Let's Go Mental!

Podcast by Barbara Cortella

Let's Go Mental!

A podcast for young athletes and their parents to unlock the power of the mind: You have the talent—now let’s build the mental edge. Discover key pillars and get simple, actionable tools to kickstart your journey. Tune in for short weekly episodes, each month focused on one topic, perfect for the car ride to your game. Grab quick tips, worksheets, and join our community as we grow and level up together. Let’s Go Mental! I am Barbara, Family and Mental Coach. I am Italian and you will love my accent!

Latest episodes

28 May 2026

Compound: What you Repeat, You Become.

Celebrating my 50TH EPISODE with you! Thanks for

We often look for the big moment: the win, the goal, the perfect game, the selection, the breakthrough.

But what builds an athlete is not the big moment, it is what happens before it: the small repetitions, the invisible work, the habits, the recovery, the self-talk, the response after mistakes, and the way we keep showing up when the result is not visible yet.

In this we celebrate the power of the compound effect in sport, parenting, and life. Compound means that what we repeat grows, and this is valid both ways: confidence can grow, but doubt can grow too. Discipline can grow, but excuses can grow too. Trust can grow, but pressure can grow too.

This episode explores three simple but powerful questions for athletes, parents, and coaches:

1) What am I repeating every day?

2) Is what I repeat building me or limiting me?

3) Who am I becoming because of it?

Because mental training is not only about performing better in the big game. It is about building the person behind the performer, one choice, one habit, one reset, and one conversation at a time, till they become habits.

In this episode, we talk about:

How small repetitions shape confidence, trust, and identity.
Why confidence is built before the pressure moment, not during it.
How athletes may compound doubt, excuses, frustration, or pressure without realizing it.
Why parents also compound the emotional environment around sport through repeated questions, reactions, and car-ride conversations.
How sport becomes a laboratory for life when we focus not only on results, but on who the athlete is becoming.

What you repeat, you become.

Want to know more and build your new identity?

Email at b_cortella@yahoo.it

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14 May 2026

Beliefs. From Fixed Ideas to Trainable Tools.

Most people don’t realize they’re not thinking thoughts—they’re running beliefs.

And those beliefs quietly shape everything:

your performance, your confidence, your reactions, your identity, your limits.

In this episode of Let’s Go Mental, Barbara breaks down how beliefs are formed, why they feel like truth, and how they can silently cap your potential in sport, school, and life.

You’ll hear why phrases like:

“I’m not good enough”
“I always mess up under pressure”
“I’m not that kind of player”

…aren’t truths at all—they’re learned mental patterns.

And more importantly, you’ll learn how to start changing them.

Key ideas:

Beliefs are not born—they’re built
Your environment installs your mental “defaults”
Repetition turns thoughts into identity
Limiting beliefs close doors before effort even begins
Empowering beliefs expand performance under pressure
Awareness is the first step to change
“Everything is trainable—including beliefs”

Takeaway:

You don’t need to “just believe in yourself.”

You need to notice what you already believe—and decide if it deserves to stay.

Reflection question:

What belief have you been treating as truth… that might just be repetition?

Contact me for more info: b_cortella@yahoo.it

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24 April 2026

Breathwork. Your Built-In Reset Button.

This is a special episode and a collaboration with my daughter, Aurora.

In the ?take your kids to work day' we built this episode together...maybe the beginning of a collaboration????

Breath is something we do automatically… but very few people actually know how to use it, or use it.

In this episode, we explore Breathwork as a performance tool, not just a relaxation technique. Because breath is the fastest way to influence your state (mentally and physically) in real time.

When pressure rises, your breathing changes. And if you don’t control it, it starts controlling you.

This episode will help you understand:

Why breath is the bridge between body and mind
How your nervous system reacts under stress
Why breathwork is a pillar of performance (not just wellness)
When to use breath to calm down, focus, recover, or re-energize
Two simple breathing techniques you can start using immediately

Breath is always available. The question is—are you using it with intention?

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16 April 2026

Body Language is Performance Language.

When your child walks off the field after a tough game, you can often tell everything before they say a word.

Shoulders drop. Head lowers. Movement changes.

That’s not just emotion—it’s communication.

In this episode of Let’s Go Mental, I break down one of the most overlooked performance tools in sport and life: body language.

Because body language doesn’t just express how we feel…

it actively shapes how we feel.

We explore:

Why athletes “collapse” after mistakes—and what it really does internally
The difference between expansive vs. contractive posture under pressure
How body language influences teammates and opponents in seconds
Why your “reset” might be more important than your skill execution
How parents can recognize emotional patterns in their athletes (and themselves)

Most athletes train skills. Some train mindset.

Very few train state control—but that’s where performance is actually decided.

The good news?

Body language is a habit. And habits can be trained.

You’ll leave this episode with a simple but powerful tool:

👉 Lift your head

👉 Open your posture

👉 Take one breath

👉 Move into the next action

Not because you don’t care—but because you’re choosing control over collapse.

For athletes, parents, and anyone who wants to perform with more presence, this episode connects sport psychology to something you already do every second of the day: how you carry yourself.

If you want more follow me and write to me: b_cortella@yahoo.it

Let’s Go Mental, together!

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26 March 2026

The 7A Skills: Building Your Mental Toolkit

Over the last episodes, we explored several mindset concepts that intentionally start with the letter A: Awareness, Alignment, Attitude, Anticipation, Act, Accountability, and Adjust.

Individually, these skills are powerful. Together, they form a practical mental toolkit that athletes and peak performers can use to navigate challenges, pressure, and growth.

In this episode, I break down how combining these tools makes them even more effective, and how you can apply them consistently in sport and everyday life.

Ask yourself: Which of these tools do I need the most right now?

Contact me at: b_cortella@yahoo.it

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19 March 2026

Adjust. Flexibility for Lasting Growth.

Sometimes, the key to progress isn’t pushing harder—it’s adjusting smarter.

In this episode we explore how small, intentional adjustments—both reactive and proactive—can transform your performance in sport and life.

Learn how to:

Recognize when your system needs tweaking.
Make proactive adjustments before small issues become big setbacks.
Train your mind to adapt quickly under pressure.
Use reflection to unlock the next level of growth.

Whether you’re an athlete, parent, or lifelong learner, mastering the art of adjustment is your secret weapon for consistent growth and confidence.

Tune in and start making the small corrections that lead to big wins.

Contact me: b_cortella@yahoo.it

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