Todd Arkell sits down with Brad Dalton—mental performance coach, educator, and bestselling author of DNA of a Winner: 8 Steps to Building the Soul Print of a Winner. In a youth sports culture increasingly obsessed with stats, rankings, and immediate outcomes, Brad makes a compelling case for shifting the focus away from what you achieve and back toward who you are becoming. Whether you are a young athlete trying to filter out the noise, a coach building team culture, or a parent supporting from

Every parent of a competitive teenager knows this story: Your kid looks completely unstoppable in practice. They have the skill, the talent, and the drive to be the best in the room. But the moment the spotlight hits—the big tournament, the college scout in the stands, the high-stakes play—something flips. The mistakes start piling up, and a talented athlete gets completely trapped inside their own head. In this episode of The Mental Approach, host Todd Arkell sits down with Andrew Pardy, found

Ever watch your kid completely fade out or lose focus in the fourth quarter, or during a grueling weekend tournament? Before you assume they lack mental toughness, ask yourself a different question: What did they eat today? In this episode of The Mental Approach, host Todd Arkell sits down with Jeremy Fouts—soil scientist, founder of Corviv sports nutrition, and dad to elite competitive athletes—to expose a quiet epidemic in youth sports: Our kids aren't soft. They are severely underfueled. We s

Walter Beede and I unpack the realities of the modern baseball recruiting landscape. Drawing on his experience as a former college coach and father of two recruited players, Walter explains why today’s parents are often stuck in an outdated mindset, chasing early exposure, showcases, and rankings instead of focusing on long-term development and honest evaluation. We talk about how the true recruiting window has shifted later, why time is the most wasted resource, and how strength, speed, nutrit

This week we turn the tables on host Todd Arkell as he no longer gets to ask the questions. Instead Matt Cundill host of You May Also Like interviews Todd. They discuss the evolution of youth sports, emphasizing the shift from informal play to highly organized, expensive travel teams. Matt digs into why Todd launched his "Mental Approach to Youth Sports" podcast to address the mental health challenges faced by young athletes. Discussion highlights the financial pressures on parents and the profe

Think your athlete is ready for the next level? Most NCAA coaches say they aren’t even close. In this powerhouse series finale of The Mental Approach, we’re stripping away the highlight reels and the "guru" fluff to deliver the ultimate reality check. We’ve synthesized the best moments from nine deep-dive interviews with NCAA coaches and recruiting experts to reveal what it actually takes to survive—and thrive—in college athletics. This isn't just another recruiting talk. It’s a masterclass in