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I’m Rebecca Smith, your podcast host, and High Performance Coach. I’m Director of Complete Performance Coaching and founder of The #PerformHappy Community.Maybe you’re a gymnast with a fear of going backwards. A swimmer who can’t seem to go any faster. Or a parent who is clueless about how to help your child succeed. You might be stepping up to tougher competition and looking to raise your game. Whether you're struggling with a mental block, or you just had the best season of your life, this podcast is for you.Kids need resources to deal with the pressure of competition, but they don’t necessarily want it to be their coach or parents.I teach parents, coaches, and adolescent/teen athletes of all abilities how to achieve their personal best. These are the tips and mental toughness strategies that my clients tell me help them most.I also provide insights for parents and coaches who want to support their kids and their teams.Performing well is a blend of hard work, skill and mental toughness. I’ll teach you how to use all 3 to be the best athlete you can, and have FUN competing in your sport. Mental skills translate to all areas of your life. When kids learn skills to cope with stress & emotion in a sport context, they become better prepared to thrive in school and beyond.Join me each week as I help people reach peak performance and maximum enjoyment.
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Consistency under pressure can look effortless from the outside. But if you’ve ever stood there waiting to salute, you know it rarely feels that way. In this episode, I sit down with LSU freshman Haley Mustari to break down what actually creates that calm, confident performance. After watching her stick her first collegiate bar routine, I wanted to know what was going on in her mind. Her answer was simple: “Do your normal.” She is not trying to be extraordinary in the moment. She is trusting ...
Waiting can be one of the hardest parts of growth. When things feel uncertain or out of your control, the urge to figure it out now can be overwhelming. Patience rarely feels exciting, yet it is often the skill that determines whether you keep going or give up too soon. In this episode, I share why patience is one of the most powerful traits athletes and high performers can develop. I open up about my own struggle with impatience and the discomfort of not knowing how things will turn out. Lik...
Watching your child struggle can be exhausting. You see how hard they are trying, yet small moments turn into big emotions, power struggles, or shutdowns. You may wonder why it feels so hard to stay calm when all you want to do is help. In this episode, I talk with calm parenting expert Kirk Martin about how parents’ emotions and reactions shape their children’s behavior and confidence. Kirk works with families raising strong willed and ADHD wired kids, and he explains why calm, confident lea...
Watching an athlete feel stuck can be painful. You see how hard they are trying. You see the fear and frustration building, and you may wonder why some kids break through while others stay trapped in the same place. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Suzanne Pottratz, senior mental performance coach at PerformHappy, about what actually helps athletes move forward. Suzanne works closely with kids who struggle with fear and mental blocks, and she explains why openness is often the key to change. ...
It can be really confusing to watch your child work hard in gymnastics and still struggle with injuries, low energy, or stalled progress. You see the effort. You know how much they love the sport. And yet something just does not seem to be clicking. Many parents assume this is just part of gymnastics. That soreness, exhaustion, and constant setbacks are the price of training at a high level. When skills plateau or injuries keep coming back, it is easy to believe the answer is more grit or pus...
It can be really confusing to watch your child struggle in their sport when you are trying so hard to help. You care. You see how much it matters to them. So you encourage them, ask questions, and try to give advice that you think will help. But sometimes, that help does not land the way you expect. I talk to a lot of parents who feel stuck. They are doing everything they can to support their athlete, but their child seems more stressed, more frustrated, or less motivated. What feels like sup...
Scores feel important in judged sports. They’re everywhere. On scoreboards, on social media, and in post-meet conversations. But the way we talk about scores can quietly shape how an athlete feels about themselves. I see this all the time when I work with teams. After a meet, I ask athletes what they’re most proud of. At first, they’re ready to answer. Then I say they can’t talk about scores or places. Suddenly, it’s hard for them to think of anything. That’s how early athletes learn to measu...
There is something really confusing about watching an athlete look great in practice and then struggle in competition. One week everything feels solid and confident, and the next it feels like their body stops cooperating. For parents and athletes, that shift can feel scary and frustrating, especially when nothing about the skills has actually changed. I talk with athletes and families all the time who ask the same question: Why does this keep happening? They know the skills are there. They h...
There is something that feels really scary about taking time off from training, even when you know your body needs it. For many gymnasts and families, the holiday break comes with mixed emotions. Part of you is relieved to rest, and part of you is worried about losing skills or confidence right before competition season starts. I talk with athletes and parents every year who feel this exact fear. You have been working hard for months, and a few days away from the gym can feel like everything ...
There is something powerful about hearing a young athlete describe what it feels like to step into a moment they once only imagined. For Zoey Molomo, that moment came at 15 years old when she competed at Olympic Trials alongside the best gymnasts in the world. What stands out most is not just the stage, but the calm, joy, and perspective she brought with her into it. Zoey shares how her love for gymnastics started early, from being a kid who loved being upside down to watching Gabby Douglas i...
There is something powerful about hearing an athlete talk about the moment their childhood dream becomes real. For Isabelle David, it started with wanting to flip like the older girls and never losing that spark. She chased big dreams even before she fully understood them, and that drive carried her all the way to the Jamaican National Team. Representing Jamaica at Junior Worlds was the moment everything clicked. Isabelle shares how she stood beside top athletes and felt a mix of pride and im...
There is nothing more powerful than understanding what your brain is doing behind the scenes. So many athletes push through fear, anxiety, and overwhelm without ever knowing that their brain waves might be the real reason they feel stuck. When your brain is sending protection signals, confidence feels harder, focus slips, and even simple skills can feel impossible. Neurofeedback opens a window into that hidden world. In the conversation with Lisa Kramer, she explains how an EEG can reveal pat...
Have you ever watched two young athletes rise through the hardest sport and wondered how they stay grounded through it all? Maybe you have seen your own gymnast pushing through pressure, comparison, or setbacks and you hope they will find the joy again. Every parent, coach, and young gymnast knows that feeling of needing something deeper to hold on to. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Senior Elite gymnasts Annalisa and Malea Milton, twins who share a bond that h...
Have you ever watched your athlete work unbelievably hard and still wonder if their moment will ever come? Maybe you have seen them push through setbacks, fear, or comparison and you hope someday all that effort will pay off. Every gymnast and every sports parent knows that feeling of waiting for the breakthrough. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Utah gymnast Sarah Krump, whose story is a powerful lesson in perseverance. Sarah grew up dreaming of competing for U...
Have you ever wanted something so big that it scared you? Maybe your dreams feel exciting and terrifying at the same time. Every athlete, at some point, faces that moment where fear and possibility collide. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Team USA skeleton racer Andy Whittier about what it really means to become fearless. Andy is in the run up to the Winter Olympics, chasing huge goals while training his mind as hard as his body. He shares his journey from coll...
There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching an athlete lose the sport they love to injury. The pain is not only physical but also emotional. For many gymnasts, it can feel like their confidence disappears right along with their routines. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I sit down with former BYU gymnast Rebekah Bean Ripley, known for her viral Barbie Girl floor routine. Rebekah shares her journey through back and ACL injuries, the long and emotional rehab process, an...
There is something truly powerful about a coach who sees more than just the athlete in front of them. Someone who understands that success is not just about medals but about growth, confidence, and character. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I sat down with Geralen Stack Eaton, the new head coach of Cal Gymnastics, and discovered a coaching philosophy that every athlete and parent needs to hear. Geralen’s journey from a struggling gymnast to an NCAA national champion shaped...
There is nothing more frustrating than watching your gymnast freeze on a skill they know how to do. One day it looks easy, and the next day, fear and hesitation take over. It can leave both of you confused and unsure how to help. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk about the things that actually make mental blocks worse and what to do instead. Around this time of year, I call it Nervous November because fears seem to grow stronger and confidence can feel shaky. The good...
There is nothing more painful than watching your athlete lose their love for the sport they once adored. The stomach aches before practice, the tears in the car, the fear that never used to be there. It breaks your heart. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking about toxic training environments. These are gyms where kids feel scared, anxious, or unsafe. Places where yelling and shaming are mistaken for motivation. Every week, I talk to athletes who believe this is just...
If you have ever experienced the twisties, you know how overwhelming they can be. The twisties are a type of mental block that make even familiar skills feel impossible. One day everything flows, and the next your body and brain no longer feel in sync. It can be confusing, frustrating, and lonely. That is why this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast is so special. I talk with Sarah and her mom Jennifer, who both share their journey of working through the twisties together. Sarah opens ...
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