Coach Her Game
Welcome to Coach Her Game—the podcast for coaches of girls’ sports who are ready to build elite, championship programs without sacrificing who they are. We’re ditching the old-school, male-dominated coaching playbook and diving deep into modern strategies for mental training, culture, and leadership. If you’re looking for a space where you feel seen, heard, and equipped with powerful, authentic strategies, you’re in the right place!
Periods & Performance – 3 Things Every Coach Should Know
🎯 Menstrual cycles aren’t just biology—they’re performance factors! Learn 3 essential strategies every coach needs for female athletes. Don't miss more coaching tips → https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, if you’ve ever felt unsure about how to approach menstruation and its impact on performance, this episode is for you! We’re diving into how understanding the menstrual cycle can actually help your athletes perform better, stay mentally tough, and recover faster. Get the knowledge you need to better support your female athletes in all phases of their cycle—so they can take control of their performance and thrive!
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3 Mental Training Skills You Can Teach in Under 15 Minutes
3 mental skills coaches can actually teach - no extra prep, no sports psychology degree, all under 15 minutes. Get the free training → coachfreetraining.com
Your athletes have the talent. But talent doesn't help when she's spiraling after one mistake.
The fix isn't another pep talk. It's three teachable skills she can use in real time, on the court, when the pressure hits.
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre, a 4-time state champion volleyball coach and Certified Mental Performance Coach. I've spent 14+ years coaching girl athletes and built The Elite Competitor to give coaches proven, plug-and-play mental training systems...
3 Low-Lift Team Bonding Ideas to Build Trust Fast
🔥 Want to build team trust without spending hours planning complicated activities? Discover 3 simple, low-lift team bonding exercises that instantly bring your athletes closer! Get more tips here → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this episode, I’m sharing my go-to team bonding strategies that make a real impact on your athletes’ connection and performance! These low-effort, high-reward activities are perfect for building trust, breaking cliques, and strengthening your team’s mental toughness. Whether you’re just starting the season or need a quick reset, these bonding activities will help your team grow stronger, together.
🎯 You’ll Learn:
✔️ How the “Ques...
A Club Volleyball Coach Tried Our Mental Training Program. Here's His Honest Take.
Mental training for your team doesn't require a sports psychology degree. Get the free training here → coachfreetraining.com
In this episode, I'm sitting down with Tyson Roffey, a club volleyball coach from Ottawa who runs mental performance training with his 15U girls team. He's not a therapist. He's not a mental performance specialist. He works in hospital IT. And he made it work. We break down exactly how he and two co-coaches implemented the Plug and Play Elite Mental Game program, what flopped at first, and the adjustments that changed everything.
Here's wh...
Lacrosse Coach’s Secret to Mental Toughness That Wins Games
💥 Want to boost your team’s mental toughness and start winning those big games? Learn how mental training can help your athletes bounce back from mistakes and perform under pressure → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this episode, I’m sharing the secret mental toughness strategies that helped
Coach Tom and his lacrosse team win two of the biggest games in their program's history—games they hadn’t won in over 20 years! Learn how to use mental training tools like the Snapback Routine to help your athletes handle adversity and perform at their peak.
🎯 You’ll learn:
✔️ How t...
The Bench Player Blind Spot That's Sending Girls Home for Good
A D1 soccer player. She had a full ride, two ACL tears, and a front row seat to what breaks girl athletes. Coaches need this → coachfreetraining.com
If you coach girl athletes and you've ever had a player pull back, check out, or lose the love for the game, this one's for you.
My guest today is Lyrik Fryer. She is the co-founder of Work Play Branding, a multimillion dollar media company. But before all of that, she played Division I soccer player at Florida International University and is a two-time ACL survivor. Lyric is no...
Steal My Tryout Evaluation Plan (For High School Coaches)
Looking to streamline your tryouts and avoid stress? Steal my exact evaluation plan and learn how to make better decisions faster during tryouts! Grab more coaching tips here → https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, I know tryouts can be tough and overwhelming, especially when it comes to making the right decisions for your team. In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on my two-day tryout evaluation process. From summer training to setting clear expectations and assessing skills, I’m sharing the exact strategies that have helped me build strong, mentally tough teams. These tried-and-true methods will ensure your at...
The Truth About Team Dinners and Building Real Chemistry
Team dinners feel like connection. But proximity is not the same as trust. Learn systems that build a championship culture. Get the free training for coaches here → coachfreetraining.com
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre - a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion.
In this episode, I'm breaking down why teams that look connected in September fall apart in November - and the exact method I use to build the kind of chemistry that holds up under pressure.
Here...
The 2-Min Parent Meeting Activity That Prevents Co
Ever had parent drama or complaints about playing time? 🤦♀️ Here's a simple 2-minute activity to prevent those issues before they even start! Grab more coaching tools → https://coachfreetraining.com
As coaches, we know how important parent communication is—especially when it comes to setting expectations early. In this video, I’m sharing a simple, yet powerful, note card activity that helps build trust with parents and prevent playing time complaints later in the season. By creating an open line of communication, you can set the tone for a successful and drama-free season.
🎯 What you’ll learn:
✔️ How to...
How to Handle Girl Drama on Your Team (Before It Tanks Your Season)
Girl drama is happening on your team. Put a proactive system in place to address it before it costs you. For more coaching resources check out the championship program membership → https://champions.elitecompetitor.com/
Team tension doesn't fix itself. It gets worse. And most coaches don't find out until the season is already falling apart.
🙋♀️ Hi, I'm Coach Bre, a certified Mental Performance Coach and former collegiate athlete with 14 years of coaching experience, including 4 state championships. I'm also the co-founder of The Elite Competitor and host of the Coach Her Game podcast, where I help coaches stren...
What Male Coaches Get Wrong About Girls and Emotions
Coaching female athletes as a male coach? It’s a different game. Girls respond to emotion, connection, and trust. When you coach them like boys, it backfires. Grab more coaching tips → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this episode, I’m sharing the top 3 mistakes male coaches make with girl athletes—and how to fix them with strategies that build resilience, regulation, and results.
🎯 Learn:
Why aggressive motivation shuts her down
What her brain needs to feel safe and perform under pressure
The Snapback Routine every girl athlete should know
Coaching emotionally while still demandi...
Why Girls Quit Sports and the Role Coaches Play in Keeping Them
Girls aren't quitting because they stopped loving their sport. Get the free mental game training here → coachfreetraining.com 🎯
In this episode, I'm sitting down with my co-founder Kristina to share something we've never talked about publicly before.
We both quit our sports. Me: volleyball. Her: basketball. Not because we weren't good enough. Because we didn't have the mental skills to survive the pressure.
👉 In this episode you'll learn:
✅ Why girls quit at twice the rate of boys by age 14 (and the real reason behind it)
✅ The invisible confidence killers coaches don't see coming
3 Easy Ways To Solve Playing Time Drama!
Struggling with playing time drama and confusion on your team? 😩 It’s time to take control and eliminate confusion with these 3 proven strategies! Grab more coaching tips → https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaches, if you’ve ever faced issues with playing time confusion, you’re not alone. Whether you're battling it in a championship-winning season or a tough rebuild, it’s a challenge we all face. In this episode, I’m sharing the exact strategies I use to define roles, communicate expectations clearly, and have regular check-ins to keep everything on track. These steps have drastically reduced confusion and eliminated drama...
One Document That Prevents 90% of Playing Time Conversations
Playing time drama isn't about entitled kids. It's about unclear roles. Here's the 15-minute system that eliminates it! Join the Championship Program Membership → champions.elitecompetitor.com for more tips and resources!
In this episode, I'm breaking down why playing time drama happens (spoiler: you're probably creating it without knowing) and the exact Player Impact Plan system I use with all 12 varsity athletes.
Here's what you'll learn:
✅ Why "open door policies" don't work with 14-year-olds
✅ The confusion cycle that creates resentment and drama
✅ How to document roles, expectations, and playing time in one meet...
The Best Way to Structure Practice as a High School Volleyball Coach
Want a winning practice structure that builds a championship culture? Here’s how to make your practice plan work for both skills and mindset! Grab more coaching tools → https://coachfreetraining.com
Most coaches think their practices are effective… but when athletes show up late, waste time, or go through the motions instead of pushing themselves, it’s a clear sign something’s missing. In this video, I’m breaking down my 3-part system for creating practices that build connection, mental toughness, and competition—without adding hours to your day.
🎯 Learn:
The #1 "must do" in the first 5 minutes...
Why I No Longer Have an "Open Door Policy" (And What Works Better)
The open door policy feels like the right move, but here's the truth - it's actually making communication worse. Grab the free Player Impact Plan template → https://elitecompetitor.kit.com/6639eaaf9f
I used to tell my team "just come talk to me" at the start of every season. I genuinely wanted to be approachable. But athletes don't come to you first when they have issues. They spiral, catastrophize, and create stories in their heads. By the time they work up the courage to approach you, the situation is 10 times worse.
Here's what I do inst...
Sports Psychology Tips to Help Your Team Perform Under Pressure
🔥 Your team is falling apart in a big game. Panic is setting in. What do you say? What do you do? This is how you coach through pressure like a pro. Grab more strategies here → http://coachfreetraining.com
When momentum shifts and your girls get rattled, what happens next is all on you. In this episode, I share exactly how to train AND coach your athletes through high-pressure situations—so they show up strong when it counts most.
🎯 Learn:
✔️ Real-time coaching tactics (without yelling)
✔️ Practice strategies that simulate pressure
✔️ Snapback routines & reset words that work
✔️ T...
3 Mental Training Tools That Build Confident Athletes
In this episode, I'm breaking down the 3 skills that actually build confidence (because "just be more confident" doesn't work). Grab the full system at coachfreetraining.com
Most coaches tell athletes to "be more confident" without teaching them HOW. Here's the problem, confidence isn't something you can talk someone into. But it IS something you can teach.
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre - a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion.
After struggling with anxiety as a college athlete and being a champions...
3 Easy Ways to Fix Nerves in Serve Receive!
🏐 Struggling with serve receive meltdowns? Learn how to build athlete resilience and mental strategy → https://coachfreetraining.com
If your athletes get in their heads and start making mistakes in serve receive—shanking passes, spiraling after an error, or playing it safe out of fear—this episode is for you. I’m breaking down the three must-have mental tools every volleyball player needs to master serve receive under pressure. Whether your team needs a confidence boost or a mental reset routine, these insights will help you coach the mental game, not just the mechanics. 🧠
👋 I’m Coach Bre – a mental...
Why Your Athletes Can't Shake Off Mistakes (And What Actually Works)
Stop saying "shake it off" without teaching them HOW. Here's the 2-second system that actually works → https://coachfreetraining.com
When your athletes spiral after mistakes, it's not because they're weak. It's because their brain is in fight-or-flight mode and you're asking them to regulate without giving them the tools.
In this video, I'm breaking down the neuroscience of why "shake it off" doesn't work and teaching you the exact Snapback Routine I use with my 4x State Championship team. This is the skill that takes athletes from spiraling for minutes to resetting in 2 seconds.
🧐...
Top Tools for High School Coaches to Build a Mentally Tough Team
🔥Your team’s culture is either your secret weapon—or your biggest weakness. Discover my top 3 tools to build leadership & a winning mindset! Get more strategies here → https://coachfreetraining.com
If you’re a coach who cares about more than just wins and stats—if you want to build resilient, confident, and mentally strong athletes—this episode is for you. In this talk, I’m sharing the top 3 tools every high school and middle school coach should be using to develop leadership, strengthen team culture, and integrate mindset training without adding more to your plate.
👋 I'm Coach Bre – a men...
What Mental Training Actually Looks Like for Elite Athletes
Sadie shares what mental training actually looks like for a college athlete in-season. Get the free training to help your players level up their mental game → https://coachfreetraining.com
This is a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when an athlete who's already playing well decides to train her mental game. Sadie wasn't struggling or falling apart. She just wanted more confidence, more trust in herself, and to rediscover her love for volleyball.
In this episode, you'll learn:
👉 What mental training actually is (spoiler: it's not therapy)
👉 How Sadie used the Snapback Routine in...
Use This 3-Step Timeout Framework to Refocus Your Team Fast
Struggling with timeouts? Discover a 3-step strategy to reset your team and shift momentum. Get more strategies in our free training → https://coachfreetraining.com
A timeout can be a turning point—or a missed opportunity. After 14 years of coaching (and four state championships), I’ve learned the hard way that winging it in timeouts doesn't cut it. In this episode, I’m sharing the exact 3-step framework I use in every high-pressure timeout to refocus my team and actually coach through the chaos.
I’m Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite...
How to Coach a Quiet Team of Nice Girls
Your quiet team isn't broken. They just need the right systems. I'm sharing the 4 strategies that took my silent, "too nice" team to a state championship. Grab my free training → https://coachfreetraining.com
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre - a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion.
In this episode, I'm breaking down why forcing communication never works (and what actually does).
You'll learn the exact frameworks I use including:
👉 Earn the Right - how to teach commun...
3 Easy Mental Skills Every Coach Can Teach Fast!
🎯 Coaches: Want fast, effective ways to build confident, focused athletes at practice? These 3 mental training drills take just minutes! Learn more coaching tips here → https://coachfreetraining.com
Mental toughness doesn’t have to take hours to train. In this video, I’m sharing the exact mindset drills I run with my high school volleyball team every day—each one designed to strengthen athlete confidence, focus, and resilience (in under 5 minutes 💥).
🎙️ I’m Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a longtime head volleyball coach and 4x state champion. I’ve coached hun...
Stop Expecting Your Captains to Lead Without Training Them How
This episode breaks down how to build a Leadership Core that actually develops leaders, not just ceremonial captains. Grab more coaching must haves → https://coachfreetraining.com
If your captains' biggest responsibilities are coin flips and jersey selection, you're not alone. Most coaches give athletes titles without training them how to lead. I made this mistake for years.
I expected captains to hold teammates accountable, manage equipment, and handle conflict. They didn't know how. What teenager does?
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre - a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time...
High School Coaches: Inheriting a New Program? Do This First!
🔥 Inheriting a new program? These new coach tips will help you build trust, create team culture, and avoid costly mistakes → https://coachfreetraining.com
Taking over a high school sports team can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re trying to change systems, set standards, and earn athlete buy-in all at once. In this video, I’m sharing three game-changing strategies every coach should implement when stepping into a new role. Whether you’re rebuilding from scratch or inheriting an established program, these insights will help you lead with confidence, build trust fast, and avoid losing your team before the season eve...
How I Prevent Team Drama in Just 15 Minutes Per Week (Every Coach Needs This)
Team drama isn't about bad attitudes, it's about missing systems. I'm sharing the a simple framework that prevents it. Grab more coaching tips → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this episode, I'm breaking down the exact system I use to reduce drama and handle playing time issues without adding hours to my week.
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre - a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion.
This is the framework I've used with all four championship teams. It takes 15 minutes per week total, and...
Stuck Picking Captains? Here's What I Do!
Struggling to choose the right team captains? 😣 Discover real coaching strategies that build athlete leadership. Then catch our in depth training for coaches on how to create a winning edge this season → https://coachfreetraining.com
How you pick captains can make or break your team culture. In this video, I’m sharing exactly how I revamped my approach after 14 years of coaching —because what used to work… didn’t anymore. From setting expectations to leadership roles, I'm walking you through how to pick captains with intention and strategy—not just by default.
👋🏼I’m Coach Bre – a mental performanc...
RAW: 2 Players Quit After We Won State
Two players quit after a state championship 🏆—and it forced me to completely rethink how I coach. Here’s what I changed 👇 Be sure learn more at our in depth training for coaches: https://coachfreetraining.com
This one hurt. After one of our most successful seasons ever, two players quit the team. As a long-time coach, I could’ve blamed them. Instead, I looked inward—and what I uncovered changed the way I build team culture forever.
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a longtime head volleyball coach...
Coaching Female Athletes: 3 Things Every High School Coach Needs to Know
Coaching girls is different—and if you don’t know these 3 things, you’re making it harder on yourself (and them). Check it out and then grab our free training on how to build mental toughness → https://coachfreetraining.com
Coaching girl athletes takes more than just good drills and game plans—it requires understanding what’s happening beneath the surface. In this video, I’m breaking down three crucial lessons every middle school and high school coach should know to help their female athletes play with more confidence, resilience, and connection.
From building mental toughness with simple da...
My Top 5 Resources for Culture, Leadership, & Mental Game (encore)
These five resources replaced thousands of random Google searches. Grab more coaching tools here → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this episode, I'm sharing the top five resources I've used across 14 years of coaching and four state championships. No fluff, no theory. Just the systems that have actually worked.
Here's what I break down:
* Bruce Brown's leadership pamphlets for captain development
* Abby Wambach's Wolf Pack for female athlete leadership
* JP Nerbun’s Culture System for building intentional team culture
* Gold Medal Squared for creating common language across your program
* Plug and Play Elit...
Thinking About Using Hudl? Listen To This First!
📹 Thinking about using Hudl for your team? Don’t press record until you listen to this. Plus catch our free training to learn more about creating a winning edge for your team → https://coachfreetraining.com
If you're a high school or middle school coach looking to level up your team's performance and culture (without burning out), this video is for you. I'm sharing everything I’ve learned using Hudl software since 2011—what it actually does, the best ways to use it for Sports Coaching, Mental Performance Coaching — including visualization, mindset development, and creating highlight reels that reinforce player confid...
How I Built a Mental Game System That Won 4 State Championships
This is Part 2 of my story. After becoming a Mental Performance Coach, I had to actually apply what I learned with my own team → https://coachfreetraining.com
In Part 1, I shared how I quit volleyball due to performance anxiety and eventually became a coach who kept losing in the big moments. After those back-to-back devastating losses, I got certified as a Mental Performance Coach.
But here's the thing. Learning the science was the easy part. Figuring out how to actually teach it to high school athletes without becoming a full-time sports psychologist? That took some tr...
Rookie Coaching Mistakes: 3 Things New High School Coaches Should Avoid
New to coaching or stepping into a new program? Avoid these top coaching mistakes that could derail your season. Learn more about building a mentally tough team here → https://coachfreetraining.com 👈
In this episode, I break down the exact mistakes I made early in my coaching career — and how YOU can avoid them to become a more confident, effective leader. Whether you're coaching high school girls teams or just want to build a stronger program from the inside out, these tips will save you time, stress, and burnout. 💥
These aren’t just technical fixes — they’re real stories...
Why I Walked Away From Volleyball (And What Brought Me Back)
I quit volleyball my senior year due to performance anxiety. Years later, I'm a 4-time state champion coach. Grab my coaching tips → https://coachfreetraining.com
This is my story. Not the highlight reel version, the real one. I was a talented high school player who walked away from college offers because I couldn't handle the pressure. I didn't know it then, but what I was experiencing was completely normal performance anxiety that I just had no skills to manage.🧐
What You'll Learn:
Encore: How UCLA's Cori Close Built a Mentally Tough Team—And How You Can Too!
🏀 Want to know how Coach Cori Close built UCLA into a national powerhouse? It wasn’t just talent—it was MENTAL TRAINING. Learn how to train your team’s mindset too → https://coachfreetraining.com 👈
In this episode, we dive into the mental side of the game that separates elite programs like UCLA Women’s Basketball from the rest—and how YOU can bring the same sports psychology techniques to your high school or middle school team. Whether you're coaching 7th graders or state contenders, you’ll walk away with simple, powerful mental training techniques you can implement right away.
...
Stop Hoping for Mental Toughness - Start Training It (3 Strategies)
Mental toughness isn't something athletes stumble upon. It's something you train every single day → https://coachfreetraining.com
If your athletes check out during hard drills or lack competitive drive, it's not a physical problem. It's a mental one.
As a championship head coach with 14 years of experience, I'm breaking down three drill-based strategies to train mental toughness in your gym. This isn't motivational speeches. This is intentional, daily training that builds focus, competition, and performance under pressure.
What You'll Learn:
Why mental toughness is trained, not stumbled upon
How to optimize pr...
Coaching Resilience in Young Athletes: The #1 Tool to Keep Them Mentally Tough
😩 If your team struggles to recover from mistakes and stay mentally tough, they might be missing one key thing. Learn the #1 sports psychology tool to build resilience in girl athletes and help them recover from mistakes fast → https://coachfreetraining.com
In this episode, we’re digging into why simply telling athletes “shake it off” doesn’t work—and what to do instead.
Discover how to train mental toughness in your team using a system that’s simple, fast, and game-changing. Whether you coach volleyball, basketball, soccer, softball, or any other team or individual sport... this tool will help you...
BTS: Mental Toughness Training Ideas for High School Coaches
I'm taking you behind the scenes of how I start practice with mental training. Learn more about this system here → https://coachfreetraining.com
Mental training doesn't have to take hours. I've been doing this with my high school volleyball team for six years, and we've won four consecutive state championships.
👋🏼 I'm Coach Bre - a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time head volleyball coach and 4-time state champion.
In this video, you're seeing exactly what I do. The whiteboard setup for pre-practice routines, how athletes engage w...
