ANDREW J SIMPSON

Most athletes do not think about the effect social media has on their ability to lock in and focus in their sport (and in school).

Social media and it's short form content nature is designed to keep you and I distracted, bouncing from one thing to another. You may spend hours on it at a time, but in reality, you are task jumping the entire time.

Have you ever watched how quickly people scroll from one Instagram post to the next? Or how fast they jump from one Snapchat message to the next? Or from TikTok video to the next?

Think about it, your social media habits are training your brain not to focus for long periods of time. 

In sports and in school, you need to be able to focus in order to dominate.

Just imagine how good you could be at your sport if you were able to lock in and focus like a champion?

I'm not going to tell you to stop social media forever, because I wouldn't do that either. But here are 7...

Can you still have a positive experience and come out on top in your sport if you have an unkind, command and control, never give praise or encouragement kind of coach?

You can if you learn to take back control of 3 things.

Athlete, you do not have to suffer mentally or emotionally just because you have a coach who does not treat you the way you deserve to be treated.

3 Ways to Take Back Control of Your Experience in Sports 

1. Control what you FOCUS on.

I know, your coach never recognizes your progress. Never tells you good job. Always points out where you fall short. And never really gives you guidance and attention to help you improve.

But what DO you have?

• Teammates that you love being around!
  
• A sport you love playing!
• You have skills you have developed!
• You have goals to work towards! 
  
  

What you focus on ends up being your experience, regardless of what your coach says, does, doesn't say, or doesn't do.

2. Control what...

Recently I sat down and had a conversation with John O'Sullivan, founder of The Way of Champions Podcast and Conference. John has a movement that is all about Changing the Game for youth athletes- "giving the game back to them" as he likes to say. 

On this episode we share practical tips for parents and coaches to be better about letting go of control, giving ownership of the sport back to their athlete, how to motivate in inspire athletes to be the best they can be, some "do's and don'ts" and common mistakes we see parents and coaches making today, and more.

We also discuss how we make the magic that happen at our training gyms for teen and college athletes, Player's Fitness and Performance. We discuss what the MORE really means in our recently trademarked tagline, More Than Just a Gym.

Enjoy!

Serving you,

Coach Andrew J Simpson

www.playersfitnessandperformance.com 

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Coach,

Each and everyday I want to encourage you to pick one player minimum, look them in the eyes, and from your heart say to them, "I care about you. You're going to do great things in your lifetime."

This communicates two things to them:

1. "You have value."

2. "You have a purpose beyond athletics. The best is yet to come for you."

So many of the athletes you coach do not yet believe these truths about themselves. 

If you do this every single day, you will hit your entire team multiple times in a single season.

Words change lives.

And a coach's words are among the most life-changing for a young man or woman. This is the Love-Powered Coaching that I talk about in The Youth Truth book.

As a society, I do not think it is right that we blame coaches for the majority of athlete mental health issues (although there are plenty of cases where this is warranted). Blaming does not encourage or...

 
Recently I was a guest on the Lead Em Up Podcast to talk all things athlete confidence, mindset, and peak performance habits. Coaches, parents, athletes, this one is a MUST LISTEN TO.

A key part of the conversation was when we got into talking about how "Balancing High Effort and Patient Endurance" is the KEY to reaching full potential.

Listen to this conversation between Adam, Kyle, and myself. 

Dedicated to your athlete's success in sports and life,

Coach Andrew J Simpson

IT'S HERE! You can now grab my new book, The Unstoppable Athlete: 12 Keys to Unlock Your Full Potential. Mindset, Confidence, and Peak Performance Habits for Teen and College Athletes Who Play Sports. 

Get The Book TODAY Plus 5 Key Bonuses Guaranteed to Give Your Athlete the Edge

https://leademup.com/podcasts/andrew-simpson/ 

www.pfpfit.com 

From Pressure To Power Strategies For Youth Athletes With Andrew Simpson

In a world where youth sports are increasingly competitive and high-pressure, the role of parents in coaching young athletes has become more critical than ever.

In today’s episode, our host, James McLamb, is joined by sports coach Andrew J. Simpson, the visionary founder of PFP (Player's Fitness and Performance). They discuss how to help young athletes grow in all areas, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally.

They talked about the immense pressures young sports lovers face and shared tips on being a successful athlete while staying healthy. The conversation looked at the tough side of youth sports, a fast-growing area where the demands can sometimes take away the fun and lessons sports should bring.

Andrew underlined the invaluable role of parents in this journey, how their support, guidance, and teaching of good values can shape their child's sports experience without pushing...

“I am just not confident. My coach says I just need to be confident, but I don't know how. I know I can be better than I’m currently showing. I hate feeling like this, Coach Andrew.”

That’s a conversation I recently had with a young female lacrosse player. The truth is, it's a conversation I have almost everyday! Luckily, there are 3 quick and easy things an athlete can do to get confident.

It is upsetting when I watch this common, fixable problem break the hearts of mom and dad. It's upsetting watching your son or daughter doubt him or herself, lack self-belief, lower their standards, and hold back.

How many others are there?

How many kids out there have the desire to be successful yet are left feeling hopeless, unworthy, and anything but successful?

3 Keys to Confidence

1. Know, Focus On, and Double Down On Your Strengths. 

When you focus on where you are...

Something very special happened recently- I got to be on a podcast with an amazing athlete whom I have had the extreme pleasure to coach since 2016.

Rachel Roupe is an elite, D1 college athlete, but she is much, much more than that. She is an incredible person and leader. Her mindset and her habits are what every parent wants for their children and what every coach wants on their team.

Parents and coaches -- I recommend listening to the interview below, facilitated by Dave Vassilaros, Host of the KidFirst Sports Show. In fact, send it to your athletes or listen to it in a car ride with them, parents.

During the interview we share countless gold nuggets such as how Rachel overcomes perfectionism and fear of failure, how she has become the dominant leader and athlete that she now is, while maintaining mental health and a healthy perspective along the way, and much more.

Enjoy and leave a comment below!

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Every year I share my top lessons learned from my life. Since I am now 34, here are the top 34!

34 lessons in 34 years:

1. Proximity is power. What we get closer to, changes us. Which leads to #2…

2. Real laws won’t change. The law of the inner circle reigns true. You are the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with.

3. FIRE, ready, aim. PFP, my books, and my marriage likely wouldn’t exist if I did not learn and apply this lesson. Don’t overthink everything. Take risks.

4. Choose courage, fear not. Most decisions we stress about making are reversible and rarely catastrophic. See lesson above.

5. At some point, addition becomes subtraction. Adding “more” – more stuff, more roles, more responsibility, more activities, actually takes away from the things in life that matter most....

This past weekend I was in DelRay Beach with 55 passionate fitness professionals who are leaders in our industry. 

This message today is not directly related to youth athletes, but I believe strongly that when the leader (parent, coach, etc) gets better, everyone gets better. That includes our kids. Enjoy 

Here are my top 3 takeaways from the weekend- I hope they inspire you, remind you of something you may need to be reminded of, and challenge you to be a better version of yourself.

#1 Know What You Stand For

A definition of a lighthouse is to stand for something.

We need more light in the world. Therefore, we need more people who stand for something. 

What do I stand for?

• Love: love-powered leadership, love-powered coaching
• Constant Growth- getting out of my comfort zone, embracing change
• Generosity and service- giving 60, taking 40
• Dreaming big, not insulting God with small...