PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

In this episode of the Perform Happy Podcast, I sit down with college gymnast Cecilia Cooley to talk about mental blocks, rebuilding confidence, overcoming fear, and learning not to give up on yourself when gymnastics starts to feel impossible. Cecilia shares her unconventional journey from starting gymnastics later than most to becoming a college gymnast, captain, and scholarship athlete. She opens up about struggling with mental blocks across multiple events, feeling like her body and brain were no longer working together, and reaching a point where practice felt exhausting and she considered quitting.
Cecilia explains how working with a sports psychologist helped her put words to what she was experiencing and gave her practical tools to move forward. She shares the “billboard strategy,” which helped her learn that she could notice fearful thoughts without automatically believing them. We also talk about rebuilding skills from the basics, using keywords and visual cues, learning when to take a step back, and why listening to your brain can actually help you move forward faster.

In this episode you will hear
Why mental blocks do not mean you are broken
How to work with fearful thoughts instead of fighting them
Why taking a step back can help you move forward
How keywords and visual cues can help during skills
Why overcoming a mental block takes patience
How hard experiences can build confidence and perseverance
Why you should not give up before getting the right support
This conversation is a powerful reminder that a mental block does not have to be the end of your gymnastics journey. Sometimes the path forward starts with slowing down, getting help, and rebuilding your trust in yourself 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

In this episode of the Perform Happy Podcast, I sit down with Monica Packer, a habits and identity coach for moms, to talk about perfectionism, identity, and what it means to support your child's dreams without losing yourself in the process.
Many sport moms are doing everything they can to help their children succeed. But sometimes, without realizing it, we begin to tie our worth to our children's achievements. When their dreams become our identity, perfectionism, pressure, and burnout can quietly take over.
Monica shares why perfectionism is really a misplacement of identity and how placing our self-worth on outcomes can affect both parents and young athletes. She explains why progress is more sustainable than perfection and why being a good mom doesn't mean becoming the perfect mom.
We also talk about the messages we send our athletes through what we praise, what we post on social media, and how we respond to mistakes and setbacks. Monica reminds us that our children don't need us to be perfect. They need us to show up as ourselves.
In this episode, you will hear:
• Why perfectionism is a misplacement of identity
• How parents can unintentionally place their worth on their child's outcomes
• Why progress matters more than perfection
• How to support big dreams without losing yourself
• What young athletes learn from the way we talk about success and failure
• Why doing what is right and good for you is also good for your kids
This conversation is a powerful reminder that your worth is not determined by outcomes, yours or your child's. When we let go of perfection and embrace progress, we create space for both ourselves and our athletes to thrive.
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

This episode of the Perform Happy Podcast is a reminder that even the athletes who look the most confident can struggle with anxiety, pressure, and self-doubt. I sit down with University of Utah gymnast Ella Zirbes to talk about finding joy in gymnastics again after anxiety took away the fun of competing on some of the biggest stages of her career. 
Ella shares how the pressure to be perfect left her feeling overwhelmed during her sophomore season and what helped her make a complete mindset shift. Through sports psychology, gratitude, and learning to stop performing for other people's approval, she rediscovered what it means to compete for herself and her team. 
We also talk about comparison, injuries, college recruiting pressure, and why athletes don't need to become someone else to succeed. Ella shares the lessons she learned from setbacks, why your sport should never define your worth, and how doing your own gymnastics is often the best thing you can do under pressure. 
In this episode you will hear:
 How gratitude can help reframe anxiety before competition 
 Why trying to be perfect often creates more pressure 
 How to stop comparing yourself to other athletes 
 Why your self-worth should never depend on your performance 
 What parents and coaches can do to help athletes feel supported 
 Why consistency and trusting your preparation matter most on competition day 
 How finding joy in your sport can improve both performance and confidence 
This conversation is a powerful reminder that anxiety doesn't mean you're not capable. Sometimes, the biggest breakthrough comes when you stop chasing perfection and start appreciating the opportunity to do what you love. 
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

In this episode of the Perform Happy Podcast, I sit down with NCAA gymnast Abigayle Martin to talk about performing scared, overcoming mental blocks, trusting yourself under pressure, and finding what helps you compete with confidence. Abby shares how a mental block at 10 years old shaped the athlete she is today and why learning to work with fear, instead of waiting for it to disappear, changed everything.
Abby opens up about competing at the highest levels of college gymnastics while still feeling nervous before routines. She explains why fear is a normal part of performance, how she developed her own mental routines, and why young athletes should never feel like they have to do things exactly the way everyone else does. We also talk about the importance of communicating with coaches, advocating for yourself, and learning what helps you perform your best.
In this episode you will hear:
Why it's okay to perform scared
How mental blocks can become opportunities for growth
The importance of finding a mental routine that works for you
Why young athletes should learn to advocate for themselves
How communication builds stronger relationships with coaches
Why brushing off a bad meet and moving forward matters
This conversation is a powerful reminder that confidence isn't the absence of fear. It's learning to trust yourself, your preparation, and your ability to keep showing up. Young athletes don't need to feel fearless to succeed. They just need the tools to keep going, one routine 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

In this episode of the Perform Happy Podcast, I sit down with Alyssa Olin, former Division I gymnast and licensed clinical social worker, to have an honest conversation about the difference between tough coaching and trauma in youth sports. We explore how harmful coaching practices can become normalized, the lasting impact they have on an athlete’s mental health, and why every child deserves to have a voice and feel safe in their sport.
Alyssa shares her own experiences growing up in gymnastics and explains how repeated fear, shame, punishment, and emotional invalidation can affect the nervous system long after an athlete leaves the gym. We also discuss the warning signs parents should watch for, why mental blocks often have deeper roots than people realize, and how learning to reconnect with your body and emotions is an important part of healing.
In this episode you will hear
Why "normal" coaching behaviors are not always healthy or safe
How trauma can affect confidence, performance, and identity
Warning signs that an athlete may be struggling
Why emotions and physical symptoms deserve to be taken seriously
How parents can support instead of dismissing difficult feelings
Why self-worth must extend beyond athletic performance
This conversation is a reminder that great coaching builds trust, not fear. When athletes feel safe, heard, and valued beyond their results, they are far more likely to thrive both in sport and in life.

Connect with Alyssa: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/alyssa-olin-oswego-il/1579790
Alyssa's website: https://www.dztherapy.com/alyssa-olin

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