Skill-Based to Integrated Programs and Risks

Thinking about becoming a mental skills coach or wondering what it’s like to work with one? This episode is your backstage pass.

Elite Mental Skills Coaches Aaron Walsh and Andrew May aren’t just talking theory. They’re unpacking the exact frameworks they use with world-class teams and athletes - showing how to flip pressure into performance gold.

No fluff. No clichés. Just raw insights and practical tools you can use straight away.

In this episode, Andrew and Aaron discuss:

2:00 Aaron’s relationship with Owen Eastwood, why New Zealand produces many mental skills coaches, and why mental skills training doesn’t have to be feast or famine.
7:00 What performing under pressure means and Aaron’s mental skills coaching framework.
11:10 Tailoring to each individual: teaching a basketballer to shoot differently vs. changing mental models, which can take up to 3 years to see real change.
15:50 The five types of mental skills programs and how each can provide some benefit.
27:10 “Blank canvas” programs: hierarchy of needs in sports, and why mental skills isn’t always the priority.
33:20 Challenges when coaches resist mental skills programs; mental skills aren’t just for underperforming teams, illustrated with deficit program examples.
38:05 Light-touch programs: pacing, avoiding burnout, and treating mental skills like gradual weight loss.
43:00 Skill-based programs: examples, transitioning to embedded programs, and the importance of environment and culture.
54:25 Talking to coaches about expectations, aligning with them, and navigating resistance.
56:35 The difficulty of head coaching and the distinction between alignment and safety.
1:01:50 Embedded programs: moving from reactive to strategic, involving all coaching staff, and maximizing 1:1 player interaction with assistants.
1:13:15 Summary: embedded program insights, Andrew and Aaron’s program capacity, and why teams struggle without mental skills training.

Take a look at the mental skills program model: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/5-Types-of-Mental-Skills-Programs-7_Page_1.png
See Andrew's model of a mental skills coach here: https://performanceintelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Embedding-Mental-Skills.pdf
You can find Aaron at his LinkedIn: https://rb.gy/xoz5e

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