#152 - Dr. Chris Carr on Performance Psychology, Mental Health, and Preparing Athletes for Pressure

Dr. Chris Carr joins The Coaching Minds Podcast for a powerful conversation on performance psychology, mental health, and the evolution of mental training in sport.

Dr. Carr is the Director of Performance Psychology and Team Behavioral Health Clinician for the Green Bay Packers. Over the course of his career, he has worked with athletes and teams across the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, MLS, IndyCar, Olympic sports, and college athletics.

In this episode, Ben and Dr. Carr discuss:

• Why performance psychology and mental health are deeply connected
 • The blurry line between performance coaching and therapy
 • How the stigma around mental health in sports has changed
 • Why mental training needs more science and clearer standards
 • How coaches can help athletes handle pressure, failure, and setbacks
 • Why process goals matter more than outcome obsession
 • What high school coaches should teach first when building the mental game
 • Why the best coaches support the person before the player

Dr. Carr also shares practical insight for coaches who want to help athletes build confidence, composure, concentration, routines, emotional regulation, and the ability to reset after mistakes.

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