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#137 Justin Su'a: Peak Mental Performance

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May 17, 2022

Guest

Justin Su'a

Justin Su'a, the Head of Mental Performance for the Tampa Bay Rays, shares insights from over a decade of working with elite athletes. He discusses the crucial relationship between mental resilience and physical performance, emphasizing the importance of consistency over intensity. Su'a highlights the fragility of confidence and the need for self-reflection in both victories and defeats. He also shares lessons from his missionary journey and parenting, emphasizing that mastery leads to true freedom and fulfillment in life.

01:28:31

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insights

INSIGHT

Talk to Yourself

We often listen to our negative thoughts without challenging them, accepting them as truths.
Learn to debate your thoughts, applying the same scrutiny you would to any external argument.

insights

INSIGHT

Thought-Performance Loop

Our thoughts influence emotions, impacting physiology and behavior in a continuous loop.
External perspectives and self-awareness can interrupt this cycle and improve decision-making.

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ADVICE

Building Trust

Focus on asking questions instead of giving advice, helping individuals uncover their own solutions.
Build trust by being present, collaborating with other departments, and integrating mental performance seamlessly.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Understanding Mental Performance Coaching

04:38 • 2min

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Navigating Internal Dialogue

06:59 • 31min

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Consistency and Confidence in Achievement

38:16 • 25min

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Lessons from a Missionary Journey and Parenting

01:03:03 • 8min

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Losing vs. Being Beaten: Lessons in Competition

01:11:20 • 14min

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The Path to Freedom Through Mastery

01:25:12 • 3min

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Justin Su'a calls on more than a decade of working with the world’s top athletes to discuss how to improve your mental performance. Su’a explores the strategies you need to be your best mentally with lessons that resonate well beyond the world of sports — including how to connect and build trust, the relationship between consistency and intensity, the fragility of confidence, the difference between success and talent, how to raise the bar of your own performance, and so much more.

Su'a has spent the past three years as the Head of Mental Performance for the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball, where he works with players to optimize their mental performance and perform under enormous pressure. He has also worked for the Boston Red Sox as well as the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, and as the Head of Mental Conditioning Department for the IMG Academy, which develops star athletes of the future. He’s also written two books on the subject of developing mental toughness in adolescents.

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