Book Lessons with Coach Kyle

As a lifelong, competitive, multi-sport athlete, I have had the privilege of competing in, and winning, numerous state, interstate, and regional tournaments throughout my career. My primary sports were Baseball, Soccer, Basketball, and Lacrosse (which I picked up in high school). Throughout my athletic journey, I have encountered both the triumphs and challenges inherent in a life dedicated to sports. These experiences encompass the highs of championship victories, the lows of defeats, the pressure of making game-winning shots, and the frustration of missing them. Furthermore, I have personally navigated the complexities of dealing with aggressive coaching, political dynamics, favoritism, and numerous injuries that represent the unfortunate aspects of the sports world that often lead to many talented young athletes ending their careers prematurely. My objective is to prevent that from happening, and to help athletes, young and experienced, develop a healthy and long-lasting relationship with their respective sport(s) through strengthening the mental game. My experiences have imparted invaluable lessons that I am eager to share with other athletes, empowering them to not only overcome similar challenges, but to also be prepared mentally for when things don't go as planned.

Outside of my personal experience as a competitor, I hold a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology and a professional certification in Mental Performance Coaching from Mental Performance Mastery. My well-rounded education, combined with my personal athletic experiences, equip me with the skills and knowledge to help you or your athlete achieve their goals.

As a Mental Performance Coach, my primary objective is to help you, or your athlete, develop the mental skills that are the most conducive to a long and successful career in sports. There are a great many factors that can influence an athlete's prosperity in their sport, but when it comes to the mental game, decades of psychological research and sports history tell us that there are a set of specific core mental skills that stand above the rest when it comes to short-term and long-term achievement in sports. Those core skills are the basis of what I coach. I treat each athlete as an individual, and depending on their goals and current level of mental skill, I will adapt the training programs accordingly. However, the foundational skills that I primarily focus on are as follows:

1) Growth Mindset: There have been numerous books written on this subject, but the pioneer of the growth mindset is Carol Dweck. I encourage everyone to read her book, "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In short, the Growth Mindset is the belief that talents and abilities can be developed through dedication, effort, and learning. The growth mindset is directly linked to resilience and the ability to embrace challenges. Contrary to this is the Fixed Mindset, which is the belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents are fixed traits that cannot be changed. This leads to people who simply form a desire to "look good" in front of others and a tendency to avoid challenges. Growth mindset is a trainable skill, and it is THE FOUNDATIONAL trait that has the greatest impact on an athlete being able to reach the elite tier.

2) Motivation & Commitment: Motivation is the push that gets you going and that encourages you take that first step, and commitment is the pull that keeps you moving forward even when things get tough and you don't "feel" like doing anything. I help athletes uncover their true goals, their deep reason WHY for doing what they do, and their personal mission statement that will be the source of their drive to greatness. If you have a big enough reason WHY you do something, then figuring out the HOW becomes much easier.

3) Focus & Awareness: These skills are what allow an athlete to play and live in the present-moment, and to develop emotional control and regulation skills required to perform consistently at a level closer to their best while productively navigating the inevitable adversities that will strike in their careers.

4) Self-Control & Discipline: These skills are all about learning how to refocus after encountering mistakes or unfortunate outcomes to challenging circumstances without letting one error spiral into many more. Athletes who train these skills are better able to calmly evaluate difficult situations and make the next best decisions based on objective reasoning instead of emotional impulse, develop the self-awareness to understand when they are in control and losing control of themselves, and possess the ability to delay gratification to achieve a greater goal.

5) Process Over Outcome: This skill connects with the growth mindset. The idea is to teach athletes to embrace the process rather than focusing all of their energy on the potential outcomes or results. Learning to control what you can control is vital to an athlete's ability to perform consistently and to stay positive even when they aren't seeing the results they expect right away.

6) Visualization & Meditation: Visualization has been shown to improve technical coordination by 30%, improve technique retention by 25%, muscle strength by about 22%, as well as greatly improve an individual's response to performance anxiety through desensitizing the nervous system. Meditation can be used similarly, and it is a great way to slow down the mind and body and recover after encountering difficult mental and physical challenges.

7) Routines & Habits: You don't rise to the occasion, you fall to your habits, routines, and levels of preparation. Athletes can learn how to break bad habits and create new beneficial ones, as well as develop morning, night, pre, mid, and post-game routines to improve consistency, reduce anxiety, reset after mistakes, and create a better flow to prevent overload.

8) Time Management & Organization: These skills are all about the art of being productive and energy efficiency. Learning to prioritize the most important tasks and objectives in any given day that are most beneficial to your goals and your well-being helps to prevent decision fatigue and burnout. Structure creates greater productivity and efficiency.

9) Leadership: There's no single "correct" way to lead. Leaders are not born, they are made. Everyone has the ability to lead, and with proper training, the confidence to do so will come. Leaders elevate those around them by acting consistently with a set of values and principles consistent with who they are. Leaders are unequivocally and unabashedly themselves. Leadership is a skill that can be learned.

A typical training session with me depends on the type of session, the age of the athlete, and where we are at in the process of mental training. The first session with a new athlete will be drastically different than the fifth session, for example. The first session typically consists of a combination of casual, get-to-know each other conversation to get comfortable, mixed with directed questioning focused on uncovering the athlete's current mindset and level of mental skills, as well as understanding what they are wanting to achieve by seeking mental performance coaching. I will administer a questionnaire in the first session that can be completed after the session in preparation for the next appointment so both the athlete and myself can gain some objective insight into their current mindset.

After the first meeting, typical sessions include some form of the following tasks/activities:

1) A Check-In: a brief conversation to see how the athlete is doing personally, if they encountered any new challenges since the last session, have they uncovered any new goals or blockages they want to work on, and to set objectives for the session.

2) Skill Check: Depending on what was worked on in a previous session, towards the beginning of each new appointment, I like to check in with the athlete to assess if they have been implementing the tools they've learned. This is primarily done through directed informal questions and/or going over worksheets or journals assigned to the client to complete. Accountability is critical for ensuring that the athlete stays on track.

3) Questionnaire Administration: As a part of the process, it is important to create some sort of objective baseline for each athlete as a way to help them keep track of their progress. These assessments are not tests; they are simply tools to help both of us dig deeper and uncover areas for improvement. Utilizing evidence-based assessment tools is an effective way to validate physical observations.

4) Concept Education: Depending on the level of knowledge of the athlete, as well as their age, I will provide education on the various factors and aspect that make up the mental game. For example, I believe it can be helpful to know what is going on within the brain and body physically when we experience anxiety or pre-game jitters, because it removes some of the mystery that can induce fear when athletes don't really understand why they react the way they do in certain situations. This also helps the athletes become more growth-minded as their curiosity grows.

5) Skill Coaching: Depending on the objectives of each session and the skill area we are working on, I will teach the athlete a strategy, technique, or tool to help them improve and apply to their sport. This can range from the use of visual diagrams, back-and-forth discussion, filling out guided worksheets, or simply writing things down on blank paper. For example, teaching the athlete the two main forms of self-talk, Motivational and Instructional, and having them write down phrases they can use to replace their current self-talk to use during competition or practice.

6) Skill Drilling: Depending on the skills taught, we will drill the skills to make sure the athlete understands how to properly utilize them when necessary. For example, we will go through simulated pressure scenarios and have the athlete perform their reset technique to calm the nervous system. Just like with learning a physical skill, drilling is necessary with mental skills to lock them in.

7) Open Questions and Debrief: I like to offer a little bit of time for the athlete to ask any questions they may have, as well as to review anything that may be unclear at the end of each session. I also use this time to make sure the athletes know what to practice outside of our sessions, and I help them set up a clear action plan for drilling the skills so they can fit them in with their current schedule and apply them at their next practice or competition.

Currently, I am an entrepreneur. I started my own Mental Performance Coaching practice called MoMental Performance Coaching.

Previously, while attending college full time, I worked full-time for Nike as a Lead, where I was responsible for both coaching and training my fellow employees on their daily responsibilities, the latest technologies, customer service techniques, and improving their overall performance. The experience gained from working as a Leader within Nike helped shape my career today by teaching me how to communicate effectively with people from all different backgrounds and present information in a way that's easily understandable.

I received my Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, and I later attended Graduate School for Industrial-Organizational Psychology. The skills and knowledge gained in both educational programs provide me with a deep understanding of human behavior, as well as how to effectively assist others with challenges in their lives. Combining my background in Psychology with the training I received via my Mental Performance Coaching certification program, I am able to offer athletes a comprehensive coaching experience.

As an athlete myself, I understand the trials and tribulations that competitors go through on a first-hand basis. As a multi-sport athlete, and back-to-back state champion as a starting forward for the New Hope Solebury Lions soccer club in Pennsylvania, I understand what it takes to handle the biggest moments with poise and composure. I have also experienced winning major all-star tournaments while traveling across the northeast as a pitcher and infielder on a travel baseball team. As a former high school lacrosse player, I also learned how to balance a heavy school load with the demands of a competitive sport.

I am also currently a sponsored competitive cornhole player with Swag Bags, a professional cornhole bag and equipment manufacturing company. Cornhole is an almost completely mental game at the competitive level, and my wins of regional and inter-state tournaments prove that the mental skills I coach are effective. I personally utilize the skills I coach in my daily life and in competition. I aim to embody the very things that I coach to lead by example and help those I coach understand how to implement them into their daily lives.

The best coach I ever had was my youth all-star travel baseball coach, Carmen. He was the best coach I ever had not only because he played a pivotal role in my skill development as a pitcher and infielder, but because he was the most patient, caring, and fair coach I ever played for. Youth sports can either encourage kids to keep playing as they get older, or it can crush their spirit and make them lose confidence in themselves. Thankfully, I had Coach Carmen during those pivotal years to help guide me and keep my head on straight when I made a mistake or didn't pitch as well as I hoped. I was always a perfectionist when it came to pitching, and if I walked a batter, gave up a hit, gave up a run, I would be very hard on myself. It's something, looking back now with the knowledge that I have, that could have destroyed my career had I not had Coach Carmen in my life to teach me how to shake those mistakes off.

He inspired me to want to become a coach, and so I can thank him for showing me how one great coach can truly change the trajectory of someone's life. Also, as a fun side-note, another great coach I had was actually the late, great, Tug McGraw. Yes, THE Tug McGraw. I attended one of his pitching clinics, and he taught me how to throw a curve ball. Meeting him and getting pitching coaching from him was an experience I'll never forget. I have a picture of him that he personally signed in my office. Very special.

Athletes and parents should know that I am committed to the well-being and success of every athlete that I coach. I also treat each client as an individual with unique needs and goals. I will also adjust my coaching and communication style based on the client's age and experience to make sure that all of the concepts are easily consumable. Something I have found to be one of the most difficult things for athletes to handle is the separation of their competitive identity from their personal identity. I believe it is critical for athletes, especially young athletes, to understand the difference between who they are and what they do. What they do, is play a sport. Being an athlete is one of many roles they may play in their lives. Other roles might include, son or daughter, brother or sister, student, employee, etc.. Being an athlete is one role, and it's important to understand that what they do on the field or court is not always a direct reflection of who they are as a person. That separation plays a critical role in allowing athletes to rebound easier from mistakes or bad games. That is something I try to instill into every athlete I coach.

I focus on tools, not just talk. Mental performance shouldn't be a mystery. I provide athletes with practical and intentional skills—the same way a strength coach provides a lifting program. We don't just talk about "being confident"; we build the specific habits that create it. I have faced a lot of adversity in my own life, and in doing so, I learned a lot about what it takes to overcome it. Sports, and life for that matter, are full of setbacks. By using the lessons learned from my own experiences, combined with my background in Psychology and my Mental Performance Coaching certification, I teach athletes how to process these moments in real-time, helping them stay composed and confident when things get difficult.

While my primary focus is on helping athletes build an elite mindset for competition, the skills I teach—awareness, intentionality, and resilience—are life skills. Whether they are on the field, in the classroom, or home with family, I want my athletes to feel equipped to handle any challenge that comes their way.