Why I Wrote 'Winning Starts Within' (And Why It Matters for Your Athlete)
- Ron Schmittling
- Oct 8
- 4 min read
I'll never forget the conversation that changed everything.
A talented high school softball player and I just sat down to talk, tears streaming down her face. She'd been underperforming due to pressures at home and other 'things' we'll not discuss here—It wasn't because she couldn't play, but because she couldn't handle the pressure when it mattered most with all the outside distractions coming at her.
"I know what to do," she said. "I just can't do it when everyone's watching."
That moment crystallized something I'd been seeing for years: talented young athletes consistently underperforming not because they lacked physical skills, but because nobody taught them the mental game.
The Problem That Wouldn't Go Away
As I worked with more athletes, I saw the same patterns repeating:
Athletes with perfect mechanics choking in pressure situations
Confident players in practice becoming tentative in games
Talented individuals struggling to lead teammates effectively
Dedicated athletes burning out before reaching their potential
The statistics confirmed what I was seeing:
70% of youth athletes quit by age 13
Student-athlete anxiety and depression rates have doubled in the past decade
62% of college coaches say mental toughness matters more than physical talent
Yet we spend 95% (or more) of training time on physical skills and maybe 5% (if that) on mental performance.
That gap—between what athletes need and what they're actually getting—is what drove me to write Winning Starts Within: The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance.
What This Book Really Is
This isn't an academic textbook gathering dust on your shelf. It's not a collection of motivational quotes that feel good but don't create change.
Winning Starts Within is a systematic, practical framework that athletes, coaches, and parents can use immediately to build the mental skills that separate good from great.
Over 200+ pages, I've distilled everything I've learned from:
20+ years of leadership in high-pressure corporate environments
Hundreds of one-on-one sessions with struggling athletes
Mental Performance Mastery certification and ongoing study
Real transformations I've witnessed when athletes train their minds as seriously as their bodies
The 10 Pillars Framework
The book is built around 10 trainable mental performance skills:
Foundation Pillars:
Commitment - Showing up consistently, especially when it's hard
Purpose - Connecting to your why and who you serve
Self-Awareness - Knowing your patterns so you can adjust them
Performance Pillars:
4. Confidence - Trusting your preparation and executing freely
5. Focus - Directing your attention where it needs to be
6. Self-Control - Responding instead of reacting to challenges
Excellence Pillars:
7. Discipline - Building habits that create automatic excellence
8. Preparation - Creating systems that make success predictable
9. Balance - Protecting your energy for sustainable performance
10. Leadership - Lighting the way for others through service
Each pillar includes:
Real athlete case studies showing the pillars in action
Sport-specific exercises for immediate application
Team versions for coaches implementing with entire programs
Troubleshooting guides for when techniques don't work initially
What Makes This Different
Three things set this book apart from other sports psychology resources:
1. The Mudita Principle
I introduce the concept of "mudita"—a Buddhist term meaning "sympathetic joy" or finding genuine happiness in others' success. This single principle transforms toxic, competitive team cultures into supportive environments where everyone elevates each other.
When athletes learn to celebrate teammates' success as enthusiastically as their own, something magical happens: the entire team's performance improves.
2. Real Case Studies
The book includes three detailed athlete transformation stories:
A basketball point guard who lost her starting position and fought back to lead her team to a championship
A baseball ace who sacrificed individual glory to become a closer and help his team win state
A volleyball player who went from benchwarmer to team captain through relentless character development
These aren't celebrity athlete stories you can't relate to. These are real young athletes facing real challenges with real solutions.
3. Sport-Specific Applications
Unlike generic sports psychology that tries to fit all sports, this book includes specific examples and exercises for basketball, soccer, volleyball, baseball, and football. Athletes see themselves in the scenarios and can apply techniques immediately to their sport.
Who This Book Is For
Athletes (High School & College): If you've ever choked in a pressure moment despite being prepared, struggled with confidence after mistakes, or felt like your mental game is holding back your physical skills—this book is for you.
Coaches: If you're trying to build championship culture but don't know how to teach mental performance systematically, this framework gives you the tools to develop mentally tough, resilient teams.
Sports Parents: If you want to support your athlete's development without creating additional pressure, this book shows you how to be the parent your athlete needs during both victories and struggles.
The Bigger Picture
Here's what I believe with everything in me: the mental skills athletes develop through sports serve them long after their playing careers end.
Commitment, focus, resilience, leadership, the ability to handle pressure—these aren't just athletic skills. They're life skills.
When we train young athletes' mental performance alongside their physical skills, we're not just creating better players. We're developing confident, resilient, focused leaders who will take those qualities into their careers, relationships, and communities.
Sports become the training ground for life success. That's the true purpose of this work.
What Happens Next
Winning Starts Within: The 10 Pillars of Mental Performance officially launches this Friday, October 10, 2025.
It's available in three formats:
Ebook: $19.99 (instant PDF download from my website or Amazon)
Paperback: $24.99 (Amazon or signed copies from my website)
Hardcover: $29.99 (premium edition for gifts or team captains)
Get Your Copy:
Special Launch Week Offer: Order this week and email me your receipt at ron@coachronmpm.com. I'll send you a bonus mental performance worksheet and put you on the list for exclusive training content.
One Final Thought
That softball player who sat in my office crying about losing her starting position? She played Division I softball and is now in her first year of law school.
Not because I had some magic formula. But because we systematically trained her mental game the same way she trained her physical skills.
She learned to build evidence-based confidence. She developed reset techniques for pressure moments. She discovered how to bounce back big—rising higher after hitting the ground hard.
That transformation is what this book makes possible for every athlete willing to train their mind as seriously as their body.
The mental game is trainable. Confidence can be built. Leadership can be developed.
It all starts within.
Ready to build your lighthouse? Let's do this together.
Coach Ron
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