Playbook for The Mind Get in touch

Mental resilience for athletes, by athletes

Playbook
for The Mind

Train the mind like you train the body. Twelve guided team sessions that build pressure skills, self-awareness and real tools for life on and off the field.

Get in touch to join See how it works

Every athlete has a playbook for the game.

This one is for the mind.

Pressure is part of the game.

Handling it is a skill. You can train it like footwork, like a swing, like a first step.

A Playbook coach talks with a group of young athletes in a huddle on a football field
Team session on the field
A facilitator leads a group of athletes seated on outdoor steps in a park
Facilitated conversation, outdoors

Built by athletes who have been there.

The slumps, the benchings, the injuries, the pressure at home. We have lived it, and we built the tools we wish we had.

Playbook for The Mind emblem: a brain filled with X's, O's and route arrows

Determination. Discipline. A place to belong.

Every athlete trains their body. Very few are ever taught to train their mind.

Playbook for The Mind gives athletes support, guidance and personal growth: emotional and self-awareness practices, plus practical tools for the challenges they face on and off the field.

A program of Envision Youth Services, a nonprofit organization.

12
guided team sessions
11
mental skills, trained like plays
13–25
ages, in two groups
3
cities: Los Angeles, Compton, Long Beach

The playbook

What athletes learn

Eleven skills, each one taught like a play: what it is, when to run it, and how to practice it until it holds up in a real moment.

  • Managing pressure

    Stay steady when the moment gets big: tryouts, playoffs, the last at-bat.

  • Building resilience

    Bounce back from mistakes, losses, injuries and benchings.

  • Emotional awareness

    Name what you feel before it makes the call for you.

  • Self-control

    Keep your head when a ref, a rival or a bad day tests you.

  • Mindfulness

    Simple breathing and grounding drills you can run anywhere.

  • Focus

    Lock in on the next play instead of replaying the last one.

  • Decision making

    Think clearly and choose well, in the game and away from it.

  • Substance awareness

    Straight talk about drugs, alcohol and the pressure to use them.

  • Leadership

    Lead by example in the locker room, the classroom and your community.

  • Goal setting

    Turn big goals into weekly steps you can track and hit.

  • Identity

    Know who you are beyond the jersey, the stats and the scoreboard.

Inside a session

Every session runs the same play

  1. Mindful check-in

    Each athlete names where they are, mentally and physically, before the work starts.

  2. Facilitated conversation

    Honest, guided talk about what athletes actually face, led by people who have faced it.

  3. Group activity

    Hands-on drills that build trust and put the skill into practice together.

  4. Real-world skill building

    A tool to take into the next game, class, job or hard conversation at home.

Session 112 guided team sessionsSession 12

More than
the game

Job connections

We connect athletes with real job opportunities, so the discipline they build in sport turns into work and income.

Community service

Athletes give back across Los Angeles, Compton and Long Beach, and learn what it means to lead where they live.

Wellness tools

Practical guidance on sleep, stress, recovery and mental health that athletes keep long after the last session.

Who it's for

Every sport. Two age groups.

13–17

Youth athletes

Middle and high school players handling pressure, playing time, school and growing up in the game.

18–25

Young adult athletes

College, JUCO and early-career athletes facing slumps, injuries, transitions and life after sport.

Coaches, schools and community programs. Bring Playbook to your whole team.

Bring it to your team
Portrait of Steven Thompson Jr, Program Director of Playbook for The Mind

Meet the director

Steven Thompson Jr

Program Director · Former Division I collegiate baseball player

Playbook for the Mind was inspired by my personal journey as a Division I collegiate baseball player. The program was born from the challenges I faced during COVID-19 and my freshman year of college.

Those experiences revealed the critical need for mental and emotional support in sports, inspiring me to help athletes build resilience, strengthen their mental performance, and navigate challenges both on and off the field.

Questions

Who is Playbook for?

Athletes ages 13 to 17 and 18 to 25, in any sport. Coaches, schools and community programs can also bring Playbook to a whole team.

What happens in a session?

Every session has four parts: a mindful check-in, a facilitated conversation, a group activity, and real-world skill building athletes take with them.

How long is the program?

The program is 12 guided team sessions. Each one focuses on skills like managing pressure, focus, leadership, goal setting and identity.

Where does it happen?

In Los Angeles, Compton and Long Beach, with teams, schools and community programs.

Is this therapy?

No. Playbook is mental skills training and mentorship led by people who have competed. It does not replace counseling or medical care.

How do we get started?

Send us a message below or call (562) 609-9787. Tell us about the athlete or team, and we will take it from there.

Your next play starts here.

Athletes, parents and coaches: tell us who you are and what you're looking for. We'll get back to you about joining the program or bringing it to your team.

I am

This opens your email app with your message ready to send to Playbook@envisionyouthservices.org.