Ceci (Clark) Craft, CMPC

Nick Saban: "Everybody's smart that goes to medical school. But everybody doesn't make it through. Some that make it through don't make good doctors. It's the same kind of thing with athletes. Some of 'em have great talent but they don't have the right psychological disposition."

Great coaches know that frustration isn’t a signal to stop, it’s a sign that growth is around the corner. When an athlete quits in frustration, they train their brain to give up when things get hard. But if they push through, even just a little, their brain rewires for persistence and progress. Coaches don’t just teach skills, they help athletes learn to struggle better. Instead of viewing frustration as failure, they learn to see it as proof that they’re improving. That shift in mindset doesn’t just make them better players; it makes them stronger, more resilient competitors.