Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage)

🧠 Mental toughness coach for HS, college & club programs. I give coaches the tools to develop athletes to show up when it matters. 🎙👇

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

🏐 "Our goal is to create an environment where players are motivated by love ❤️ for the game and each other, not by fear." - Kirsten Bernthal Booth 

Full interview:  https://t.co/aeAymmOPUx

#volleyball #womensvolleyball #USAVolleyball #CreightonVolleyball #CreightonUniversity

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Every coach says the mental side is 90 percent of the game.
Then we spend about nine seconds on it. A "lock in" before the game, and that's the whole mental training plan.

Not because we don't care. Because who has the time to build it, and nobody ever handed us the how.

That's the entire reason I built this. 30 minutes or less, one day a week. Call it Mental Toughness Monday. You open a module, press play, and I take your athletes through one concept they can use that week: confidence, focus, handling the moment.

Real question: how much of your practice week actually goes to the mental side? Drop a number 👇

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

The mental training pro athletes get isn't magic. It's just work most teams never do.

I played D1 at Creighton and pro ball in Europe's Bundesliga, and over 14 years with Pro Athlete Advantage I've worked with athletes at Arizona, Colorado, the Cubs, and the Braves, among a lot of others.

Here's what I learned: it's the same work, whether you're a pro or a 15-year-old. No certification. No ego. No guru act. Just a coach handing another coach what actually works.

That's why I built it the way I did. Not to sell coaches a credential, but so any coach can just open it and run it: 30 minutes, one day a week, press play.

If you've been meaning to train the mental side but never had the time or the playbook, the free interview series is in my bio. Start there.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Coaches, this is going to make you mad. 👀
A coach I know just canceled her whole team's mental toughness training because two players didn't like it. Two. The other ten wanted it. Didn't matter.

Here's the part that gets me: she'd crushed the exact same program with a different team a season earlier. So it wasn't the program. It was a coach not willing to hold the line.
Your athletes will follow whatever standard you're actually willing to hold. Not the one you announce. The one you hold when it gets uncomfortable.

The program is the easy part. Being the coach who won't fold is the entire game. Set the standard, hold the standard.

Coaches, be honest: what would you have done with those two players? 👇

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

When mental toughness gets a face and a story💪🇺🇸

A few weeks back, we brought Staff Sergeant Brandon James of the US Army into one of our mental toughness clinics at Highlands Ranch High School in Colorado — and the room felt different the second he started talking.

20 minutes. Real deployment stories. Real definitions of what mental toughness actually means when it's tested.

Our athletes didn't just listen — they asked questions, leaned in, and walked away with a new way to think about pressure, adversity, and what it means to push through.

This is the kind of moment that makes the program real.

Thank you SSG Brandon James and the
for showing up for these athletes 🙏

#MentalToughness #StudentAthletes #HighlandsRanch #Volleyball #USArmy #Resilience #BeAllYouCanBe @USArmy @USArmyReserve @hrhs_volleyball

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

🔥 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

This week, Cale Newlin, Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Marion, IL made it happen — stepping up to sponsor our Mental Toughness Program at Frankfort Community High School in West Frankfort, IL.

Here's what most people don't think about:

We spend countless hours teaching young athletes the physical skills of their sport:

🏆 How to shoot
🏆 How to hit
🏆 How to throw
🏆 How to lift

But when the pressure is on — when they fail, when they struggle, when they face adversity — who's teaching them:

👉 How to bounce back from a tough loss
👉 How to perform under pressure
👉 How to handle criticism and keep going
👉 How to build real, lasting confidence
👉 How to stay locked in when everything feels like it's falling apart

That gap is exactly what our program exists to close.

And it takes people like Cale to make it possible.

He isn't writing a check for new jerseys.

He isn't buying new equipment.

He's choosing to invest in something that will outlast any trophy or highlight reel — the mental foundation of young athletes.

As a Financial Advisor, Cale understands better than most that the most valuable investments aren't always the ones you can see. The returns on building mental toughness in young people pay dividends for a lifetime.

Because the skills these students build today won't just show up on the field:

✔️ They'll show up in college classrooms
✔️ They'll show up in job interviews
✔️ They'll show up in leadership roles
✔️ They'll show up every time life gets hard and demands something more

Cale, thank you for seeing the bigger picture and for bringing these life-changing tools to the student-athletes of Frankfort Community High School.

One school at a time. One athlete at a time. One life at a time.

Life is short. Go make an impact.

#MentalToughness #StudentAthletes #Leadership #YouthSports #Confidence #Resilience #AthleteDevelopment #CommunityImpact #financialadvisor

P.S., If you are interested in sponsoring a high school or club and rolling out our mental toughness program there, email us at [email protected] and we'll share the info!

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Stop operating from a place of “what could go wrong” but instead start operating from a place of “what could go right?” That’s what drives action and results.

As athletes, we sometimes wonder if all the extra reps are worth it. Or we wonder if we screw something up if playing time will be taken away. We can operate from a place of worst case scenario.

But what if you switched it…from lack to abundance…from “what could to wrong” to “what could go right”? What could you achieve? What fun could you have? Where could you go?
#proathleteadvantage #athletemindset #mentaltoughness

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

🚨 𝗔𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

This week, Matthew Briggs with Edward Jones stepped up to sponsor our Mental Toughness Program at Geneva High School in the City of Geneva, Illinois.

And that's a bigger deal than most people realize.

Every year, thousands of athletes are taught:

🏆 How to shoot

🏆 How to hit

🏆 How to throw

🏆 How to lift

But very few are taught:

👉 How to respond after failure

👉 How to manage pressure

👉 How to handle criticism

👉 How to build lasting confidence

👉 How to stay focused when things aren't going their way

The truth is that the mental side of performance impacts every athlete, yet it's often the least trained skill.

That's why partners like Matthew matter.

He's not sponsoring uniforms.

He's not sponsoring equipment.

He's investing in the mindset and future of young athletes.

The lessons these athletes learn today will show up years from now:

✔️ In college classrooms

✔️ In job interviews

✔️ In leadership roles

✔️ In how they respond when life gets hard

Matthew, thank you for believing in the next generation and helping bring these life-changing skills to student-athletes in Geneva.

One school at a time. One athlete at a time. One life at a time.

Life is short.

Go make an impact.

#MentalToughness #StudentAthletes #Leadership #YouthSports #Confidence #Resilience #AthleteDevelopment #CommunityImpact

@EdwardJones @GHS_Geneva

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

@GregBerge #7 really sticks out to me, especially in today's day and age...it's the daily things that build culture!

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆?

Not just practice. Everything.

From the moment you wake up to the moment you go to sleep.

What would we see?

Would we see an athlete who's locked in? Doing the extra work? Taking care of their body?

Or would we see:

• 4 hours of screen time before noon
• Skipped reps when no one was watching
• Late nights scrolling instead of recovering
• The "I'll do it tomorrow" that never comes

I'm not asking this to call you out. I'm asking because this is how the best separate themselves.

The pros don't just watch game film. They evaluate EVERYTHING.

→ What's working? Keep doing it.
→ What's not? Adjust.
→ Where am I wasting time? Fix it.

No excuses. No drama. Just honest evaluation.

Your competition is out there right now. Some of them are grinding. Some of them are scrolling.

Which one are you?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁.
𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Check your screen time. Be honest with yourself.

Then decide: keep doing what's working, adjust what's not.

Be your own coach. Watch your own film.

Life is short...go get it!!!!
______________________________

𝗜𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻�� 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗲? 👇

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Tom Brady said Belichick made the Patriots feel like "just another game" before the Super Bowl.

Most coaches do the opposite. They amp everything up. Make it bigger. Add more pressure.

The best mental toughness tool a coach has isn't a speech. It's making the big moment feel small enough to execute in.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Caitlin Clark said being a great teammate isn't about how many points you score.

Most coaches get this backwards too.

They measure leadership by stats and vocal presence. But the toughest teammates I've worked with are the ones who hold the standard when nobody's watching.

Mental toughness isn't individual. It's contagious. One kid who stays locked in during a bad stretch gives permission for the whole team to reset.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

A coach called me last month and said "my team is talented but they choke in big moments."

I asked him one question: "What do you do differently in practice when the pressure is on?"

Nothing. He does nothing differently.

Then he's confused when his athletes can't handle what they've never practiced.

You don't get clutch performers by hoping. You get them by simulating pressure so often it stops being pressure.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Kara Lawson told her team: "Don't give me the power to affect your self-esteem."

Most coaches miss this. They think pushing harder builds toughness. But the athlete who ties their confidence to their coach's reaction is the one who disappears in big moments.

The toughest athletes I've worked with learned to separate performance feedback from personal worth. That's not soft. That's the skill that lets them compete when it counts.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

A parent asked me why her daughter "freezes" in big moments.

I asked what happens when she makes a mistake at practice.

"Her coach pulls her out immediately."

That's not a freezing problem. That's a kid who learned that mistakes get punished. So she stops taking risks. Stops being aggressive. Plays small to stay safe.

The freeze isn't the problem. The environment that created it is.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

The best coaches I've worked with all have one thing in common.

They ask more questions than they give answers.

Because the athlete who discovers the fix themselves owns it forever. The one who gets told what to do forgets it by the next rep.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Most coaches think the Manoah story is about talent.

700 days between being a Cy Young finalist and getting back to the mound. Surgery. Rehab. Silence.

The comeback isn't the headline. The 700 days nobody saw is the headline.

That's what I try to get coaches to understand. The kid who's struggling right now isn't broken. They're in their 700 days.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

Every coach says they want mentally tough athletes.

But watch what happens when a kid makes a mistake in practice. Yelling. Benching. Silent treatment.

You can't demand toughness from athletes you're teaching to be afraid.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

The coach said "he just doesn't want it enough."

I watched the kid at practice. He wanted it. You could see it in every rep.

What he didn't have was someone who taught him what to do when the wanting turns into overthinking.

That's not a motivation problem. That's a skill gap. And it's on us to close it.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

The coach said "he just doesn't want it enough."

I watched the kid at practice. He wanted it. You could see it in every rep.

What he didn't have was someone who taught him what to do when the wanting turns into overthinking.

That's not a motivation problem. That's a skill gap. And it's on us to close it.

[Matt Phillips (Pro Athlete Advantage) @proathleteadv]

@JamesPurchin Love "sacrifice"...team before self! That is what makes great teams great.