In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with Gabriel Deieno - one of the world’s top mental performance coaches - to break down what truly drives long-term success in athletes, both on and off the field.

At a time when athletes and parents obsess over training plans, strength programs, recovery routines, and nutrition, Gabriel shares a refreshingly simple - yet powerful truth: the biggest indicator of sustained high performance is enjoyment.

The athletes who reach elite levels and stay there for years aren’t just the ones who work the hardest. They’re the ones who genuinely love the game. It doesn’t feel like a chore. It doesn’t feel like pressure. It feels like something they’re excited to show up for every day.

Gabriel explains how burnout often has less to do with workload and more to do with losing that sense of fun and intrinsic motivation. When sports become all about expectations, rankings, and outcomes, athletes can quietly disconnect from the joy that first got them started. Over time, that mental drain shows up in performance, confidence, and even desire to keep playing.

From there, the conversation shifts into one of the most common struggles athletes face: practicing hard, having talent, and performing well in training — but not seeing it translate into games.

Gabriel breaks down why this happens so often and points to a key mindset shift. Many athletes unknowingly tie their confidence to outcomes they can’t fully control — like scoring, winning, or avoiding mistakes. When those don’t go perfectly (which they rarely do), frustration and self-doubt take over.

Instead, he encourages athletes to anchor their focus on controllables:

- Effort and intensity

- Communication with teammates

- Body language and composure

- Playing aggressively and trusting their preparation

One of the biggest takeaways is that mental performance isn’t about being “tough” all the time or never feeling nerves. It’s about understanding your mindset, training it just like your body, and building habits that allow you to perform freely under pressure.

This episode is a must-listen for athletes who feel stuck in games despite working hard in practice, parents who want to keep the joy alive in youth sports, and coaches who understand that mindset is often the separator at higher levels.

🎙️ Untapped Stories is presented by https://athletesuntapped.com/ — the nation’s leading platform for private sports coaching. We connect families with elite, vetted coaches who help athletes grow through strong fundamentals, smart habits, and positive training environments.

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