Conversation with Summer Montabone (S6:E04)
In this enlightening episode of The Mental Cast, host Dan Mickle sits down with Summer Montabone, a retired pro athlete and performance mindset coach. They delve into critical discussions on …
The Hidden Struggles of Neurodivergent Athletes
As coaches, we pride ourselves on being able to read our athletes. We see when they’re tired, when they’re frustrated, when they need encouragement, and when they need a good …
Psychological Safety for Neurodivergent Athletes
Psychological safety gets tossed around a lot in coaching circles these days, but let’s be honest—most of the time, it’s treated like an afterthought. Sure, every coach wants their athletes …
Walking A Mile In Their Cleats
I once had a coach who thought motivation meant yelling at us until we “wanted it more.” Spoiler alert: it did not work. What did work? The coach who took …
The Secret Sauce of Motivation
Motivation is a funny thing. Some athletes seem to have an endless supply of it, showing up early, staying late, and grinding even when no one’s watching. Others? Well, let’s …
More Than Words
Coaching is communication. But what happens when words aren’t enough? For many neurodivergent athletes—whether they’re autistic, have ADHD, dyslexia, or other cognitive processing differences—traditional verbal instruction can feel like a …
The Engagement Equation
Finding the right balance between fun & focus in practice isn’t a guessing game—it’s an equation.
Too much fun? Chaos. Too much focus? Boredom. The best coaches adjust in real-time, keeping athletes engaged & improving.
Here’s how to master it.
The Art of Teaching vs. Telling
The Art of Teaching vs. Telling: Why Youth Coaches Must Be Educators As a mental performance coach and member of a national coaching education cadre, I’ve witnessed a curious phenomenon: …
When a Smile Isn’t Defiance
When a Smile Isn’t Defiance: Understanding Neurodivergent Coping Mechanisms in Sport There’s this moment I see happen all the time in youth sports. A coach gives a correction—maybe it’s about …
Rethinking the ‘One-Size-Fits-All’
Rethinking the ‘One-Size-Fits-All’ Practice Plan for Neurodivergent Athletes Coaching neurodivergent athletes is one of the most rewarding—and humbling—experiences a coach can have. It challenges you to expand your toolkit, rethink …