Building Mental Resilience in Student-Athletes: How KSP Mental Performance Supports Long-Term Success for athletes of all ages.
Lindsey Ervin, MS, LPC, LPCC | Owner & Founder, KSP Mental Performance
Building Mental Resilience in Student-Athletes: How KSP Mental Performance Supports Long-Term Success
As parents, I don’t have to tell you how important the mental aspect of performance is to your athlete. As you well know, it can be their greatest asset or sadly, in a moment, can lead to their downfall. We’ve all sat on the sidelines hoping for the best and then dreadfully watching the spiral of self-doubt or self-destruction: an athlete stuck in shame or blame. It’s heartbreaking to watch and even more painful for the athletes.
At KSP Mental Performance, we harness the incredible power of the mind, body, and human-spirit connection. By equipping the human being behind the jersey, your athlete will be empowered, not only achieving an increase in performance but also sustain long-term growth, joy, and well-being in sports. Mental performance training ensures student-athletes build the mental resilience, confidence, and skills needed to thrive both in sports and life.
The well-researched benefits of mental performance are truly remarkable. As I studied the benefits and began working with athletes in my private practice, I saw firsthand how these skills and strategies radically and quickly helped my clients gain courage and joy in their sports again. I went deep into the neuroscience, positive psychology and sport psychology, enhancing traditional strategies with the latest research and modalities. The results spilled over into the classroom and into homes. My clients were creating “wellness memory.”
Then, our team read the stats below. We were moved to create something special to support organizations, in addition to our individual athlete work. We desired to make a real difference in our community, wanting the very best for youth athletes. Based on these new emerging reports, we researched the key ingredients athletes need to thrive in their training and in the sports they (and we as parents) love. What we’ve discovered is the need for holistic wellness for our athletes and the organizations they play for. When systems have the tools to support mental and emotional wellness, and commit to an athlete’s overall well-being they will become the places athletes and their families want to be. Where wellness is, strength is found.
Through our research and work we have developed a powerful mindset: Human First Athlete Always™ and it guides everything we do. Enthusiastically, we now offer our evidence-based solutions for athletes and the organizations they play for; bringing tools and resources of athlete wellness into the arena. But first, we have to talk about the problem.
The Problem: Rising Burnout and Stress Among Youth Athletes:
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Report of 2024:
70% of youth athletes burn out by age 13
1 in 10 youth athletes experience burnout due to over training and injuries
With demands piling up from schoolwork, extracurricular activities, training and travel schedules, multiple sports, it's no wonder that many athletes feel stressed, disconnected from their passion, and burnt out. But there’s a better way. Mental performance training can help reduce burnout, improve focus, and increase overall well-being. It’s truly a game changer.
Why Mental Performance Matters for Student-Athletes of all ages:
Mental performance training helps student-athletes develop mental resilience—the ability to manage stress, stay focused, and bounce back from setbacks. Instead of just focusing on physical training, we teach athletes to build the mental tools they need to thrive, both in sports and in life. Our training model empowers student athletes to experience real results.
By meeting athletes where they are—in their sport and in the environment they love most—we provide training that’s tailored to their unique needs, helping them perform at their best while staying grounded and confident. This sport-specific focus ensures that they’re practicing the mental skills they’ll use in real time during competition, creating a more engaging and effective training experience.
10 Key Areas We Help Address:
At KSP Mental Performance, we focus on helping student-athletes build skills in several critical areas:
1. Self-Leadership & Confidence:
Developing ownership of actions both on and off the field, and building a strong belief in their abilities. We teach athletes how to build habits of consistency creating a foundation for confidence and competence.
2. Emotion Regulation:
Helping athletes recognize and manage their emotions to maintain composure, focus, and confidence, especially under pressure.
3. Performance Anxiety & Mistake Recovery:
Strategies to stay calm under pressure and recover quickly from mistakes, fostering a growth mindset.
4. Sport-Specific Mental Performance Skills:
Tailored techniques to sharpen focus, boost concentration, and build mental toughness specific to their sport.
5. Stress & Overwhelm Management:
Tools to manage the pressures of school and sports, reduce overwhelm, and avoid burnout, ultimately equipping student athletes with a path to wellness for longevity in sport. These mental performance skills are the “vitamins” for the journey.
6. Energy & Time Management:
Helping athletes balance their busy schedules and manage their energy for peak performance, inside and outside of sports, supporting the development of their personalized plan including strategies such as time blocking. This work includes pre and post game routines.
7. Values Alignment & Self-Esteem:
Building empowering thoughts and behaviors, athletes identify and align their actions with core values, and learn to stay motivated through challenges.
8. Teamwork & Character Development:
Developing leadership, emotional intelligence, and the skills needed to be a supportive, positive teammate and coachable athlete.
9. Focus & Attention:
Helping athletes overcome distraction by becoming more self-aware, strengthening the ability to be present and recognize thoughts and emotions without judgement in order to maintain composure, make wise decisions and focus on what they can control.
10. Rest, Sleep & Burnout Prevention & Recovery:
Our programs include supporting the mind-body connection through evidence-based practices to improve nervous system re-alignment through a variety of somatic exercises, relaxation techniques and mindfulness practices. Mindfulness practices engage several key areas of the brain that are responsible for various cognitive and emotional functions. Sleep hygiene, diet, hobbies outside of sport, creative outlets and routines of “rest and re-setting” are prioritized.
Our Signature Approach: Micro-Learning & Micro-Habits for Wellness & Peak Performance
At KSP Mental Performance, we harness the power of micro-habits—small, manageable practices that student athletes can integrate into their daily lives. These habits, when practiced consistently, build mental resilience and improve performance in the context of their sport, where athletes feel most confident and engaged. We’ve developed our mental performance training system to be “doable” for the busy student athletes we serve.
Why work with KSP Mental Performance?
We are simply different! Our team has over 60 years combined experience in the field of mental health and performance, and our work with hundreds of athletes and their families has proven effective. We go beyond typical sport psychology skills by empowering today’s youth athletes with holistic wellness strategies and micro habits that actually “stick” to build a highly effective mental toolbox. The result is more confidence and joy in their sport at every level. Our programming is developmentally appropriate and can grow with your athlete as they need different tools and skills as they enter higher levels of competition.
By integrating mental performance directly into the sport itself, we ensure that athletes are practicing these skills in real-time, giving them the tools they need to perform under pressure. This holistic approach helps them build a resilient mindset that serves them both in competition and beyond, enabling them to stay grounded, focused, and motivated.
Is Your Child Ready to Build Mental Resilience? We work with athletes ages 10 and up in every level, including college and the elite.
If you want to support your child’s well-being as a student-athlete and protect their longevity, mental performance training is the key to ensuring they thrive—physically, mentally, and emotionally. At KSP Mental Performance, we provide the tools, guidance, and support your child needs to succeed both in sports and in life. Do you want your athlete to have more confidence, manage their emotions, or perhaps experience more joy in their sport again? Look no further than mental performance training.
What Does Mental Performance Training Look Like? We offer training for athletes, parents and coaches
We offer several types of programming for mental performance training. Individualized, confidential, one-on-one sessions with our mental performance providers ensures a personalized path for athletes of all ages. Sessions are typically 50 minutes (based on age) and are held in-person or virtually depending upon the athlete’s needs and preferences and provider.
For the parent desiring to come alongside their student athlete in the most effective and empowering way (hard to do!) we offer in-person or virtual parent coaching. We help you take the neuroscience (here’s why they are acting that way or doing that thing…and what they need from you in that moment) and apply it to your interactions. It’s an empowering experience and the results are amazing when it comes to building a better relationship with your athlete. Parents gain tools for the car ride, the sidelines and the challenging situations parents of athletes face.
For teams and organizations, we offer in person and virtual workshops as well as innovative, scalable athlete wellness and mental performance solutions for your entire community! Please reach out to us below by completing a Discovery Form for more information.
