Awareness, The Foundation of Athletic Development with Donovan Santas

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast brought to you by Pison, Brian is joined by World Champion pickleball icons and brothers Ben and Collin Johns. Collin Johns made his professional debut at the 2019 US Open and quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the sport’s most accomplished doubles players. A former professional tennis player and collegiate coach, Collin’s deep understanding of strategy, discipline, and adaptability has driven him to over 25 professional titles alongside his brother. He’s also a leader in developing and certifying pickleball professionals across the country. Ben Johns, widely regarded as the greatest pickleball player of all time, has redefined dominance in the sport. With over 120 professional titles, including 21 Triple Crowns and the longest win streak in singles history, Ben’s mental toughness, innovation, and commitment to excellence have set a new standard. Together, they’ve built an unmatched partnership on the court and a legacy off it through ventures like Pickleball 360 and their dedication to growing the game. Today, we’ll dive into their journey, their mental frameworks for success, and how they’ve used mindset and preparation to consistently perform at the highest level. In this podcast, Brian, Collin and Ben discuss: What is the mental game of tennis and pickleball The balance of automatic competitive state vs. overthinking Focusing on the small task at hand to take your mind off the big picture The Inner Game of Tennis, The Talent Code, Talent Is Overrated, Bounce, Winning Ugly The impact of John Wooden on Collin’s coaching performance The difference between college and professional tennis culture and mindset Finding the balance between caring and not caring How to use fear as fuel and separating who you are and what you do How to process losing and failure? How coaching collegiate tennis helped Collin in his career as a pickleball player How Ben uses Pison to manage his readiness, reaction time and improving variables in competition. How to get yourself more cognitively ready for performance The impact of measurements on performance The importance of repetition and deliberate practice Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  👉You can engage with Collin on Instagram @CollinJohns_PB 👉You can engage with Ben on Instagram @BenJohns_PB - and YouTube BenJohnsPickleBall ⌚Lean More About Pison, The World’s First Cognitive Performance App and Wearable 🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast, Brian continues a tribute series to one of his mentors and a mental performance coaching icon, Harvey Dorfman.   Al Leiter pitched in Major League Baseball from 1987-2005, was a 2x All-Star, a 3x World Series Champion, and New York Mets Hall of Famer.  Leiter worked closely with Harvey and attributes a lot of his success over his career to his work on the mental game with Harvey. In this episode Al & Brian discuss: The moment Al knew he needed help with mental performance The 3 day think tank that Al and Harvey at his house in Prescot, Arizona Getting clarity on your job as a pitcher Being mentally and physically prepared to execute a pitch What made Harvey so special in Al’s eyes The listen and call you on your shit balance Professional athletes need and want to hear the truth Getting down to straight talk How you feel vs. how you behave Harvey’s two two processes for development Controlling what you can control Self-promotion vs. doing the work as a mental performance coach Al’s advice for mental performance coaches Conversations, Content and Careers - The Life and Legacy of Harvey Dorfman is a series in which Brian interviews former players and staff who had their careers positively impacted by Harvey.  Go inside the conversations, the content and the careers forever changed by one of the greatest mental performance coaches who ever lived. Check out Harvey’s Books on Amazon 📕The Mental Game of Baseball 📕The Mental Keys to Hitting 📕The Mental ABCs of Pitching 📕Coaching The Mental Game 📕Copying It Down 📕Each Branch, Each Needle 📕Babbling Echoes 📕Persuasion of My Days Brian Cain, MPM, the World’s leader in Mental Performance Coaching brings you practical tips, techniques, stories strategies, meditations and motivations every day that you can use to close the gap from where you are to where you want to be with The Mental Performance Daily Podcast.   Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  ⌚Lean More About Pison, The World’s First Cognitive Performance App and Wearable 🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast 💻 Join Brian’s MPM Coaches Certification Insiders List & Save $200 ⚾ Take Brian’s FREE Baseball Masterclass

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast Reflect & Refocus, Brian discusses what Mental Performance Coaches can do to help their athletes return to play from injury. In this episode Brian shares 10 ways you can help your athletes during a return to play from injury. 1. Goal Setting for Rehab Progress: Encourage them to set specific, measurable, and realistic goals related to their rehab progress, focusing on what they can control. This keeps them motivated and provides structure. 2. Visualization and Imagery: Teach the athlete to use mental imagery to “rehearse” their sport. Visualizing movements, techniques, and successful performances can help maintain muscle memory and increase mental toughness. 3. Mindfulness and Meditation: Introduce mindfulness techniques to help them stay present and manage the emotional challenges of being injured. It can improve emotional regulation, reduce stress, and improve focus during recovery. 4. Developing Self-Awareness: Use journaling or reflective practices to increase their awareness of their mental and emotional states. This can help them understand their mental habits and areas for growth. 5. Positive Self-Talk: Help the athlete develop a positive internal dialogue, even during challenging times. This reinforces resilience and combats negative thoughts associated with injury. 6. Cognitive Restructuring: Teach them how to reframe negative or unproductive thoughts (e.g., “I’m missing out” to “I’m using this time to build mental strength”). This fosters a growth mindset. 7. Confidence Building: Work on confidence by reviewing past successes, identifying strengths, and setting small, achievable mental goals. This helps them regain belief in their abilities during recovery. 8. Resilience Training: Encourage mental toughness training by discussing setbacks as opportunities for growth. Use adversity stories or case studies from other athletes who’ve overcome injury. 9. Maintaining Team Connection: Encourage them to stay involved with the team, whether by attending practices, engaging with teammates, or taking on a mentorship role. This keeps them connected and mentally engaged. 10. Focus on Skill Development: Work on building mental skills such as focus, concentration, and emotional regulation. Use this time to train these areas, as they will be useful when they return to competition. Each strategy helps the athlete stay mentally sharp while navigating the psychological challenges of injury recovery. Brian Cain, MPM, the World’s leader in Mental Performance Coaching brings you practical tips you can use as a mental performance coach to help your athletes close the gap from where they are to where they want to be and to maximize their potential. Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast 💻 Join Brian’s MPM Coaches Certification Insiders List & Save $200 👍 Take Brian’s FREE 3 Day Coaches Mini-Course 💪 Take Brian’s FREE 3 Day Athletes Mini-Course

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast brought to you by Pison, Brian is joined by Lansing Community College Head Baseball Coach Steven Cutter.  Coach Cut has led the Stars to 2 Juco College World Series Appearances and the #2 overall best winning percentage in Juco Baseball the last 3 years. In this Podcast Brian and Coach Cut discuss: Coach Cut’s unique journey into coaching baseball and mental performance Attraction to mental performance Stacking bricks and building consistency Growth vs. fixed mindset and using Carol Dweck’s mindset achievement Modeling theory and the process of development, caught vs. taught The importance of time management, organization, and intentionality of process Journals that players can use for the season and life The importance of setting core principles of Uncommon, Selfless, and Excellence Climbing a mountain with no summit The dangers of complacency Compete to a standard, not a scoreboard The mindset of Compete with vs. competing against Cognitive performance and work with Pison The combination of cognitive training and mental performance training You have to learn and be it before you can teach it Eliminating The G Word from your program Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  👉Connect with Coach Cut on Instagram 👉Connect with Coach Cut on X 👉Connect With Coach Cut At His Website ⌚Lean More About Pison, The World’s First Cognitive Performance App and Wearable 🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast, Brian discusses why you should work with a Mental Performance Coach.  👉Athlete or parent of an athlete? ⁠Join Brian’s exclusive one-on-one coaching program⁠ ✅ Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  ⌚Learn More About Pison, The World’s First Cognitive Performance App and Wearable

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast, Brian is joined by Donovan Santas. Over his 21-year-long career in professional baseball in different capacities, Donovan has seen some of the most momentous changes and shifts in the sports industry – from how strength training is implemented to how the strength & conditioning coach’s role has gained prominence to the importance of mental performance and cognitive training.   Donovan has worked with the Cleveland Indians, Toronto Bluejays, and New York Yankees as a strength and conditioning coach and assistant director of player health and performance. In this episode, Brian and Donovan talk about… The evolution of baseball-specific training and conditioning How the role of the strength and conditioning coach has expanded over the years What a training program looked like 20 years ago versus how it looks today Training with Pison Readiness assessment and testing The go-no-go test for performance Cognitive assessment Fatigue management The power of breathing and the impact of the Functional Movement Screening FMS Recovery modalities, what works, and what’s best for you as an athlete. Sleep and the impact on performance The role mental performance plays in professional baseball player development The mental game of pitcher Roy Halladay, Cy Young Winner - Working With Harvey What Makes Roy Run? - Sports Illustrated Article about Roy Halladay Connect with Donovan Santas: Donovan Santas on LinkedIn Donovan Santas on Instagram Email - [email protected] Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  ⌚Lean More About Pison, The World’s First Cognitive Performance App and Wearable ⚾ Take Brian’s FREE Baseball Masterclass

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast Reflect & Refocus, Brian discusses everything you need to know about helping your athletes move from a perfectionist mindset into one of progress.  If you work with perfectionistic clients and athletes, this is a must listen. 1. Shift from Perfection to Progress 2. Emphasize Process Over Outcome 3. Set Realistic and Flexible Goals 4. Normalize Mistakes as Part of Growth 5. Practice Self-Compassion 6. Use Visualization for Handling Imperfection 7. Develop a Routine for Letting Go 8. Challenge All-or-Nothing Thinking 9. Implement Mindfulness Practices 10. Celebrate Effort and Commitment Brian Cain, MPM, the World’s leader in Mental Performance Coaching brings you practical tips, techniques, stories strategies, meditations, and motivations every day that you can use to close the gap from where you are to where you want to be with The Mental Performance Daily Podcast.   Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast 💻 Join Brian’s MPM Coaches Certification Insiders List & Save $200 💻 Follow Brian on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube 📧 Sign up for Brian’s MPM email

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast Reflect & Refocus, Brian discusses everything you need to know about winning the battle within and improving your athletes' self-talk. Self-Talk Patterns. Reframing Affirmations Mental Imagery Cue Words or The 3 Keys To Keep It Simple Modeling Self-Compassion - The Friend/Teammate Technique Shadow reps What If & What Is Reflective Reinforcement Brian Cain, MPM, the World’s leader in Mental Performance Coaching brings you practical tips, techniques, stories strategies, meditations and motivations every day that you can use to close the gap from where you are to where you want to be with The Mental Performance Daily Podcast.   Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak 🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast 💻 Join Brian’s MPM Coaches Certification Insiders List & Save $200 💻 Follow Brian on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube 📧 Sign up for Brian’s MPM email

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast brought to you by Pison, the world's first cognitive performance tracker, Brian is joined by Military Scientist Alison Brager Ph.D.   Alison is one of the world’s leading authorities on sleep science, fatigue management, and elite performance. Her ability to blend science with action and application is second to none and in this podcast, she shares science-backed practical tips anyone who wants to be elite can use to gain an edge.. In this Podcast Brian and Alison discuss: Alison’s training tips for fatigue management and optimal performance Pison the world's first cognitive performance tracker. The mental aspects of NASCAR driving Active recovery techniques you can use for improved performance How to improve sleep performance and the stages of sleep The GO-NOGO Test, PVT, and their predictive impacts on performance The Combined Goal of 25% Deep Non REM and 25% REM Sleep The Use of Pink Noise for advanced sleep The importance of structure and time management in recovery  Her book Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain The NCAA Mental Health program and issues with mental health Kobe Bryant, Video Games and Reaction Time Training Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  👉Connect with Alison Brager Ph.D. on Instagram  👉Connect with Alison Brager Ph.D. on X ⌚Lean More About Pison, The World’s First Cognitive Performance App and Wearable 🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast

In this episode of The Mental Performance Mastery Podcast Reflect & Refocus, brought to you by Fundraising University and The Coaching Matters Foundation, Brian discusses everything you need to know about goal setting. In this podcast, Brian discusses 10 Tips for Improving Focus 1) Set Clear Goals: Define what you need to accomplish. Break larger tasks into smaller, manageable goals to keep your focus sharp. 2) Eliminate Distractions: Identify and remove distractions from your environment. Turn off notifications, close unnecessary tabs, and create a dedicated workspace. 3) Practice Mindfulness and Meditation: Regular mindfulness exercises and meditation can improve concentration by training your brain to stay focused on the present moment. 4) Take Regular Breaks: Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique—work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break. This helps maintain high levels of focus and prevents burnout. 5) Prioritize Your Tasks: Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance, ensuring you focus on what truly matters. 6) Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep are crucial for maintaining cognitive function and focus. 7) Stay Hydrated: Dehydration can impair cognitive abilities. Keep a water bottle handy and drink water throughout the day. 8) Use Focus-Enhancing Tools: Tools like noise-canceling headphones, focus apps, and productivity timers can help you stay on track and minimize interruptions. 9) Practice Single-Tasking: Focus on one task at a time instead of multitasking. Completing tasks sequentially can improve the quality of your work and enhance concentration. 10) Set a Routine: Establish a daily routine that includes specific times for work, breaks, and leisure. Consistency can help your brain know when it’s time to focus and when to relax. By incorporating these tips into your daily life, you can significantly enhance your ability to concentrate and achieve your goals more efficiently. Remember, improving focus is a continuous process that requires patience and practice. Brian Cain, MPM, the World’s leader in Mental Performance Coaching brings you practical tips, techniques, stories strategies, meditations and motivations every day that you can use to close the gap from where you are to where you want to be with The Mental Performance Daily Podcast.   Be sure to subscribe wherever you are listening to this podcast, leave us a review, and engage with Brian on social media @BrianCainPeak  Fundraising University and The Coaching Matters Foundation share the same passion that we do for supporting coaches and educational athletic experience. We are teaming up to offer a FREE Group Coaching Program teaching you how to coach mental performance, build entrepreneurial skills and organize your process for coaching success. This opportunity is limited to just 50 members of our mental performance community, so please click on the link below to take advantage of this amazing educational opportunity. ⁠💰 Click Here to Join The FREE Coaching Matters Group Coaching Program 🎤 Follow Brian’s Mental Performance Daily Podcast 💻 Join Brian’s MPM Coaches Certification Insiders List & Save $200 💻 Follow Brian on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube 📧 Sign up for Brian’s MPM email