If you understand the word “clutch” as an adjective, you probably prefer winning, and you should call Athletic Mental Performance Coach Kim Messey of Clutch Athlete Factory if you want to win more. Coach Kim helps athletes build skills that sharpen the most powerful tool they have: their mind. If you’re a serious athlete, get serious about your mental game and get more dubs.
How did you get into this field?
My first experience with mental performance training was in 1995 (or as my kids like to call it, the late 1900s). I was already a promising high school athlete, but as soon as I started working on my mindset, the trajectory of my athletic career transformed. I became a top recruit in my area and earned a D1 athletic scholarship.
Now as a mom, youth sports coach, and all-around sports fan, I see athletes struggle with their mental game all too often. The experiences of my past and present motivated me to become a Positive Performance Certified Mindset Coach™.
What do you love about the work?
I love mental performance coaching because not only does it optimize an athlete’s performance in their sport, but the skills I teach are also applicable to many areas of life.
Why do people hire you?
People hire me to help their student-athlete maintain confidence, build resilience, overcome self-doubt, reset after mistakes, perform under pressure, maintain consistency, and manage emotions like frustration and failure. I am not diagnosing athletes with clinical disorders, but rather, helping them build life skills that can last a lifetime.
How do you feel about study skills?
Study skills are foundational, and provide similar benefits to the skills that I teach. No one should be going into a big game (or a big test) without ample tools in their toolbox. Getting reps with proven strategies in advance of the big event is one of the biggest keys to success.
What is your favorite piece of advice to give students?
I like to ask my athletes, “What percentage of your sport would you say is mental?” Then I ask them to, “Think about all the hours you spend working on your sport each week: what percentage are you spending on your mental game?” If those two percentages aren’t congruent, there’s a significant part of your game that is untapped, and screaming for mental performance coaching. Let’s get to work!
