundation
Week 1: You are MORE than a soccer player
Week 2: Growing our self-awareness
Unit 2
Tuning into the Controllables
Week 3: Navigating pressure, expectations and comparison culture
Week 4: Redefining success
Unit 3
Learning How to self-regulate
Week 5: Getting into our optimal performance zone
Week 6: Finding value inside of hard moments
Unit 4
the art of choosing to believe
Week 7: True, deep, REAL confidence
Week 8: Letting go of limiting beliefs
Unit 5
Becoming our own best inner coach
Week 9: Self-talk reboot
Week 10: Overcoming overthinking
Unit 6
mental prep for consistent & confident game play
Week 11: The power of habits
Week 12: Expanding your game through mental fitness
Want more details on what we'll cover in MMA?
🔥 ⚽️ Now accepting applications for Spring 2025 ⚽️ 🔥
Ready to make 2025 the best season of your life?
Players must apply for the MMA program, not all players that apply will be accepted.
Space is limited, as soon as our programs are full, they are full.<b
HYBRID option:
Program tuition: $2700
(3 payments of $900)
Pay-in-full Discount: $2500
SELF-PACED option:
Program tuition: $699
FULL 1-on-1 option:
Program tuition: $3750
(3 payments of $1250)
Pay-in-full Discount: $3500
Start anytime! No restrictions on dates.
Included in BOTH hybrid & full 1-on-1 models:
- Twelve live coaching sessions via ZOOM (each session is 1 hour)
- Two live 1-to-1 parent meetings/calls
- Mental Skills IDP (individual development plan)
- Weekly ‘parent guides’ to help you follow along with the curriculum and continue the conversation at home
- In-depth library of weekly video modules for players and parents
- Weekly worksheets/homework/reflections for players
- Text and phone access to Jenn outside of 1:1 meetings
- Forever access for players to the MMA Masterclass (group class that meets 1x a month)
SCHOLARSHIPS: To expand the reach of the program and give as many players as possible the opportunity to grow this piece of their game, scholarships are offered annually in February, and throughout the year as space is available. Please email jenn@expandyourgame.com to request an application.
Many of the hard things that soccer players are experiencing on the soccer field right now are SHARED EXPERIENCES that are showing up as a result of the pressure and expectations that players put on themselves to produce certain results on the soccer field. This takes a huge toll not just on confidence and performance, but on a player’s sense of self-worth and their love for the game.
Here are some of the things players are facing daily and why they choose the Mindset Mastery Academy:
"What is your biggest challenge in soccer right now?"
"Applying the skills I have with confidence, and my constant self- doubt."
"My biggest challenge is overcoming my mindset."
"My confidence. I know I can take a player on 1v1 in a game, but my confidence gets in the way and I just pass the ball off. So I would definitely say my mental confidence."
"Overthinking. I think it will improve my game drastically if I just stop getting in my head."
"Right now my biggest challenge in soccer is confidence because due to an injury I lost my starting position and play time."
"A challenge that I have struggled with my entire time playing soccer is being afraid to make mistakes."
"I think my biggest challenge is trying new things on the field and at practice because I am afraid it will impact my playing time."
"Consistency in how well I play"
Parents, is your soccer player experiencing similar challenges?
Are you ready to help them move past self-defeating mentalities and enjoy the game again?
This mental skills mentorship provides a safe, supportive environment where players can dig into hard topics, start to understand themselves better, grow their confidence, and take their mental performance & mindset skills to an entirely new level.
Over the course of this 12-week soccer mental skills training mentorship, players will be given:
– the guidance, tools and care they need to empower themselves to reframe their thinking and transform their soccer mentality
– a listening ear, practical and helpful advice, and encouragement and support to reach their specific goals
– new viewpoints and alternative ways of looking at repeat issues and situations that plague them on the soccer field
We all know we need to 'get out of our head' and 'be more confident'
but what we don't know is HOW to do that.
And that where the Mindset Mastery Academy comes in.
Who is MMA for?
The Mindset Mastery Academy is for growth minded players who are ready to do the work and WANT to do the work.
This program is geared toward athletes playing at competitive and elite levels, who are looking to progress their playing career and keep climbing. MMA is for players who are ready to stretch their game and expand as a player and a leader, but have been held back by mental hang-ups that are preventing them from maximizing their potential out there on the field.
The Mindset Mastery Academy is a soccer mental training mentorship built for soccer players in the middle school/high school/college age range (age 10 and up), although we will accept younger players if they are a good fit for the program. A reminder, this mentorship is NOT a replacement for a therapist or a sports psychologist. Our coaches are mentors, a listening ear, an encouraging presence and someone who can provide support and guidance to help individuals harness their strengths and talents. If you need more than what this mentorship will offer, we recommend you reach out to your medical care provider and seek an alternate option.
How involved are parents during the program?
This program is built around a balanced approach of parent education & involvement, but with plenty of space for players to do their own work and self-discovery.
A balanced approach, with space for both parent education and individual player work, is KEY. Allowing players to do the weekly meetings with their coach themselves, in an environment where they are comfortable and don’t feel like they have to self-censor their conversation, is crucial for the growth we are hoping to achieve. That being said, a big piece of this program IS parent involvement and parent education because supporting your player and continuing the conversation along the way will greatly contribute to their ability to find success with this work.
Parent education will be provided through weekly parent guides, content videos and two live parent meetings throughout the program. Parents, each week we will be providing a weekly guide to help you follow along with the curriculum. This parent’s guide is meant to serve as a general starting point to help you continue the conversation with your player, but as each player is their own person and operates differently than the next, if the suggestions listed in the parent guide are not something that will work for your relationship, that is totally OK! That is what the parent meetings during this program are for, designed for coach & parent to come together in a collaborative conversation to figure out how to best support your daughter in a way that resonates with her and works for her.
Overview of MMA Foundations curriculum:
The curriculum of this soccer mental training mentorship is set up to help players self-discover and gain insight through guided questions, self-exploration and reflection.
Week 1 Topic: You are MORE than a soccer player
Week 1 is all about establishing a baseline for where players are currently at in regards to their mental performance skillset and how they view themselves. They will be introduced to some of the vocabulary and themes that we will be working with throughout the mentorship. Players will begin the MMA program with foundational self-reflection work in this first week. They will be exploring their performance and relational skills and starting to see that who they are as a person is ultimately what will drive their success in the long run.
This week’s conversation will help players understand that they are more than an athlete and that allowing their identity and self-worth to get tied to how they perform as a player, instead of to their character, can be detrimental both to their game and to their wellbeing. Players will engage in activities in this lesson to start identifying what type of person they want to be known as and learn how choosing to show up as that person will actually help them play better soccer, cultivate self-belief and most importantly, enjoy the game more. When players are given the space to learn about themselves and focus on identity and character development alongside their soccer game, they come to see their worth beyond the bounds of their performance – understanding this is crucial to the mental skills work we will do inside of this program.
Week 2: The pressure/performance/confidence relationship
In Week 2, players will be exploring the relationship between pressure, performance, results-based expectations and confidence. Players will be reflecting on their own personal experiences on the soccer field and will come away from Week 2 with a clearer picture of where their specific ‘pressure to perform’ is coming from, how it’s showing up and what it’s doing to their game. Gaining this understanding and awareness will allow them to begin to move away from the expectations that are trapping them in feelings of inadequacy and low confidence, and start to move them towards internal validation by focusing on self-improvement and smaller pieces of the game that they can control.
Week 3: Process goals and controllable objectives
Week 4: Self-regulation and composure in game play
Week 5: The 4 stages of development & the inevitable 'pit'
Injured and out of the game for a bit? This is an EXCELLENT time to level up and start your mental skills training! Email jenn@expandyourgame.com for details.
Week 6: The art of choosing to believe; internal vs external validation
Week 7: Cultivating authentic drive by learning to embrace challenge
Week 8: Tools to overcome overthinking & keep your head in the game
Week 9: Becoming your own best inner coach
Week 10: Intention PLUS action; taking charge of your mental fitness
MORE Success Stories
Interview with Lauren (2010 ECNL and ODP) after completing the Mindset Mastery Academy:
Jenn – How do you think all the stuff we’ve done over the 10 weeks has helped you on the soccer field? Do you feel like you’re a different person or player than you were at the beginning? Maybe not just in how you play, but also in how you think and feel? How do you think that MMA has benefited you in that way?
Lauren – I think that this program has really helped expand my game. You know, I’ll train physically and stuff, but mentally it has almost like calmed my brain down. Instead of going to games being all nervous, I can kind of actually get focused and be ready for the game instead of HOPING that I’m ready for the game. Cuz usually I’ll just be like “I hope I do well tomorrow” instead of actually being like here’s what I CAN DO to help me play the best I can tomorrow.
Jenn – That’s so awesome. You basically just told me that you are taking control of being prepared. Because that is something that you can control right? What do you think about your perspective on this mental skills stuff and mindset stuff, has your perspective and your view of it changed? Do you think it is valuable?
Lauren – At first I thought that I couldn’t really change the thoughts that go on in my head when I’m playing and stuff, but now I’ve kind of realized I can control those thoughts and make them positive instead of just have them go on randomly in my head. I can take control and then figure out how to use my thoughts to add to my play.
Jenn – Let’s talk about confidence on the field, on the ball. Was that impacted by the work we’ve done here? How?
Lauren – My confidence started out kinda going up and down, but consistency and knowing that making mistakes are okay and working through them is actually better than just doing the moves right every single time, it helped my confidence to be consistent and stay around the same level. Because now if I do a move and mess up, I’ll just be like oh it’s okay, I’ll just do it next time and try again and figure it out, I’ll learn what I need to fix, you know.
Jenn – Totally. The mistakes are going to happen right? But you don’t get that huge drop anymore in your confidence anymore from that one thing happening. We always have good games and bad games. Even with high confidence you are going to have the games where you are like ‘meh’ and aren’t going to particularly love watching on game film, that’s just part of it. But instead of ‘I only feel good about myself when I did great things’ and ‘I feel bad about myself when I didn’t’, we’ve moved away from that a little bit right?
Lauren – Uh-huh. Definitely.
Jenn – So do you think mental skills stuff is powerful?
Lauren – I think it’s almost more important than your on-game play because if you don’t know how to control your mental play then it’s just going to be a mess when you are playing because you are going to have all these thoughts in your head and it’s overwhelming. But now that I can take control and have my mind only think of the things I need it to think about at the moment, it makes it a lot easier.
Jenn – So do you think mental skills stuff is powerful?
My daughter participated in Jenn's "Expand Your Game" mentorship program. Jenn provided a positive and safe environment for my daughter to share and reflect on areas of her game she rarely did before; or at least not previously in a productive fashion. It was a great way for her to understand how she absorbs and processes on-the-field actions and results into positive next step applications. My daughter specifically was able to recognize some unhealthy habits she didn't know existed and learned how to properly breakdown and reframe hard game situations; she can now see how difficult on-field moments can be used positively to grow and succeed.
The Expand Your Game mentorship program was not only incredibly valuable for my player but also something she looked forward to week after week. The transformation I see in my player is setting her intentions before a game and revisiting those after a game. She uses terms she's learned in Expand Your Game to explain her mindset and make sense of the emotions. This has helped tremendously for her own game but also to empathize with teammates. This will be the biggest impact to her soccer game this year, no doubt! A huge thanks to Jenn for putting so much care, thought and intention behind the content and the sessions!
The Mindset Mastery Academy is all about 'guided self-discovery,' meaning the conversations are structured in a way that allows players to find new perspective and leave behind old views.
Here's an example:
Coach Jenn – Addy, can I ask you something? If your teammate made a mistake in a game, but then worked super hard to adjust and recover and kept playing hard, would you think she was letting you down?
Player – No, definitely not.
Coach Jenn – What would be the only way you would feel like she was letting you down?
Player – If she just gave up after the mistake and didn’t try to fix it.
Coach Jenn – So you wouldn’t feel like she was letting you or the team down if she kept going and kept working hard after the mistake, right? The only way you might feel that way is if she just stopped playing and didn’t do anything to help?
Player – Correct.
Coach Jenn – OK, now let me ask you another question. Are YOU hardworking on the field? Specifically after something goes wrong, like your pass gets intercepted or you take a poor touch, do you adjust and work hard in those moments immediately after that happens?
Player – Yes, of course. I always work super hard and I don’t give up.
Coach Jenn – So, let’s think about what we just talked about with your teammate. When she works hard after a mistake, you don’t think SHE is letting you down, right? So do you think that your teammates think that YOU are letting them down if you do the same thing, work super hard after a mistake?
Player – No, I guess not. I’ve never thought about it that way.
Coach Jenn – What WOULD be the only way they would probably think you were letting them down?
Player – If I didn’t do anything afterwards and I just disengaged and gave up.
Coach Jenn – Do you do that?
Player – No, never.
Coach Jenn – So do you think that anyone is ever truly thinking that you are letting them down?
Player – No, they probably are not. Wow.
Soccer players, what can you expect to get from this mental skills training program?
Players will get as much from this soccer mental training mentorship as they put into it. The guidance, the information and the tools will all be provided to them in a very useable way – but it’ll be up to them to take action and be willing to try things that might seem out-of-the-box or even strange at first. One of the most amazing things about this 12 week program, is that if players ARE TRULY INVESTED and take action with the tools provided, many of the things they will learn and self-discover are things that will help with self-improvement and growth in all aspects of life beyond soccer.
Here are a few potential results for players:
- Awareness of what is happening inside their head and WHY it’s happening (and the knowledge that they are not the only one dealing with self-doubt and self-defeating mentalities)
- Realizing that they DON’T have to listen to their inner critic, they can make the choice to do things different and CHOOSE their thoughts
- Reduced stress due to better understanding and knowledge; when you understand what’s happening it’s not as scary and it’s not as impossible to overcome as it once felt
- New perspective and clarity in regards to their struggle to play with confidence, and increased belief in themselves as they start to gain understanding of HOW to move past this and grow
- Broadened vocabulary of mental performance skills terms and ability to navigate conversations around these topics
- Improved ability to talk more openly about the feelings and emotions that come up both on and off the soccer field
- A new (healthier) relationship with pressure and expectations; a solid understanding of the different between HIGH expectations and IMPOSSIBLE expectations
- A reframed mentality of understanding that winning every single game isn’t the only way (or perhaps even the best way) to develop and progress toward becoming the very best player you can be; winning is great yes, but truly knowing that there is value in EVERY game (especially the hard and challenging ones) in relation to long term goals is a game changer
- That leadership is something they can do daily; they don’t need to be assigned the title of captain in order to lead their teammates
- A mental edge! Going through the Mindset Mastery Academy can give players an edge on their competition because mental skills are KEY to maximizing their potential, and once they understand that and have tools to help them execute, they now have a superpower that not many other people have access to: MENTAL TOUGHNESS!
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FAQs
Why is the program 12 weeks in length? And why 1 meeting a week?
The reason the program is a once weekly meeting, and 12 weeks in duration, is because the meetings need to be frequent enough for players to keep this work in the forefront of their mind as they hit the field each week, but not SO frequent that it’s overwhelming and too much information too fast. 12 weeks is a good amount of time to get through a lot of mental skills foundational content, but also give players the time they need to take it to the field, try it out, make adjustments and try again. A shorter program wouldn’t allow players to have as much success because this stuff takes time and patience, the depth of this program is ultimately what helps them make these shifts and transformational changes to their game. The timeframe allows them to experience the guidance, tools and care they need to empower themselves to reframe their thinking and make effective changes to their soccer mentality.
How much of a time commitment does this program require?
This IS an intensive program, but it’s not a ton of extra work – players should expect to dedicate about 2 hours of time a week to this program (between the meeting and the video/worksheets/reflection components).
How do you decide who you will accept into the program?
Not everyone who applies will be accepted into the Mindset Mastery Academy. The program only works when players are READY to dig in and self-reflect. Players need to KNOW that this work will be hard, but still WANT to do it because they understand the immense value it will bring them. The first step to expanding mental skills in soccer is having a level of self-awareness as to where you are at, and the next step is having a growth-minded perspective and a deep desire to WANT to do the work. In other words, players need to be invested, openminded and ready to be a little uncomfortable because we are going to have to confront some difficult things.
In order to be accepted into the program, players must show that they are ready. Players will be evaluated based on their answers to the initial intake questionnaire and subsequent Zoom interview with their coach. Parents must also demonstrate that they are onboard with the balanced structure of parent and player education, and understand that meaningful change will only come if they give their player the space to do this work on their own (see parents piece in section above).
What are the 1-on-1 meetings like?
During the weekly meetings, the coaches role is to guide players to self-explore and learn about themselves. Through a guided questions approach called motivational interviewing, we work to help players learn how to best help THEMSELVES. Mental skills work does not make problems go away, but it does provide players with the tools they need to be able to guide themselves through whatever adversity and obstacles come their way. These meetings are set up in a way that helps players be able to cultivate their own best inner coach so that they can support themselves for years to come.
Are the dates and times for the meetings flexible?
Yes, coaches and players will work together to create a schedule that works for them both. We understand that game and training schedules change though and are very flexible with the 1-on-1 meetings. With at least 24 hours notice, we are always willing to adjust schedules as needed. For the Hybrid program, players will be grouped based off of their available schedule and the group meetings will be at a set time every other week (typically Sunday evenings but not always). If a player cannot make a group meeting, they will be given one pass to swap out for another 1-on-1 meeting, after that they will need to watch the recordings.
What is Jenn’s experience coaching players in the mental skills space?
I hold a National C Coaching License from United States Soccer Federation, along with additional Mental Performance, Performance Analysis and Coaching certifications from various institutions around the country and from a diverse range of mental performance experts (see my certifications here). While I am not a sports psychologist myself, or a medical professional in any way, (click for disclaimer), I have found that my benefit to players is that I am able to take the science of mental performance skills and translate it into useable tools and strategies that players can understand and actually put to use out on the field. Essentially, I am very good at making this stuff accessible and useable for players in their current environment.
In addition to helping players in the Mindset Mastery Academy, I served as the 2023 Mental Skills Coach for Minnesota Aurora FC, a pre-professional team playing in the USL W League, and as the 2023 Mental Skills Coordinator at Berkshire Soccer Academy. I am passionate about using personal growth lessons and mental skill strategies to help players grow their resiliency, increase their confidence, expand their mental toughness and become happier, healthier, stronger soccer players and people.
Beyond the Mindset Mastery Academy: The Impact Program
Once players have completed the 12-week program, they are eligible to enroll in either the ImpactProgram or the VIP Program.
Reach out to your coach for details, or check out the Impact Program here.
