Team Culture
What Athletic Directors Should Ask Before Introducing Mental Performance Training
A practical checklist for athletic directors evaluating mental performance coaching, student safeguards, program design, and responsible measures of progress.
By Philip Coffman · Founder, iBE Performance ·
A school does not need another motivational talk that feels exciting on Friday and disappears by Monday. It needs a realistic way for coaches and athletes to practice attention, communication, confidence, and recovery from mistakes inside the sporting environments they already inhabit.
That distinction matters when an athletic director is considering mental performance education. The decision is less about whether mental skills matter and more about whether a proposed program fits the school, protects students, respects coaches, and can demonstrate what actually changed.
Start with the problem, not the product
An athletic department may describe its need as “mental toughness.” That label could mean several different things. A basketball team might struggle to communicate after turnovers. A tennis player might rush between points. A youth coach might give corrections so quickly that athletes cannot use them. Those are different behavioral targets and should not automatically receive the same intervention.
Before selecting a provider, ask the coaching staff to identify two or three recurring situations that can be observed in practice or competition. Phrase each in terms of behavior, not personality. “Our players fail to communicate assignments after an error” is more useful than “Our players are mentally weak.”
Five questions worth asking a provider
1. What exactly will athletes practice? A useful proposal identifies an observable skill: a pre-performance routine, a communication handoff, a reset cue, or an if-then plan for a foreseeable disruption. The provider should be able to describe how the drill fits ordinary practice.
2. How will coaches participate? Skills are unlikely to transfer if the athletes learn one language in a workshop and the coaching staff uses a conflicting language at practice. Coaches need a concise role, not another administrative burden.
3. What evidence supports the approach? Research on self-talk, attentional focus, and implementation intentions can inform practical training. That does not mean a particular branded exercise has been independently validated. Ask the provider to separate evidence supporting a general principle from evidence directly testing the program being sold.
4. Where is the professional boundary? Performance coaching is not psychotherapy or diagnosis. Schools need a safeguarding and referral pathway for psychological distress, abuse disclosures, or needs outside a consultant's training and scope. Parents and guardians should know what the service does and does not offer.
5. How will we assess usefulness without overclaiming? Track process behavior: whether athletes used a cue, whether a handoff was completed, or how consistently a coach delivered actionable feedback. Interpret changes cautiously. A short pilot cannot prove that mental training caused a win-loss improvement.
What a manageable pilot could look like
Select one or two willing teams. Agree on one behavioral objective for each. Spend the first sessions observing the existing routine before introducing a new cue or communication sequence. Teach the skill in a short block, ask the coach to integrate it into normal practice, and check its use over several weeks.
A simple tracking sheet might record opportunities, actual attempts, and whether the next action matched the plan. A debrief should ask athletes whether the routine was understandable and usable under pressure. Adjust the routine when the practical evidence calls for it.
A pilot should also define its limits in advance: who participates, how consent and confidentiality are handled, what the school will receive at the end, and how the department can stop or revise the program.
What to look for in the final report
An honest report describes what was taught, who participated, what was observed, what could not be determined, and what should happen next. It should not imply that every participant improved because the presenter was engaging. Nor should it advertise generalized concussion prevention, clinical anxiety treatment, or guaranteed wins without direct, high-quality supporting evidence.
For athletic directors, the strongest result is not a polished slide deck. It is a small, workable practice that coaches can sustain and athletes can use when conditions become difficult.
A practical next step
Ask each coach to identify one situation in which athletes lose access to a skill they possess. Write down the next useful behavior you want to see. That is a better first conversation than ordering a one-size-fits-all workshop.
Evidence and scope
These practical examples are educational applications, not validated iBE-specific treatment protocols. Research findings supporting general techniques must not be interpreted as proof of a guaranteed outcome for any individual, team, or organization.
Mental-performance consulting does not replace licensed medical, mental-health, or safeguarding services.
Turn This Guide Into a Practical Plan
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Start with a focused consultation to discuss your specific situation, determine fit, and identify the right next step. If measurement would add useful evidence, an assessment can follow the conversation.
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