Baseball and softball are games that are as much about strategy as they are athleticism. As players rise the ranks, the mental game becomes more and more important.

Those that consistently play with confidence, trust their training, and relentlessly play their game have a significant competitive advantage.

But many players get caught in the fear mindset – afraid to make mistakes. They end up tentative, overthinking key decisions, and doubting their abilities.

We work with baseball players to improve their mental game and consistently show up in an attack mindset. Here are the most common situations we help baseball and softball players with:

Weight of The Team On Their Shoulders:

  • The Problem
    Pitchers have one of the toughest positions in all team sports because they have such a big impact on the results of the game. Many pitchers put too much pressure on themselves as if they can single handily win or lose a game. This mentality leads to a lot of stress and unhealthy pressure. They are way too hard on themselves and have yo-yo confidence based on their results. They end up feeling overwhelmed in high pressure games and struggle to consistently perform at their capabilities.
  • How We Help
    We help pitchers to see their role in a healthy way – to stop putting all the need to, have to, should’s, and expectations on their shoulders. Instead of thinking they can single handily win or lose games, we help them understand that although they have a big impact – they don’t score runs. Even if they let in 5 runs, the team could win 6-5. Or if they post a no-hitter, the team could tie 0-0. This healthy perspective helps them get back to enjoying the game and pitching. As they build up their mental toolbox they stop tying their self-confidence to the results and start staying even keel regardless of what’s going on around them. They become unshakeable and start consistently performing at their capabilities. This is the mental state where the ‘pressure’ no longer gets to them, they shake off the hits or bad pitches, and they make the big time pitches.

Struggling At The Plate:

  • The Problem
    They worrying about making mistakes at the plate. Maybe their coach yells at them or benches them for mistakes. They start focusing on trying to be perfect and not making mistakes, instead of going out there and hitting the ball. Bottom line is they are in a fear mindset and they are holding themselves back. They lack confidence, overthink, and hit tentatively. This can often lead to long hitting droughts.
  • How We Help
    We help them overcome the fear and build an attack mindset. We give them the tools and perspective to overcome the fear, trust their training, and impose their will on the game. Instead of being caught up in trying to be perfect and impress their coach, scouts or teammates, we help them focus on what they can control, see mistakes as learning opportunities, and start hitting with unshakeable self-confidence. Regardless of how long they have been struggling at the plate they now have the tools and the mindset to go out and make the most out of every at bat.

Avoiding Errors

  • The Problem
    Fielders struggle to commit to the ball, or make a big play. This leads to less confidence and more indecision.     Baseball in general is a game of failure but players often try to avoid errors and make ‘safe’ play when fielding. This makes it especially hard to make confident plays when their main priority is to be defensively sound. They see players get in trouble for making errors, so instead of going out there to contribute, have an impact, and thrive, they end up in survival mindset that is focus on avoiding errors. This mindset holds them back from playing at their capabilities and maximizing their impact on the game.
  • How We Help
    We help them understand that playing in attack mode with the ball doesn’t mean they are playing recklessly. They can play smart and simple baseball while still making confident plays. We help them own their capabilities and develop a mentality that wants to thrive, grow, and maximize their impact on the game on defence.

Struggling Get Hits

  • The Problem
    Catchers have a huge impact on the outcome of a game. This often leads them to worry about calling the right plays, blocking wild pitches, and reading the runners on-base correctly. After a few hits and dropped balls, it is easy to overthink, lose confidence, and start hesitating or panicking. This makes it harder to remain focused on the at-bat and leads to a downward spiral in performance.

     

  • How We Help
    We help catchers let go of worrying about the results. They can care but they don’t have to worry. We get them to reconnect to the love of the game so they can relax and just catch. Once they get back into this mental state – they stop trying to force it and let it happen. Then the outs start to come.

At CEP, our purpose is to help you achieve Consistent Elite Performance.

In order to do that, you need to spend more time in the ZONE.

The problem is, like most baseball players, you spend too much time in your own head.

This can be frustrating and discouraging because you have put in all this work to develop your physical abilities, but your mindset is causing you to underperform.

We understand that working on your mindset can be difficult and confusing.

That is why the CEP System has 3 simple steps that have helped 10,000’s of athletes get in the ZONE:

When you join our programs, you will stop spending so much time in your own head and start achieving Consistent Elite Performance.

You wouldn’t build a house without a blueprint – and in the same manner you shouldn’t work on your mental game without first knowing what to work on.

The CEP assessment breaks down your mindset into the 7 Mental Skills that you need to develop in order to build a strong foundation and win the mental game.

This breakdown not only helps us determine which mental skills to prioritize in your program, but also ensures we keep you accountable to making progress.

Now that you can see what you will be working on, let us show you HOW you will work on it.

A good blueprint won’t help without the right tools. For example, you may have tried the cookie-cutter advice perpetuated by baseball/softball culture like ‘be positive, forget about it, or don’t worry about it.’

But when you build your mental game by patching together all these fluffy quick fixes – it’s like building a house out of straw – it is not sustainable & will fall apart in the face of adversity & pressure.

Instead, you need to build your mental game – like you would a brick house – out of practical & personalized strategies that deliver reliable and repeatable results.

We have 3 sets of tools – you might not need to use all the tools, but you do need to build your personalized mental toolbox based on your blueprint and current needs.

All of our athletes consistently implement these 4 Fundamentals to get in the Zone on game day. The Alter Ego is at the core, and the other 3 strategies create a continuous Prepare-Play-Reflect Process that maximizes your ability to show up as your best self.

Mental Preparation is used before games and practices, the Reset Routine is used during, and the Reflection Process is used after. When you consistently implement these cyclical strategies, it results in an upward spiral in your mindset and performance.

There are also 7 Support Tools that help optimize the 4 Fundamentals. Integrating these tools into your Prepare-Play-Reflect Process will help you overcome your biggest mental blocks.

The key to optimizing your performance identity always comes back to consistently implementing and refining the 4 fundamentals.

This set of tools is key to building the right habits before and after games, as well as away from the arena or field. These habits not only include what to do, but what not to do. For example, frequently checking stats is a common habit athletes need to remove or limit.

These 5 Tools help you manage daily stresses, create effective feedback mechanisms, and build an optimal environment to maximize your mental and physical preparedness for game day.

To support these tools, you also have the option to integrate the most current technologies for elite athletes (e.g., Whoop, Muse, HeartMath).

The final set of tools is the pinnacle of working on your mindset. It helps you be the best leader you can be and positively influence others. These 3 Tools work together to optimize the ‘soft’ skills of leadership.

Most athletes will not start their programs working with these tools, but as they master their performance identity and elite habits, they naturally become better leaders and are primed to tap into these tools.

Implementing steps 1 and 2 can get you results quickly, but if you stop doing the work you will gradually stop getting the benefits.

Similar to how a brick house needs be maintained and modified – the mental game requires constant work and refinement. It never ends.

It is a constant process of self-awareness, self-discovery, and growth.

As time passes you will need to evolve & upgrade your alter ego and reset routine.

You should also constantly tweak and tinker with their personalized scorecard, imagery scripts, and core priorities to match your ever changing landscape.

At CEP Mindset, we like to use our 5 Milestones to make the mental game more tangible and help keep you committed to the constant upkeep and upgrades.

Every season you start from square one and have to put in the work to reach each milestone.

Note that the numbers above are generic and are altered depending on the sport. We use 95% plus in the zone to avoid the trap of perfection.

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1-on-1 Coaching Programs for Baseball & Softball Players
We work with Youth, Amateur, and Professional Players

The 1-on-1 coaching sessions are in person, on zoom, or via phone and they are schedule based on your needs and availability. You start with a free 30 minute 1-on-1 intro session, then your coach will recommend which option will be the best fit for you. The first session in your program is generally 1 hour and the remaining sessions are 30 minutes. Here are the options for amateur baseball players:

Try It Out – Risk Free

Start with a free 30 min intro session. Once you choose a program, then we promise that within the first 30-Days you will be satisfied with your program and see results or we will give you a 100% refund. You choose a program that you plan to complete – you are not locked in and can stop at anytime.

Get Started with a Free 1-on-1 Intro Session

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FAQ

The results-based commitment means that we will work relentlessly to ensure the athlete is performing at their full capabilities. We do this by maintaining a pulse of the athlete’s mindset through weekly check-ins and going beyond the allotted hours if needed. We take this proactive approach instead of relying on them to message us.

Because of this level of commitment from us, we ONLY select athletes that are highly committed to achieving Consistent Elite Performance into these programs, and once in, athletes are required to meet certain expectations to stay in the program.

Acceleration Days (approximately a 2 hr session) are meant to expedite your journey up the Mindset Mountain. When and how these sessions are used are unique to each athlete and their needs, but generally, they are used for either:

a) Reviewing a recent game performance, where your coach has either watched video prior to the Acceleration Day or has watched you perform live (if possible). In the session, your coach will give you their analysis of your game, particularly in regards to your mindset and body language. This will facilitate important dialogue that will help you achieve optimal performance through better alignment of your mindset and actions.

b) Tackling a meaningful opportunity for growth, such as: develop the fundamentals quickly, help you break through a major mental block, or take a high-level assessment of your overall situation, then narrow down on the greatest opportunities for growth and create a highly detailed plan for development going forward.

The rule of thumb is that our programs are NOT covered under most benefits because Dr. Cassidy Preston & the CEP team of coaches are not clinical therapists and are not licensed to diagnose or treat mental illness. They are coaches and consultants who help athletes strengthen their mindset, get in the ZONE, and achieve Consistent Elite Performance. You can read more about the similarities and differences between a sport psychologist and mental performance coach by clicking here.