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

It can be really confusing to watch your child struggle in their sport when you are trying so hard to help. You care. You see how much it matters to them. So you encourage them, ask questions, and try to give advice that you think will help.

But sometimes, that help does not land the way you expect.

I talk to a lot of parents who feel stuck. They are doing everything they can to support their athlete, but their child seems more stressed, more frustrated, or less motivated. What feels like support to a parent can start to feel like pressure to the athlete.

In this episode, I explain why this happens. As kids get older, especially in their teen years, they start to separate from their parents. Even kind and calm comments can feel heavier than they used to. Athletes may start to worry about disappointing their parents, even when no one is saying anything negative.

When parents try harder to help, athletes often feel more pressure instead of less. That pressure can make it harder to enjoy the sport and harder to perform well. This does not mean parents are doing anything wrong. It just means the relationship changes as kids grow.

Athletes still need support, but not all of it can come from their parents. What parents can give is safety, calm, and love that does not change based on how a meet or game goes.

In this episode, you will hear
• Why helping more can sometimes make things worse
• How growing up changes what support feels like
• Why pressure can lower confidence
• What parents can do instead

In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk about why help can start to feel like pressure and how parents can support their athletes in a healthier way.

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