PODCAST · health
The Sports Mastermind
by The Sports Mastermind
The Sports Mastermind is where mental toughness meets real-world performance. Hosted by internationally recognized expert Laura Ratto, this podcast delivers quick, high-impact episodes that break down key sport psychology concepts in 10 minutes or less. Whether you're a rising athlete, elite competitor, coach, or parent, you’ll learn how to train your mind like you train your body—building focus, confidence, resilience, and motivation across all sports and skill levels. Laura brings together her background as a former professional athlete, certified strength coach (CSCS), and college professor to simplify complex mental strategies into practical, easy-to-implement tools. With experience designing Olympic training programs and academic curricula, she’s on a mission to help you perform your best—on and off the field. Subscribe now to sharpen your mindset, fuel your performance, and become the athlete you were meant to be.
Episodes
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E59: Transformational Leadership: Be the Coach They Will Never Forget
Episode 59 — Transformational Leadership: Be the Coach They Will Never Forget Think back to the best coach you've ever had. Chances are, they did more than teach you how to perform a skill or win a game. They made you believe you were capable of more. They challenged you, supported you, held you...
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E58: Why You Lose Focus When It Matters Most
You've practiced the skill hundreds—maybe thousands—of times. You know what to do. You know your routine. You know where your attention should be. But suddenly, it's match point. The final possession. The last shot. And instead of focusing on what you've trained yourself to do, you're thinking...
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E57: Focus on the Right Thing: Where Should Your Attention Be?
You can be completely focused...and still be focused on the wrong thing. The score. The crowd. Your last mistake. What your coach is thinking. What happens if you miss. Your attention is definitely somewhere—but is it on information that will actually help you perform? In Episode 57 of The Sports...
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E56: The 5-Second Reset - How to Move on After a Mistake
You make a mistake. You tell yourself, “Forget about it. Next play.” But are you really on to the next play—or are you still thinking about what just happened? In this episode of The Sports Mastermind, Laura Ratto kicks off a three-part series on concentration and focus by exploring what happens…
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E55: Too Much Time to Think: Mastering Open vs. Closed Skills
Have you ever had so much time to think that thinking actually became the problem? A volleyball player preparing to serve has time to breathe, think, and prepare. Seconds later, that same athlete may be reacting to an attacked ball with almost no time to consciously think at all. Same athlete.…
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E54: Believe It or Not: How Expectation Shapes Performance
What do you believe you’re capable of doing? And what happens when the people around you believe, or don’t believe, you can do it? In this episode of The Sports Mastermind, Laura Ratto wraps up the three-part Confidence Series by exploring the difference between confidence and self-efficacy and…
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E53: Confidence Series - Players - How to Build Confidence After a Bad Practice
The Focus four for How to build Confidence after a bad practice or competition are: Hit the RESET Button Be BETTER THAN YESTERDAY SET REALISTIC GOALS FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
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E52: Confidence Series - Coaches - How to Build Confidence in Your Athletes
This episode starts the 1st of three in the confidence series. This first episode is tailored more for coaches and specifically discusses how to build confidence in your athletes. The second episode will shift back to the athletes perspective. Specifically, how to build confidence after a bad...
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E51: PETTLEP Series - Basketball - Shooting a Free Throw
Hello and welcome back to the sports mastermind. Last week we used PETTLEP to break down serving a ball in beach volleyball. In this final episode of the series, we will be going over the sequence of events leading up to shooting a free throw in basketball. For those of you that are new to the...
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E50: PETTLEP Series - Beach Volleyball - Serving a Ball
Hello and welcome back to the sports mastermind. This is the FIFTIETH episode today, so I am going to be doing the beach volleyball bonus episode of PETTLEP. Last week we used PETTLEP to break down taking a shot on goal in soccer. This episode we will be going over the sequence of events leading…
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E49: PETTLEP Series - Soccer - Shooting a Penalty Kick
Hello and welcome back to the sports mastermind. Last week we used PETTLEP to break down hitting a pitch in baseball. This episode we will be going over the sequence of events leading up to shooting a penalty kick in soccer. For those of you that are new to the series, see episode 46 for more...
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E48: PETTLEP Series - Baseball - Hitting a Pitch
Hello and welcome back to the sports mastermind. Last week we used PETTLEP to break down passing a serve in indoor volleyball. This episode we will be going over the sequence of events leading up to hitting a pitch in baseball. For those of you that are new to the series, see episode 46 for more...
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E47: PETTLEP series - Volleyball
Over the course of the next several weeks, I will be taking one skill and running you through PETTLEP imagery. The series will be as follows: 1. Indoor Volleyball - Passing a serve 2. Baseball - Hitting a pitch 3. Soccer - Taking a shot on Goal 4. Basketball - Shooting a free throw and a Bonus...
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E46: PETTLEP Series - Introduction - What is it?!?!
In episode 9 we talked about mental imagery in broad terms. Today we are going to break down one specific type - PETTLEP. In this series, we will break down what it is and how to use it.
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E45: How to Self-Motivate (Increasing Internal Motivation)
How to self-motivate (increasing internal motivation)
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E44: How Do You Motivate a Teammate?
How do you motivate a teammate
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E43: How Do You Stay Motivated In Difficult Situations - Words Matter
How do you stay motivated in difficult situations - Words Matter
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E42: Decision Making - When You Are Learning a New Skill
Decision-Making when you are learning a new skill
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E41: What Is Your Purpose? Finding Your Ikigai - Maccabi Series Closing Thoughts
What is your purpose? Finding your ikigai - Maccabi Series Closing Thoughts
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E40: Are YOU a Leader? - Maccabi Series
Are YOU a Leader - Maccabi Series
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E39: It's Not Fair! - Maccabi Series
It's Not Fair! - Maccabi Series
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E38: Strategies for Working with Mixed Skill Levels From the Coach Perspective - Maccabi Series
Strategies for Working with Mixed skill levels from the coach perspective - Maccabi Series
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E37: Making the Most of a New Experience - Maccabi Series
Making the most of a new experience
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E36: What is Your Compliment Sandwich Made of? - Effective Coach Communication.
What is your compliment sandwich made of? - Effective coach communication.
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E35: Communicating With Your Coach When You Think They're Wrong
Communicating with your coach when you think they're wrong
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E34: Communicating With Teammates During Critical Moments
Communicating with teammates during critical moments
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E33: Communication With a Teammate in Partner Sports
Communication with a teammate in partner sports
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E32: How to Reward Yourself for Reaching Goals
How to reward yourself for reaching goals
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E31: When and How to Reevaluate Your Goal
When and how to reevaluate your goal
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E30: The What, Why, and How of a Realistic Goal
Welcome to our first in a series of 3 podcasts on goal setting. In this week’s topic, we will be discussing what a realistic goal is, why it is important to set realistic goals and how you know if your goal is realistic.
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E29: No More Eligibility - Now What? Transitioning Past Your Senior Sport Season
No more eligibility - now what? Transitioning past your Senior Sport Season
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E28: Managing Emotions
In this episode Laura looks closely at strategies for managing emotions.
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E27: Playing With People That Are Not Supportive
Imagine playing with people that are not supportive. Would you have fun? And then, if you knew the people you were playing or training with were not going to be supportive and you were to adjust your expectations, would it help? Would it matter if you were winning or losing? How do you find the...
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E26: Injury Series III: Ways to Support Injured Athlete or Teammate
In this third episode in the Injury Miniseries Laura will lay out ways to support injured athletes
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E25: Injury Series II: Rebounding From Injury and Getting Back in the Game
In this episode Laura gives you a plan for returning to training after an injury
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E24: Injury Series - Creating a Plan for When You Cannot Practice
First in a three part series on mental strategies for dealing with injuries.
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E23: Mindfulness
In this episode Laura discusses mindfulness and a few keys to help you integrate it into your daily practice.
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E22: Dealing With Uncertainty
In this episode Laura discusses best practices for dealing with uncertainty in sports and life.
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E21: Coaching: What Style is Best?
A discussion of coaching styles, which is right and which is most effective.
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E20: Sage Advice for All Athletes
Whether you are new to sport and athletics or a seasoned pro learning from your peers and those who have gone before you can be an invaluable asset.
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E19: What Do Team Mental Coaching Sessions Look Like?
In this episode Laura details what you can expect when meeting with a mental coach in a team setting.
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E18: What Does a one-on-one Mental Coaching Session look like?
What is a one on one mental coaching session like? Laura breaks down the process for what to expect when meeting with a mental training professional
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E17: Do You Still Like Your Sport?
Are you still enjoying your sport? How do you keep your head up and focused on getting better every single day. Welcome to The Sports Mastermind, where we work to bring Sports Psychology to every athlete in simple and straightforward language in less than ten minutes.
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E16: Team Dynamics
In this episode Laura delves into team dynamics and helps you better understand how they work and how you can master them.
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E15: Relaxation
Relaxation, what is it? Why is it important? When and how do you do it? In this episode Laura breaks down relaxation and provides the steps to integrate it into your training.
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E14: Psychological Skills Training
You may have heard the term psychological skills training or P S T, but what is PST really? In this episode Laura goes into detail and outlines what PST is and gives you the tools to begin to add it into your training.
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E13: Communication
What is communication? How do you communicate? Communication is defined as passing on information from one place person or group to another. We communicate all the time and in many different ways. We talk to our coaches and to our teammates at practice. In this episode Laura breaks down the types...
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E12: Sports Leadership
In this episode Laura breaks down Sports Leadership
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E11: Giving 100%
Laura details how to give 100% even when you feel less than your best.
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E10: Getting Ready for Tryouts
Laura provides the best advice on getting yourself ready for tryouts
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The Sports Mastermind is where mental toughness meets real-world performance. Hosted by internationally recognized expert Laura Ratto, this podcast delivers quick, high-impact episodes that break down key sport psychology concepts in 10 minutes or less. Whether you're a rising athlete, elite competitor, coach, or parent, you’ll learn how to train your mind like you train your body—building focus, confidence, resilience, and motivation across all sports and skill levels.
Laura brings together her background as a former professional athlete, certified strength coach (CSCS), and college professor to simplify complex mental strategies into practical, easy-to-implement tools. With experience designing Olympic training programs and academic curricula, she’s on a mission to help you perform your best—on and off the field.
Subscribe now to sharpen your mindset, fuel your performance, and become the athlete you were meant to be.
HOSTED BY
The Sports Mastermind
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Sports Mastermind have?
The Sports Mastermind currently has 53 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Sports Mastermind about?
The Sports Mastermind is where mental toughness meets real-world performance. Hosted by internationally recognized expert Laura Ratto, this podcast delivers quick, high-impact episodes that break down key sport psychology concepts in 10 minutes or less. Whether you're a rising athlete, elite...
How often does The Sports Mastermind release new episodes?
The Sports Mastermind has 53 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Sports Mastermind?
You can listen to The Sports Mastermind on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Sports Mastermind?
The Sports Mastermind is created and hosted by The Sports Mastermind.
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