The Mental Mettle Podcast

Ep. 162: Six Throws: Years of Preparation, Seconds to Perform with USA thrower Rachel Richeson

What if everything you've worked for came down to just six attempts? That's the reality for Team USA hammer thrower Rachel Richeson. After years of training, sacrifice, and relentless improvement, Olympic dreams and World Championship opportunities can be decided by just six throws. In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Rachel shares her incredible journey from a high school volleyball player who didn't even throw the hammer until college to becoming one of the top hammer throwers in the world. But this conversation goes far beyond track and field. We discuss: * How confidence is built by recognizing progress and believing you still have "more in the tank." * Why elite performers focus on growth instead of outcomes. * The hidden pressure that comes with rising expectations. * How Rachel incorporates mental training into every practice—not as something extra, but as part of the process. * Using body scans between throws to recognize anxiety without letting it control performance. * The psychology of youth sport specialization, identity, and intrinsic motivation. * Why failure is one of our greatest teachers... even though, as Rachel says, "it still sucks." Whether you're an athlete, coach, parent, or simply someone pursuing excellence, Rachel's insights offer practical strategies for performing under pressure and trusting your preparation when the moment arrives. A special thanks to Shane Fisher and American Paragons for connecting us with another outstanding Team USA athlete. If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, subscribe, and share it with someone who could benefit from it. To learn more about the American Paragons Foundation: americanparagons.org [https://americanparagons.org/] For more information about Mental Mettle Coaching: Sign up here for the FREE Resilient Parents Playbook: www.resilientparentsplaybook.com [http://www.resilientparentsplaybook.com/] Contact: matt@mentalmettlecoach.com [matt@mentalmettlecoach.com] for a free coaching session with Coach Thomann www.mentalmettlecoach.com [http://www.mentalmettlecoach.com/]

Ep. 161: Faith, Ironman, and Stage 4 Cancer: Just Keep Tri-ing with Jim Logan.

What happens when a lifelong endurance athlete is suddenly told he has Stage 4 cancer and may only have months to live? In this episode of the Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Ironman competitor and author Jim Logan for a powerful conversation about resilience, faith, and the mindset required to keep moving forward when everything is on the line. Jim shares his journey through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery while continuing to pursue endurance racing at the highest level, including his goal of finishing the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Together, they explore the deeper lessons behind his story: * How intentional suffering in sport can prepare you for unexpected hardship in life * The moment fear began to shift into faith * Why vulnerability and surrender became turning points in his journey * The difference between focusing on finish lines versus embracing the daily process * How purpose and perspective can change everything in the face of uncertainty This conversation goes far beyond triathlon and cancer. It’s about what it means to rebuild your life from the inside out when the future is unclear, and how discipline, belief, and faith can carry you through the darkest moments. Whether you're an athlete, coach, parent, or someone navigating your own challenges, Jim’s story is a reminder that strength isn’t just about pushing harder—it’s about continuing to move forward with purpose. Just keep TRI-ing. To learn more about Jim Logan, his book, and his mission to inspire others through faith, endurance sports, and his cancer journey, visit www.justkeeptri-ing.com [http://www.justkeeptri-ing.com]. To learn more about Mental Mettle Coaching, visit www.mentalmettlecoach.com [http://www.mentalmettlecoach.com]. If you're looking to strengthen your mindset, build resilience, or improve your performance in sports, work, or life, email matt@mentalmettlecoach.com [matt@mentalmettlecoach.com] to schedule a free coaching session.

Ep. 160: Ryan Davis is not a great coach despite his anxiety; he is a great coach because of it.

In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt Thomann sits down with Roanoke Benson girls basketball coach Ryan Davis for a powerful conversation about anxiety, expectations, coaching, and vulnerability. Ryan shares his personal story of battling severe performance anxiety as a high school athlete—a struggle that ultimately cut short the playing career he loved. But this isn't a story about overcoming anxiety and leaving it behind. It's a story about how that struggle shaped the coach he would become. Together, Matt and Ryan discuss: • How anxiety impacted Ryan's basketball career • The hidden connection between expectations and anxiety • Growing up trying to play under pressure • Why athletes often put more pressure on themselves than anyone else does • How vulnerability helps coaches build trust • Why empathy may be a coach's greatest leadership tool • The "Play Fearless" philosophy and helping athletes compete freely • Why mental skills deserve practice just like physical skills • The importance of controlling the controllables • How adversity can become a superpower when used to serve others One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that Ryan isn't a great coach despite his anxiety. He's a great coach because of it. His struggles gave him empathy. They taught him how pressure feels. They helped him connect with athletes in ways many coaches never can. If you're an athlete, coach, parent, educator, or anyone navigating the pressures and expectations of life, this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more conversations on mental toughness, resilience, leadership, and personal growth. Connect with Coach Matt / Mental Mettle www.mentalmettlecoach.com matt@mentalmettlecoach.com

Ep. 159: Be Willing to Be Bad – From Hoops to Team USA Handball with Katie Timmerman

Most people think mental toughness is just grinding harder at what you’re already good at. This episode is about the opposite: choosing to be a beginner again on purpose. In this conversation, I sit down with USA Team Handball player and Olympic hopeful Katie Timmerman. Katie went from being a high-level college and pro basketball player to a complete novice in a sport she’d never even heard of… and did it knowing she’d be bad at first. We get into: * From Hoops to Handball * How an Instagram DM from USA Team Handball changed her path * What it was like walking into her first camp with no real idea how to play * Going from “expert” in basketball to “day-one rookie” in handball * Choosing Hard Paths on Purpose * Flying to Korea on a one-way ticket with no guarantee she’d be drafted * Living in a foreign country, new language, new league * Leaving pro basketball to chase an Olympic dream in a pay-to-play sport * Mental Mettle, Not Just Skill & Strength * How she realized her mindset was actually hurting her game * The books and tools that helped her flip her self-talk * What she does mentally when she knows she’ll fail more than she’ll succeed * Turning the COVID Shutdown Into an Advantage * Why COVID hit during the worst mental stretch of her career * How losing access to gyms forced her to attack the mental side * Using therapy, reading, and reflection to come back as a different player * The Reality of Underfunded Olympic Sports * What “Team USA” actually looks like in a sport with almost no funding * Tradeoffs: delayed career, part-time jobs, and financial strain * Why she still says it’s worth it If you’re an athlete, coach, or competitor in any field, this episode is a playbook for: * “Vulnerability reps” – intentionally doing things you’ll be bad at to grow faster * Reframing setbacks – using shutdowns, cuts, losses, and “no’s” to build your mental game * Building true mental mettle instead of just more reps and more weights Follow Katie on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/katie_timmerman/]! @katie_timmerman  To learn more about the American Paragons Foundation: americanparagons.org [https://americanparagons.org/] For more information about Mental Mettle Coaching: Sign up here for the FREE Resilient Parents Playbook: www.resilientparentsplaybook.com [http://www.resilientparentsplaybook.com/] Contact: matt@mentalmettlecoach.com [matt@mentalmettlecoach.com] for a free coaching session with Coach Thomann www.mentalmettlecoach.com [http://www.mentalmettlecoach.com/]

Ep. 158: When Lightning Strikes: Responding to Life’s Hardest Hits with Author Scott Lackey.

When life changes in an instant, who you are after matters more than what happened. In this episode of The Mental Mettle Podcast, Coach Matt sits down with Scott Lackey — U.S. Army veteran, former college basketball player, patented inventor, Ironman finisher, newspaper columnist, and leadership author — to talk about what he calls “lightning‑strike moments”: those shocks that split your life into before and after. Scott opens up about losing everything, hitting rock bottom with a pregnant wife and young kids, and realizing that no matter how impressive your “scoreboard moments” look from the outside, they don’t protect you from pain on the inside. From there, the conversation goes deep into how you actually respond when the rug gets pulled out from under you. We get into: * Why it’s never really about what happened to you, and always about how you respond to it. * How sudden hits — a firing, a diagnosis, a stroke, a betrayal — can become turning points instead of end points. * The idea of “waking up to die again”: * the destructive version, where you wake up every day and slowly die inside, and * the powerful version, where you choose daily sacrifice, discipline, and hard things that forge you into someone better. * What Scott learned from the military and Ironman about intentional adversity — training yourself to do hard, uncomfortable things so you’re ready for the adversity you don’t choose. * Vulnerability as real toughness: letting people see you’re not invincible, telling the truth when you’re not the hero, and why Scott chose to write his book in a way that exposes his flaws instead of hiding them. * Forgiving your past self, including forgiving “the person you never became,” so you’re not dragging old weight into every new day. * Living a Carpe Diem mindset and focusing on direction over distance: caring less about five‑year plans and more about taking the next right step today. * How Scott’s faith anchored him at rock bottom, and his belief that God isn’t running to meet you in the dark — He’s already there when you arrive. If you’ve been blindsided by an injury, getting cut, a health scare, a business failure, or a personal crisis, this episode is for you. It’s an honest look at suffering, mindset, and faith — and how to start moving forward when the lightning has already struck. Connect with Scott Lackey w [https://scottlackey.com/]ww.scottlackey.com Connect with Coach Matt / Mental Mettle www.mentalmettlecoach.com matt@mentalmettlecoach.com If this conversation hit home, subscribe, share it with someone going through their own lightning‑strike moment, and keep building your mental mettle.