In Episode 133 of High Performance Parenting, Greg Francis sits down with daughter Crissy to talk about one of the most overlooked parts of youth sports:

👉 The mental game.

They discuss:

• Why athletes often lose mentally before physically
• How pressure affects performance in sports like tennis and golf
• Why focusing only on outcomes creates anxiety and self-doubt
• The difference between success and excellence
• How emotional spirals happen after losses
• Why resilience requires processing emotions in healthy ways
• How athletes can learn to recover from setbacks faster

Crissy also shares her personal experience after losing in the finals of a major tournament and what she learned about mindset, pressure, and identity through it.

This episode gives parents and athletes a practical framework for:

✔ Building mental toughness

✔ Developing resilience

✔ Handling setbacks

✔ Staying focused under pressure

Because:

👉 Excellence is controllable.

👉 Outcomes are not always controllable.

(00:00) Mental Toughness in Sports

(01:10) Why Athletes Struggle Under Pressure

(02:58) Success vs Excellence

(04:12) Learning Through Competition

(05:10) Playing Free vs Playing Fearful

(06:08) Defining Real Winning

(07:10) Losing in the Finals Tournament Match

(08:30) Emotional Spirals After Setbacks

(09:00) Questioning Confidence and Ability

(10:15) Processing Failure the Right Way

(12:13) Perspective and Resilience

(14:24) Why Athletes Must Process Emotion

(15:56) Building Mental Toughness Daily