1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 &amp;nbsp; Welcome to the Inspired Athlete podcast! In Episode 17, &quot;The Most Important Words,&quot; host Mike Brilla breaks down what happens in a young athlete's head right after a high-stakes failure—and why our go-to parental instincts might actually be falling on deaf ears . When an athlete makes a game-ending error or falls short in a major tournament, standard platitudes like &quot;you did your best&quot; get blocked by the brain's critical gatekeeper . Instead of relying on soft phrases or toxic positivity, this episode explores how parents and coaches can guide athletes toward a grounded, neutral mindset . Drawing from sports psychology, mindfulness traditions, and practical visualization techniques , Mike shares actionable strategies to help athletes release negative self-talk, stop the cycle of suffering, and build true mental toughness when pressure strikes . The Inspired Athlete http://theinspiredteacherpodcast.libsyn.com/website <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42189375/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/42189375