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Mental Pickleball Radio

Mental Pickleball Radio

By: Kevin Harrison
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About this listen

 Mental Pickleball Radio is your weekly dose of mindset coaching for the court. Hosted by Coach Kevin, a licensed therapist and mental performance coach, each episode helps you train the most important part of your game — your mind.

Through stories, strategies, and sharp challenges, you’ll learn how to reset after mistakes, find your flow, lead with calm confidence, and stay mentally tough no matter what the scoreboard says.

New 5–10 minute episodes drop every Monday and Friday morning — just in time for your warm-up, commute, or coffee. Because your fiercest game starts with a quiet mind.

Quiet Mind, Fierce Game.MentalPickleball.com
Episodes
  • Your Recovery Routine After a Mental Collapse

    Your Recovery Routine After a Mental Collapse
    Aug 31 2025
    We’ve all had one. That match where nothing worked.
    Where frustration piled up.
    Where your attitude tanked and your energy spiraled.
    Where you walked off the court thinking:
    "I just mentally collapsed out there." It’s humbling. And it’s real. But here’s the key: a mental collapse doesn’t define you — how you respond to it does. At Mental Pickleball, I coach players to build a recovery routine — not just for sore muscles, but for sore mindsets. Because bouncing back starts after the collapse. Here’s what that process looks like: 1. Own It Without Overattaching Say it honestly: “I didn’t handle that well.”
    But avoid the spiral: “I’m a mental mess… I’ll never be good at this.”
    You’re not your last match — you’re your next choice. 2. Reflect, Don’t Ruminate Grab a journal, a voice memo, or a quiet moment. Ask:
    • What triggered my spiral?
    • Where did I lose focus?
    • What can I try differently next time?
      Turn regret into strategy.
    3. Reset Your Identity One collapse doesn’t mean you’re weak.
    It means you’re human — and training.
    Affirm your long game: “I’m becoming a more resilient player, one match at a time.” 4. Move Your Body (with Compassion) Take a walk. Go for a light hit. Do something physical that reminds you: you’re still an athlete, you’re still growing, and this game is still yours to love. Today’s challenge:
    If you’ve had a recent mental collapse — or one still living rent-free in your head — give yourself 15 minutes to walk through this recovery routine. Own it. Learn from it. Then let it go. You’re not the player who collapsed.
    You’re the player who came back better. Quiet Mind, Fierce Game.
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • How to Bounce Back After a Great Shot That Didn’t Win the Point

    How to Bounce Back After a Great Shot That Didn’t Win the Point
    Aug 30 2025
    You hit the perfect lob.
    Or crush a passing shot down the line.
    Or drop a buttery third shot that clips the net and lands perfectly in the kitchen. But… they dig it out.
    They reset.
    They scramble — and somehow, they win the point. And now, you’re the one rattled. It’s one of the toughest emotional hits in pickleball:
    When you do everything right — and still lose the point. At Mental Pickleball, I coach players to recognize that great effort doesn’t always mean instant reward.
    But that doesn’t mean it was wasted.
    It means you’re planting seeds — for your game, your confidence, and your opponent’s future mistakes. Here’s how to bounce back when your best effort isn’t enough (yet): 1. Acknowledge the Quality Say it out loud or in your head: “That was a good shot.”
    Affirm the action, not the outcome. It reinforces your identity as a skilled, thoughtful player. 2. Detach from Results Great shots that don’t score are still data points. They pressure your opponent. They wear them down. Trust that the impact is cumulative, even if the scoreboard doesn’t show it yet. 3. Stay in Creator Mode Don’t let one rally scare you back into playing safe. Stay confident. Keep creating pressure and taking smart risks.
    Your job isn’t to control the outcome — it’s to keep applying pressure with intention. 4. Recover With Purpose Take a breath. Paddle up.
    Let your body posture reflect belief, not defeat.
    Because you’re building momentum — whether or not that shot landed today. Today’s challenge:
    The next time your best shot doesn’t get the result you hoped for, bounce back with poise. Let that great play be fuel, not frustration. Because great shots are never wasted.
    They’re part of something bigger. Quiet Mind, Fierce Game.
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
  • How to Mentally Prep for a Rematch

    How to Mentally Prep for a Rematch
    Aug 29 2025
    There’s nothing like a rematch. Whether you lost the last one or barely pulled it out, the moment you see that familiar team across the net, your mind starts spinning:
    “Not again.”
    “Time to get payback.”
    “They better not beat us twice.” But here’s the danger — emotionally-charged rematches create mental traps. At Mental Pickleball, I coach players to reframe the rematch not as revenge, but as an opportunity — to show growth, to stay grounded, and to play this match, not the last one. Here’s how to mentally prep for a rematch: 1. Clear the Ghosts Don’t carry the last match like a backpack full of bricks. Whether you played great or terrible, that was then. Remind yourself: “New match. New moment.” 2. Recenter Your Goals Your goal isn’t to “beat them” — it’s to play your best. That might lead to a win… or not. But that mindset is what keeps you sharp, steady, and free. 3. Visualize Calm, Not Revenge Before the game, see yourself playing composed and responsive — not aggressive and overhyped. Energy is good. Control is better. 4. Keep Score with Yourself Instead of tracking whether you’re “winning the rematch,” track:
    • How many times you reset mentally
    • How many times you communicated with your partner
    • How present you stayed under pressure
    Those are the real victories — and they last far beyond today’s score. Today’s challenge:
    If you’ve got a rematch coming up — or you’re still mentally replaying one — reset your lens. You’re not playing them. You’re playing yourself, version 2.0. Quiet Mind, Fierce Game.
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
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