KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING
The coach creates the opportunity and environment. The athlete brings the commitment. And together, they're building something bigger than wins and championships.
The Coe College Clay Target Team has built something pretty special, and while their national accomplishments are incredible, I believe there's an equally important story behind those results. It's a story about preparation, leadership, trust, and athletes who are given the opportunity to develop not only their physical skills but their mental skills, too.
I recently wrapped up another mental performance session with the Kohawks, a program I've been fortunate to work with since 2021, thanks to Coach Cory, affectionately known as PC. And there is something about this program that I wish every athlete and coach could experience.
A Coach Who Believes the Mental Game Matters
One of the things I appreciate most about Coach Cory is that he understands something incredibly important: You cannot separate the mental side of sport from the physical side. Especially in clay target shooting!
Coach Cory doesn't just talk about the importance of mental performance. He creates opportunities for his athletes to develop it through mindfulness, meditation, mental imagery, yoga, book club, journaling and mental performance training. He also incorporates principles from Lanny Bassham's Mental Management System, an approach centered on developing consistent mental processes for performance.
And here's what I love. These aren't things he introduces only when athletes are struggling or when something isn't going well. They're part of how he develops his athletes all year long, and I have tremendous respect for that. When a coach consistently makes space for mental training, it sends a powerful message: Your mind matters. Your thoughts matter. Your response matters. And you can learn to train all three along with your skill training.
But here's the important part. A coach can introduce the tools, create the environment, and encourage athletes to practice. The athlete has to choose to do the work. And that is where meaningful growth begins.
In Clay Target Shooting, the Mental Game Is HUGE!
Think about what happens when a shooter steps up to the line. There is preparation. There is technique. There is a routine. And there is a mind that may be processing a whole lot more than the athlete realizes.
Maybe they're thinking about the target they just missed. Maybe they're worried about their score or comparing themselves to the shooter next to them. Maybe they're trying so hard to execute perfectly that they begin overthinking something they've practiced thousands of times.
Sound familiar? This happens in EVERY sport!
Our minds are constantly creating stories, making predictions, sitting in a space of comparison and reacting to what's happening around us. And sometimes those stories aren't very helpful. One missed target can quickly become, "I can't believe I missed that. I can't miss another one. What's wrong with me?"
Now the athlete isn't fully focused on the next target. They're mentally stuck on the last one.
This is why self-awareness is such an important part of the mental game. You cannot change the target you just missed. You cannot control what the shooter next to you does. But you CAN influence your response, your routine, your self-talk, and where you choose to put your attention next.
And I want athletes to understand this: Having a strong mental game doesn't mean you never have negative thoughts, never get frustrated, or never feel pressure. You're human! It means you're learning to recognize what's happening inside of you and making an intentional choice about what comes next.
Reset. Refocus Return to your routine. Trust your preparation. Be where your feet are.
One target at a time.
Mental Performance Is a Choice AND a Practice
Here's something I remind athletes all the time. You don't become mentally strong because someone tells you to be confident. You don't become more focused because someone tells you to concentrate. And you don't learn emotional regulation simply because someone tells you to calm down.
You have to practice these skills!
Just like you practice your shooting mechanics, footwork, timing, and technique, you have to be willing to put in mental repetitions. You practice noticing your thoughts, resetting after mistakes, and directing your attention. You practice visualization and mentally rehearsing how you want to execute. You practice recognizing when your emotions are taking over and choosing a more helpful response. You practice attentional training with recordings and the mental rep is coming back after you have lost focus.
And you do it again. And again. And again.
Not because it guarantees a perfect performance. But because repetition helps build skills you can return to when the pressure increases.
If you've worked with me, you've probably heard me say this a thousand times:
"Your mental game isn't built in the biggest moments. It's built in the small moments, every single day."
Mental performance isn't a switch you flip when competition begins. It's something you build over time, through awareness, repetition, and a willingness to keep practicing, even when you don't immediately see the results.
And one of my favorite things is watching athletes begin to recognize that they have a choice in how they show up. They might not get to choose every circumstance, but they can learn to be more intentional with what happens next.
That is powerful!
FIVE STRAIGHT YEARS ON THE NATIONAL PODIUM!
Now, let's talk about what this program has accomplished, because it deserves some serious recognition!
2021-22: National Runner-Up: Division III Classic All-American
2022-23: NATIONAL CHAMPIONS: Division III Classic All-American
2023-24: National Runner-Up: Division II All-American
2024-25: 3rd Place National Finish: Division II Classic All-American
2025-26: 3rd Place National Finish + TWO Individual National Champions: Gregory Stewart and Kamea Herrera
Five years on the podium, WOWZA, that is incredible!
Different seasons. Different athletes. Different challenges. Yet a consistent standard of excellence. There are so many pieces that contribute to a successful athletic program: excellent coaching, technical preparation, commitment, discipline, and countless hours of practice. And I love that this program also recognizes the value of training the mind. Because consistency isn't just about what you can do physically. It's also about how you prepare, how you respond to adversity, how you manage your emotions, how you trust your training, and how you continue showing up with intention and commitment, even when things don't go as planned.
The Skills Go Far Beyond the Shooting Range
This might be my favorite part of mental performance training.
Of course we want athletes to compete with confidence, stay focused, manage pressure, and trust their preparation. But what I really hope they begin to understand is that these skills don't end when the competition is over.
Think about it. Learning to reset after a missed target can help you reset after a difficult exam. Recognizing negative self-talk can help you navigate a challenging day. Learning to manage emotions under pressure can help you communicate more effectively in relationships. And learning to focus on what you can control can help you handle uncertainty, disappointment, and adversity throughout life.
And learning to become more self-aware? That's one of the greatest skills an athlete can develop. That's something you'll carry with you long after your competitive days are over.
I often think about the athletes I work with and how much life they have ahead of them. Someday their competitive careers will end. They will graduate, start careers, build relationships, and experience all the wonderful and difficult things life brings. My hope is that somewhere along the way, they'll remember these conversations and the tools they've practiced. Maybe they'll recognize a negative story running through their mind. Maybe they'll pause before reacting. Maybe they'll take a breath and remind themselves that they have a choice in how they respond.
That's a win that has nothing to do with a scoreboard.
Not every athlete embraces mental training at the same pace. Some connect with it immediately. Others may recognize its value months or even years later. And that's okay. Sometimes we're planting seeds that take time to grow.
What matters is that they've been introduced to these skills, they've had opportunities to practice them, and they can choose to use them.
Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing
When you've stood on the national podium five consecutive years, expectations naturally grow. There's a standard of excellence that's been established, a history of success, and a desire to keep that tradition going. And while that's something to be incredibly proud of, it can also bring added pressure. Pressure to maintain that success, live up to expectations, and keep winning.
This is why I love something Coach Cory consistently reinforces with his athletes: "Keep the main thing the main thing."
What a great reminder, especially for a program that has experienced so much success! It's easy to become focused on rankings, scores, national finishes, and the pressure to repeat what previous teams have accomplished. But the very things that helped build that success deserve the most attention: preparation, discipline, effort, attitude, commitment, trust, and the ability to stay present.
Of course these athletes want to win. Of course they want to hit every target. Of course they want to compete for national championships. And they should! But you can't become so focused on the outcome that you lose sight of the process that puts you in a position to be successful.
And here's something else I think is important. Every season brings different athletes, different challenges, and different opportunities. The goal isn't to carry the weight of what previous teams accomplished. It's to take ownership of what THIS team can control, show up with intention, and continue building on the culture of excellence that has been established.
Keep the main thing the main thing. Trust the work you've put in. Commit to your process. Let go of the last target and give your full attention to the next opportunity. And never forget, your performance does not define who you are. You are always more than your sport.
A Program Worth Celebrating
I'm incredibly grateful that Coach Cory has continued to prioritize mental performance within his program since 2021. He is truly one of the best of the best, and his commitment to developing the whole athlete is something I deeply admire.
But I also want to recognize the athletes. The ones who are willing to look inward, challenge the stories in their heads, and practice resetting, trusting, focusing, and believing. The ones who understand that becoming a better competitor isn't just about improving their physical skills. It's also about becoming more aware of who they are, how they think, how emotions show up and how they choose to show up.
Five straight years on the national podium is an extraordinary accomplishment, and these athletes and coaches deserve every bit of recognition for what they've achieved! But what I appreciate just as much is the work behind those accomplishments. The preparation, the discipline, the leadership, the commitment, and the willingness to keep learning and growing. Because long after the scores and finishes become memories, the lessons these athletes are learning can stay with them.
To Coach Cory and the Coe College Clay Target Team, I'm proud to be a small part of your journey. Keep trusting the process. Keep the main thing the main thing.
As always, I hope you make today, one of your best yet!
Coach Jodi
Big Heart Mental Performance
