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.

👋🏼I’m Coach Bre – a mental performance coach for girl athletes, Co-Founder of The Elite Competitor, and a long-time head volleyball coach + 4x state champion. I help coaches build resilient, confident athletes without the overwhelm.

Here I break down:
✔️ How Cori Close and UCLA created one of the most mentally tough teams in the country
✔️ The game-changing Mind Gym system that transformed Lauren Betts from a transfer struggling with confidence into an All-American leading scorer
✔️ The top 3 mental training techniques championship teams use: visualization, self-talk, and failure recovery systems
✔️ Why your team can’t reach peak performance without training the mental side of the game
✔️ How to build daily mindset habits in your practice—even if you have zero extra time or budget

👀 We’re unpacking the sports psychology coaching strategies behind programs like UCLA, so your athletes can learn to:
• Navigate pressure with poise
• Bounce back from mistakes
• Cultivate peak performance with confidence
• Strengthen team dynamics and communication

🕓 Key Moments
00:00 Introduction: The Real Reason for Losing Games
00:23 The Importance of Mental Training in Sports
01:48 UCLA's Mental Training Success Story
02:53 Mind Gym: The Secret to Mental Toughness
03:51 Key Mental Training Techniques
08:25 Implementing Mental Training in Your Team

🧠 Want to help your team recover fast after mistakes? Learn the Snapback Routine and more in our free coach training → https://coachfreetraining.com

👇 COACHES – comment below: What’s one mental skill your team needs to improve most right now?

✨ Bonus links:
• Grab our in-depth free training → https://coachfreetraining.com
• Learn more here → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT1LkVw5Xvg&list=PLYeP0oZHlVGnxJfK4m7ViFejx8r3hnHWL
• Dive into the full breakdown of recovering from mistakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ6OmF7gC3I

Head to coachfreetraining.com to grab our free training for coaches to quickly level-up your team's mental game!