What the First Mental Performance Session Looks Like for a Teen Athlete
Not knowing what to expect is one of the biggest reasons parents wait longer than they’d like to before reaching out. So here’s a clear, specific walkthrough of what actually happens.
Before the Session
A short intake conversation with the athlete and possibly the parent, usually 10-15 minutes, covers what’s been showing up for your athlete, nerves, mistakes that spiral, focus lapses, comparison, whatever the specific pattern is. This isn’t a formal assessment, just enough context to make the first session useful right away. This gives me insight into the athletes perspectives, thinking style, and general personal characteristics. Parents can provide any additional information they may deem worthwhile if the athlete feels comfortable with this.
The First Session Itself
This is one-on-one with the athlete, roughly 45 minutes, conversational rather than clinical. We talk through what competition actually feels like for them, where things tend to go sideways, and what they’ve already tried on their own. We discuss what mental performance training actually is and address the stigma often seen around this to try and remove any uncertainty.
I provide a space for sharing from the athlete if they feel comfortable to open up independently or I use a range of prompts to gain insight into athletes experiences to try and understand where we are starting from. While I generally have an idea in my head of where sessions may go, I utilise an athlete-centred approach so if something else comes up or the athlete seems passionate or especially struggling in one area we will dive in there.
By the end of the first session, most athletes leave with one specific, practical tool, a reset routine, a focus cue, something small enough to start using immediately, not a long list of concepts to remember.
What It Is Not
It’s not therapy, and it’s not a motivational talk. There’s no lying on a couch, no diagnosis, and no vague encouragement to “just believe in yourself.” It’s closer to a skills coaching session, specific and practical, aimed directly at performance. We will talk through experiences and thought processes but attempt to understand how we can make changes in these situations or adjust our appraisal of situations to ultimately work to optimise performance.
After the Session
Depending on where we end up, the athlete may walk away with a task or challenge for them to apply what we worked on. Parents may get a short summary of what was covered depending on the athletes wishes and, where useful, something concrete to reinforce at home, a phrase to recognize, a question to ask after games. Ongoing sessions build on the same tool, refining it as the athlete uses it in real competition without staying restricted to this being the only tool we’re working on together. As we all know, things come up, so we will go with the flow where necessary.
If you’re still unsure whether this is the right fit, that’s exactly what a consultation call is for, a no-pressure conversation to see whether this makes sense for your athlete before committing to anything further.