In this episode of Untapped Stories, we sit down with Lindsey Wilson - accomplished mental performance coach who works with athletes across sports to help them build confidence, resilience, and consistency when it matters most.

The conversation centers on a simple truth that elite athletes understand early: you can train your body and skills every day, but if you neglect your mental game, you’re leaving a massive opportunity on the table.

Most athletes accept that missed shots, bad games, and failure are part of sports. What they don’t always prepare for is how those moments feel — the frustration, self-doubt, and internal noise that can spiral if you don’t have the right tools. Lindsey explains that the top 1% of performers aren’t immune to these moments. They’re just better equipped to handle them. As competition gets tougher, the margins shrink, and mindset becomes the separator.

A major theme of the episode is cognitive dissonance — the uncomfortable gap between where you are right now and where you want to be. Lindsey breaks down why this tension causes so many athletes to hesitate, play it safe, or abandon big goals altogether. Mental performance training teaches athletes to sit with that discomfort instead of running from it. When you learn to trust yourself in uncertain moments, chasing ambitious goals becomes less scary — even when there’s no guarantee it works out.

Throughout the conversation, Lindsey shares practical mental habits that athletes can practice daily, just like physical drills:

- Normalize failure

- Control the controllables

- Practice awareness

- Build consistency through habits

- Choose growth over comfort

These tools aren’t about positive thinking or pretending pressure doesn’t exist. They’re about building the ability to perform with pressure instead of fighting it. Lindsey emphasizes that mental strength is trained the same way as physical strength: with repetition, patience, and intentional practice.

One of the most powerful takeaways from the episode is that these skills extend far beyond sports. Once athletes learn how to manage doubt, stay composed, and commit to growth under pressure, those habits carry into school, work, relationships, and life. You start to trust yourself in hard moments. You stop needing perfect conditions to move forward.

This episode is a must-listen for athletes who want to compete with confidence, parents who want to support healthy long-term development, and coaches who believe the mental side of sport deserves just as much attention as the physical.

🎙️ 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.

👉 Listen weekly on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, and follow us on Instagram for highlights and full episodes: https://www.instagram.com/athletesuntapped/