Watching your child struggle can be exhausting. You see how hard they are trying, yet small moments turn into big emotions, power struggles, or shutdowns. You may wonder why it feels so hard to stay calm when all you want to do is help.

In this episode, I talk with calm parenting expert Kirk Martin about how parents’ emotions and reactions shape their children’s behavior and confidence. Kirk works with families raising strong willed and ADHD wired kids, and he explains why calm, confident leadership creates more change than control ever does.

Kirk shares a pivotal moment from his own parenting journey. After a heated argument, he discovered his son was writing a school paper calling his dad his superhero. That moment revealed how deeply kids want connection and approval, even when behavior looks difficult or defiant.

We discuss why yelling, nagging, and over managing often backfire. When parents stay regulated, set clear boundaries, and give kids ownership within those limits, power struggles decrease and kids are more likely to step up.

A key theme in this conversation is how kids experience mistakes and pressure. One hard moment can quickly turn into I am bad or I am not good enough. Instead of fixing emotions, connection grows when parents reflect feelings, get curious, and normalize the experience.

We also explore nerves and anxiety, especially for young athletes. Feeling nervous usually means a child cares. Confidence is learning to move through discomfort with support, not making it disappear.

In this episode, you will hear
• Why calm parenting reduces power struggles
• What strong willed and ADHD wired kids need most
• How to respond when kids make mistakes
• Why normalizing nerves builds confidence

In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Kirk Martin about calm parenting, emotional regulation, and how connection helps kids feel safe, confident, and supported.

Learn exactly what to say and do to guide your athlete through a mental block with my new book "Parenting Through Mental Blocks" Order your copy today: https://a.co/d/g990Bur

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complete_performance/

Join my FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/completeperformancecoaching/

Check out my website: https://completeperformancecoaching.com/

Write to me! Email: rebecca@completeperformancecoaching.com

Ready to help your athlete overcome fears and mental blocks while gaining unstoppable confidence? Discover the transformative power of PerformHappy now. If your athlete is struggling or feeling left behind, it's time for a change. Are you ready? For more info and to sign up: PerformHappy.com

Watching an athlete feel stuck can be painful. You see how hard they are trying. You see the fear and frustration building, and you may wonder why some kids break through while others stay trapped in the same place.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Suzanne Pottratz, senior mental performance coach at PerformHappy, about what actually helps athletes move forward. Suzanne works closely with kids who struggle with fear and mental blocks, and she explains why openness is often the key to change.

Athletes who make big breakthroughs usually arrive willing to try something new. Many feel desperate after trying everything else, and that willingness leads to real progress. Even athletes who start out resistant can change when trust is built and they feel understood within the gym environment.

We also discuss why some kids stay stuck longer. Often, it is not the athlete. It is the environment. Pressure from parents or inflexible coaching can slow progress, even when intentions are good. Lasting confidence requires alignment between the athlete, parents, and coaches, along with helping kids develop a voice of their own.

Suzanne shares her personal story of quitting gymnastics because fear became overwhelming. That experience drives her work today. Instead of forcing skills, she helps athletes rebuild trust through emotional safety, patience, and very small steps forward.

A powerful theme in this episode is mindset. Fear does not have to disappear for progress to happen. Fear and action can exist together. Progress becomes data, not drama, when athletes learn to ask what they can do today instead of judging themselves.

In this episode, you will hear
• Why openness leads to faster breakthroughs
• How trust helps resistant athletes change
• Why environment matters more than effort
• How fear and action can coexist
• The role of awareness, confidence, and self trust

In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Dr. Suzanne Pottratz about fear, mental blocks, and how athletes can rebuild confidence and self trust one small step at a time.

Learn exactly what to say and do to guide your athlete through a mental block with my new book "Parenting Through Mental Blocks" Order your copy today: https://a.co/d/g990Bur

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complete_performance/

Join my FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/completeperformancecoaching/

Check out my website: https://completeperformancecoaching.com/

Write to me! Email: rebecca@completeperformancecoaching.com

Ready to help your athlete overcome fears and mental blocks while gaining unstoppable confidence? Discover the transformative power of PerformHappy now. If your athlete is struggling or feeling left behind, it's time for a change. Are you ready? For more info and to sign up: PerformHappy.com

It can be really confusing to watch your child work hard in gymnastics and still struggle with injuries, low energy, or stalled progress. You see the effort. You know how much they love the sport. And yet something just does not seem to be clicking.

Many parents assume this is just part of gymnastics. That soreness, exhaustion, and constant setbacks are the price of training at a high level. When skills plateau or injuries keep coming back, it is easy to believe the answer is more grit or pushing through.

In this episode, we talk about a piece that is often overlooked. Nutrition. Both Taylor Krippner and Dr. Brittany Lapinski share how being under fueled affected their energy, power, recovery, and overall enjoyment of the sport. Taylor describes feeling hurt all the time, having no energy, and relying on talent alone just to get through training. Even though she loved gymnastics, it stopped being fun.

Dr. Brittany Lapinski reflects on growing up in a time when gymnasts often burned out young because their bodies were simply worn down. She shares her own experience of being under fueled and how it limited how far she was able to go in the sport. Not because of a lack of talent or effort, but because her body was not properly supported.

When athletes are not getting enough fuel, the body struggles to recover. Energy drops. Injuries become more common. Performance plateaus. Over time, athletes may start to feel frustrated, powerless, or disconnected from a sport they once loved. What looks like mental burnout often has a strong physical root.

The encouraging part of this conversation is that things are changing. There are more resources, more education, and more awareness now than ever before. When athletes are properly fueled and supported, they have a much better chance of staying healthy, enjoying the sport, and reaching their potential.

In this episode, you will hear
• How under fueling affects energy, power, and performance
• Why constant injuries are often a warning sign, not bad luck
• How nutrition plays a role in burnout and enjoyment of the sport
• Why today’s athletes have more opportunities for support than past generations

In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk with Taylor Krippner and Dr. Brittany Lapinski about how nutrition impacts performance in gymnastics and why fueling the body properly can make such a powerful difference in an athlete’s experience.

Learn exactly what to say and do to guide your athlete through a mental block with my new book "Parenting Through Mental Blocks" Order your copy today: https://a.co/d/g990Bur

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/complete_performance/

Join my FaceBook page: https://www.facebook.com/completeperformancecoaching/

Check out my website: https://completeperformancecoaching.com/

Write to me! Email: rebecca@completeperformancecoaching.com

Ready to help your athlete overcome fears and mental blocks while gaining unstoppable confidence? Discover the transformative power of PerformHappy now. If your athlete is struggling or feeling left behind, it's time for a change. Are you ready? For more info and to sign up: PerformHappy.com