Chris Mance II - Mental Skills Coach

Of course winning is a goal, but it shouldn’t be THE goal. Winning is NOT the best possible outcome. The best possible outcome for an athlete is to become better in the process of winning. In other words, just because you won doesn’t mean you got better.

This is an important mindset for athletes to embrace. Particularly, this mindset is critical for those athletes who struggle to find happiness as they train and sacrifice for a goal. Goals come and go in moments. Training for a goal can last for weeks, months, and in some cases years. As a result, who you become in those weeks, months, and years will have more of an impact on your life than any single moment of winning or losing.

Therefore, the best possible outcome for an athlete is that their training makes them a better person and leads to having a better life beyond any single victory. So, the question becomes what does this type of training look like?

A Comprehensive Framework for Training Athletes to Achieve the Best Possible Outcome

1. Start with a Purpose Bigger Than Self: Begin by helping the athlete articulate their “why” for competing. Frame this purpose around how their effort can serve others—whether it’s inspiring teammates, representing their family, or uplifting their community. This purpose becomes the compass that guides their journey.
2. Define a Personal Philosophy Statement: Encourage athletes to write a clear, concise personal philosophy statement about who they want to become through training. This serves as a foundation for decision-making and reinforces values that will guide them both in sports and life.
3. Build Resilience Through Controlled Adversity: Design drills that replicate the pressures of competition and life. For example, set up high-stakes scenarios requiring decision-making under fatigue. Teach athletes to embrace discomfort as an opportunity for growth.
4. Focus on Mastery, Not Just Outcomes: Create training sessions that prioritize skill improvement over short-term results. Break techniques into manageable parts and emphasize progress over perfection to cultivate a growth mindset.
5. Integrate Reflection and Self-Assessment: Make journaling or post-practice reviews a habit. Provide athletes with structured prompts to analyze their mindset, effort, and performance. Reflection deepens self-awareness and encourages intentional growth.
6. Teach Emotional Regulation Skills: Incorporate mindfulness exercises, breathing techniques, and visualization into training. These tools help athletes stay present under pressure, develop self-control, and build confidence.
7. Encourage Leadership and Mentorship: Assign responsibilities that develop leadership skills, such as leading warm-ups or mentoring younger teammates. These roles teach accountability, empathy, and the value of lifting others up.
8. Tie Effort to Representation: Remind athletes that their discipline and attitude reflect on the people and communities they represent. Frame their hard work as gratitude for those who support their journey, such as family, coaches, and teammates.
9. Celebrate Failure as a Step Forward: Normalize failure by regularly debriefing what went wrong and what can be improved. Use setbacks as opportunities to identify weaknesses, develop new strategies, and build resilience.
10. Prioritize Recovery as a Core Pillar: Teach athletes the importance of recovery by emphasizing proper stretching, sleep, hydration, nutrition, and mental rest. Include structured recovery protocols that mirror the balance needed to navigate life’s demands.
11. Practice Gratitude as a Habit: Incorporate gratitude exercises where athletes acknowledge the people, opportunities, and challenges that make their growth possible. Gratitude shifts focus from self-centered goals to a broader perspective.
12. Incorporate Legacy Work: Regularly discuss how the athlete wants to be remembered, both in sports and life. Encourage them to define the impact they hope to have on their team, community, and beyond. Use this vision as motivation for their daily effort.
13. Service as Part of Training: Build in opportunities for athletes to give back, such as volunteering, mentoring, or organizing events for younger athletes. These activities reinforce the value of connecting their efforts to a greater good.
14. The Grind is the Reward: The grind is not just the work—it’s the daily battle to show up, push limits, and become better when no one is watching. Teach athletes to see the grind as a privilege, not a burden. This is their sacred ritual, a space to grow stronger, tougher, and more disciplined. Shift their mindset to embrace the grind as the real victory—for example, implement a Grind Journal where athletes record their streaks, personal best, mental breakthroughs, and moments of resilience. Over time, this journal becomes proof of how their consistent effort is building something greater than any single result.
15. End Every Training Cycle with Reflection and Vision: At the conclusion of each training cycle, guide athletes through a reflection on their growth and what they’ve learned. Help them set a vision for the next phase, focusing on how they’ll carry the lessons into future challenges.