Ep. 32 - Raising Confident Athletes in a Results-Obsessed World with Nate Last
Tue Feb 03 2026
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What if the biggest thing holding young athletes back isn’t effort, talent, or motivation, but where their attention lives?
In this episode, Mariel sits down with Nathan Last, founder of Mental Grit, to unpack the mental skills that create better athletes and stronger humans.
Nate shares how discovering sports psychology completely changed the trajectory of his life, and why presence is the foundation of mental toughness.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
Why most goal-setting creates stress, anxiety, and burnout in youth athletesHow being stuck in the future or the past pulls athletes out of performanceWhy the body can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality, and how this backfires when athletes only dream instead of executeThe difference between what athletes need to focus on vs. what spectators and coaches focus onHow coaches can measure values and behaviours, not just stats and outcomesHow parents unintentionally steal confidence by “protecting” their kidsWhy struggle, failure, and hard conversations are essential for building self-beliefMental toughness isn’t something you achieve one day, it’s something you practice in the moment, every day.
Nate is the CEO of a premier mental performance training firm, dedicated to helping individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their highest potential. With over a decade of experience in performance psychology, leadership development, and organizational transformation, he now specializes in creating customized strategies that drive measurable results for teen athletes and their families. As a contributing author of the Amazon Best Seller, Deliberate Discomfort, and a former Chief Engagement Officer at Mission 6 Zero, I’ve seen firsthand how a focus on mindset, culture, and people operations can revolutionize outcomes whether on the athletic field, battlefield, school house or in the boardroom.
Join our free 'Forged Youth' Skool group for more parent support!
Check out Mental Grit Consulting Programs
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Send us a text What if the biggest thing holding young athletes back isn’t effort, talent, or motivation, but where their attention lives? In this episode, Mariel sits down with Nathan Last, founder of Mental Grit, to unpack the mental skills that create better athletes and stronger humans. Nate shares how discovering sports psychology completely changed the trajectory of his life, and why presence is the foundation of mental toughness. In this conversation, you’ll learn: Why most goal-setting creates stress, anxiety, and burnout in youth athletesHow being stuck in the future or the past pulls athletes out of performanceWhy the body can’t tell the difference between imagination and reality, and how this backfires when athletes only dream instead of executeThe difference between what athletes need to focus on vs. what spectators and coaches focus onHow coaches can measure values and behaviours, not just stats and outcomesHow parents unintentionally steal confidence by “protecting” their kidsWhy struggle, failure, and hard conversations are essential for building self-beliefMental toughness isn’t something you achieve one day, it’s something you practice in the moment, every day. Nate is the CEO of a premier mental performance training firm, dedicated to helping individuals, teams, and organizations unlock their highest potential. With over a decade of experience in performance psychology, leadership development, and organizational transformation, he now specializes in creating customized strategies that drive measurable results for teen athletes and their families. As a contributing author of the Amazon Best Seller, Deliberate Discomfort, and a former Chief Engagement Officer at Mission 6 Zero, I’ve seen firsthand how a focus on mindset, culture, and people operations can revolutionize outcomes whether on the athletic field, battlefield, school house or in the boardroom. Join our free 'Forged Youth' Skool group for more parent support! Check out Mental Grit Consulting Programs Follow Nate on: Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Support the show