A lot of mental coaching these days involves handing athletes a grab bag of tips. I use a sequence. My Mental Performance Pyramid builds five skills in order, because each level depends on the one below it:

1. Emotional Control. Regulate your internal state so nerves become energy instead of tightness.

2. Focus. Lock onto the right cue at the right moment, and stop replaying the last mistake.

3. Confidence. Build belief from evidence, not hype, so it holds up after a bad game.

4. Competitive Resilience. Handle hostile gyms, foul trouble, bad calls and bench time without spiraling.

5. Clutch Performance. Execute late in games, at the free throw line and in front of college coaches.

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Athletes leave with named tools they can use in the middle of a game, practice, or tryout:

• The Reset Routine for bouncing back between plays after a mistake

• The Focus Lock for shutting out the crowd, the refs and the noise

• The Confidence Flywheel for turning daily work into belief that doesn’t depend on the last shot

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I work best with players who:

• Play great in practice and tight in games

• Shoot well alone and miss when it counts

• Let one turnover turn into three

• Have a tryout, showcase, recruiting visit or playoff run coming up

• Are already good and want an edge to help them become elite

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Parents get guidance too, including what to say and what not to say on the ride home. It’s one of the most overlooked factors in how kids compete.

Every session is structured and built around the game. Each one ends with an assignment your athlete can use at the next practice.

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First session: the Clutch IQ Assessment. We measure where your athlete stands on all five levels of the pyramid, talk through their goals and their hardest moments, and choose the first level to build. You leave with a clear plan, not a pep talk.

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Every session after that (about 50 minutes) follows the same rhythm:

• Check-in (10 min). What happened in games and practice since we last met. We break down specific moments, good and bad.

• Teach it (15 min). One new skill, with the why behind it in plain language and the research that supports it.

• Rep it (15 min). We practice under simulated pressure: visualizing real game situations, running breathing and reset drills, and building pre-shot and free throw routines.

• Game plan (10 min). A specific assignment for the week, logged in a simple journal so we can track progress.

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Every few weeks we re-test, so you can see progress in numbers, not just feelings.

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Sessions are available in person in San Antonio or virtually, which makes it easy to work around tournament travel and school schedules. Most families start with a 4-session block to install the foundation, then continue weekly through the season.

Playing:

• Division I walk-on under Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly

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Coaching:

• Coaching staff, Trinity University basketball (NCAA Division III), San Antonio, Texas

• Coaching staff, Canadian National Team, champions of the 40th Annual Jones Cup in Taiwan

• Extensive experience in college recruiting, player evaluation, and game scouting

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Mental Performance:

• Founder of Jabo Mind Lab, working 1-on-1 with players and families across the US, Europe, Africa and Asia

• Creator of the Mental Performance Pyramid and the Clutch by Design training system

• Author of 'Clutch by Design: The Mental Performance System That Turns Pressure Into Your Biggest Advantage'

• Currently completing a Master’s in Applied Sports Psychology

Business

• Wall Street trader and executive. I spent years making high-stakes decisions in real time, with real consequences. The skills that made that work are the ones I teach basketball players today: managing emotions, staying focused on the process, and acting decisively under pressure.

Chuck Daly. He went on to win two NBA championships with the Detroit Pistons and coach the 1992 Dream Team, but what stays with me is how he handled people. He was known for his composure and for his gift with every personality on a roster, from the stars to the last player on the bench. As a walk-on, I watched how a great coach builds trust. He managed the person, not just the player.

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A close second is Lindsey Wilson, the mental performance coach I trained with myself. She taught me that composure, focus, and confidence can be built on purpose. Every athlete I work with today gets the benefit of those lessons.

I work primarily with basketball players. Every example, drill and routine is built for the game your athlete actually plays.

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I see the game from the evaluator’s side. As a college coach, I know what coaches notice beyond the stat line: body language after a mistake, how a player acts on the bench, whether they stay engaged when things go wrong. Recruiting isn’t only about skill. It’s about whether a coach can trust you.

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Progress is measured. We assess at the start and re-test along the way, so you never have to guess whether it’s working.

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What I do is mental performance coaching, not therapy. I train performance skills. If something comes up that a licensed mental health professional would serve better, I’ll tell you directly and help point you in the right direction.

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Limited roster, fast replies. I keep my roster small so every athlete gets real attention, and I respond to messages quickly.

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Your athlete doesn’t have to be struggling. Some of my best work is with good players who want to become the elite ones coaches trust at the end of the game.

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The best time to train the mental game is before the big moment, not after it. Send me a message about your athlete and what you’re seeing, and I’ll tell you honestly whether I’m the right fit.