Confidence Under Pressure: A Mental Performance Case Study

Jeff Becker
Jan 7
5 min read

Updated: Jan 7

Athlete Snapshot

Name: Anonymous (“JB MPC Athlete”)
Age: High School Athlete (Varsity)
Sport: Baseball
Level: Varsity · Division I Commit
Time Working with JB MPC: April 2025 → Present
Primary Focus at Start: Building a reliable mental process to match physical ability
Reason for Starting Mental Performance Coaching: Referred by a teammate who advanced to professional baseball. The family wanted to ensure no part of development was left unaddressed, especially as competitive pressure and visibility increased.

This case study reflects long-term development through standards, routines, and consistency, not a one-time result or short-term outcome.

Athlete Context & Timeframe

Anonymous (“JB MPC Athlete”) is a varsity baseball player and Division I commit who worked with JB Mental Performance Coaching from April 4, 2025, through June 23, 2025, with a JB MPC coach.

The athlete entered the process with strong physical tools, competitiveness, and work ethic. The purpose of mental performance coaching was not remediation—it was refinement. The goal was to build a repeatable mental framework that would hold up in high-leverage moments and continue to scale as the level of play increased.

Initial Challenges (Before Working Together)

From the parents’ perspective, the primary need was straightforward: “Developing mental process.” Not because the athlete had frequent issues, but because at this level, the difference is often defined by how consistently an athlete can stay present, handle pressure, and respond to adversity.

Early sessions revealed a few patterns that commonly show up in high-achieving athletes:

A desire for “next level” consistency—less distraction, more presence, more repeatability
Focus being pulled by “noise” (success, outside voices, environments)
Getting “too caught up on results + stats.”
Occasional mental fog: feeling “mentally cloudy,” especially around slow starts or high-stakes games

Leadership growth points: wanting to speak up more, hold teammates accountable, and stay composed in the middle of competitive stress

The challenge wasn’t effort or motivation. It was building a stable process that could hold up regardless of outcomes.

JB MPC Process & System Applied

The work centered on installing a repeatable mental system rooted in standards, routine, and emotional regulation—so confidence became a product of preparation, not the scoreboard.

1) Standards before expectations

A defining early framework was separating standards from outcome pressure:

“High standards does NOT mean high expectations.”
The athlete built clear standards to return to: Compete. Process. Present.
The internal anchor became: standards are controllable; outcomes and expectations are not.

That distinction helped reduce pressure without lowering intensity, allowing the athlete to compete with clarity instead of trying to manage results.

2) Simplify: controllables + routine

Across the entire window of work, simplification was a constant theme:

“Simplify”
“Just another game”
“Same mindset”
“Stick to routine / controllables.”
“Success is a distraction.”

Rather than chasing an emotional state, the focus shifted to building stable behaviors: routine, standards, and attention control.

3) Emotional regulation system (3R’s)

As pressure moments intensified (tournaments and bigger events), the work became more tactical. The athlete learned a structured reset process designed for real-time performance.

3R’s framework:

Recognize: identify “yellow / red light situations” (results-focus, errors, internal frustration)
Release: use a cue to let go (physical cue like wiping dirt; visual cue in progress; verbal cue like C.P.P.)
Refocus: return attention to the next pitch, next rep, next decision

This system provided a consistent pathway back to the present, especially after mistakes or adversity.

4) Identity + leadership development

Later sessions moved beyond in-game regulation into leadership-level maturity and ownership:

Pursue excellence vs. avoid judgment
Recognize how fear of judgment quietly shifts decision-making
“Less trying to engineer what we want”
Build the “authentic” version: confident, grounded, able to “stick up for self,” and step forward as a leader

The goal wasn’t to become louder—it was to become more decisive, more consistent, and more self-directed under pressure.

Progression & Key Shifts Over Time

The change wasn’t a single moment. It was a clear progression: process → standards → consistency → composure → leadership courage.

Early phase: awareness + attention control.

The athlete quickly identified what was pulling focus off-center: outcomes, environments, and outside noise. The early focus narrowed to controllables:

Stop focusing on: Outcomes. Environments.
Focus more on: Effort / stay present. Positive self talk.

Within the first month, the athlete noted being “much more myself,” feeling less pressure, less perception of others, and “thriving.” That’s a key marker: not just playing better, but competing with a more stable identity.

Mid phase: standards + consistent competitiveness.

As the season progressed, the system became clearer and more consistent:

“Controlled aggression”
“Consistency to process + routine”
“Success is a distraction.”
“Don’t let success overtake you”

This phase is where performance becomes repeatable: the athlete learns to keep the same internal approach whether things are going well or not.

High-leverage environments: confidence built through preparation.

When bigger stages arrived (showcase / “pro case”), the athlete didn’t try to manufacture confidence. The notes show a clear reliance on routine and interpretation:

“I belong”
“Bring it on”
Same routine
Nervousness reframed into excitement (“how / what you interpret”)
“Stay grateful” and intentional
“Not thinking, just playing aggressive”

This is a meaningful shift: confidence becomes behavioral. It shows up as simplicity, aggression, intention, and composure—not over-control.

Late phase: courage, assertiveness, and stepping forward.

By June, the work moved into a mature layer: discipline and courage.

Discipline: routines and thought process (already “pretty good”)
Courage: visualize more, stop being “too passive,” believe in self, step forward
“Ready - FIRE - Aim”
Weekly focus: Energy and “Just play."

This stage matters for long-term development. Composure is not the end point—courage is. The athlete was building the ability to play free while also being assertive and leader-ready.

Outcomes & Long-Term Impact

The parents’ words make the durable impact clear: this wasn’t just learning concepts. It was adopting a mental process that shows up consistently.

What changed in how the athlete shows up

“His mental process, along with physical”
After mistakes or adversity: “You wouldn’t know the difference whether he succeeds or fails.”
The parents’ “this is working” moment was not tied to stats, it was hearing the athlete talk through and apply the tools: “After hearing him discuss the tools, he is now utilizing.”

That’s one of the strongest indicators of long-term change: the athlete can articulate the process, trusts it, and uses it without needing a coach to remind them.

What changed for the parent

Mental performance growth impacts the family system too. The parent described a noticeable shift in their own experience:

“Raised level of confidence in our son’s ability to handle adversity”.

That is a high-trust outcome: the parent isn’t just hoping the athlete will respond well—they believe the athlete has a repeatable way to handle pressure and setbacks.

What the JB MPC system reinforced

Over the full arc, the most durable outcomes were:

Process-focus over results-focus (standards as the anchor)
Routine consistency that travels to bigger moments
Emotional regulation through a clear reset system (3R’s + cues)
Composure that looks the same in success or failure
Simplified approach that reduces overthinking and “engineering”
Leadership maturity: stepping forward with presence, confidence, and ownership

This is what long-term mental performance looks like at a high level: calm, composed, repeatable, and leader-ready, without relying on hype or perfect outcomes.

Want To Help You Athlete? Click Here To Schedule A Stragey Call

Name: Anonymous (“JB MPC Athlete”)

Age: High School Athlete (Varsity)

Sport: Baseball

Level: Varsity · Division I Commit

Time Working with JB MPC: April 2025 → Present

Primary Focus at Start: Building a reliable mental process to match physical ability

Reason for Starting Mental Performance Coaching: Referred by a teammate who advanced to professional baseball. The family wanted to ensure no part of development was left unaddressed, especially as competitive pressure and visibility increased.

This case study reflects long-term development through standards, routines, and consistency, not a one-time result or short-term outcome.

Athlete Context & Timeframe

Anonymous (“JB MPC Athlete”) is a varsity baseball player and Division I commit who worked with JB Mental Performance Coaching from April 4, 2025, through June 23, 2025, with a JB MPC coach.

Initial Challenges (Before Working Together)

From the parents’ perspective, the primary need was straightforward: “Developing mental process.” Not because the athlete had frequent issues, but because at this level, the difference is often defined by how consistently an athlete can stay present, handle pressure, and respond to adversity.

Early sessions revealed a few patterns that commonly show up in high-achieving athletes:

A desire for “next level” consistency—less distraction, more presence, more repeatability

Focus being pulled by “noise” (success, outside voices, environments)

Getting “too caught up on results + stats.”

Occasional mental fog: feeling “mentally cloudy,” especially around slow starts or high-stakes games

Leadership growth points: wanting to speak up more, hold teammates accountable, and stay composed in the middle of competitive stress

The challenge wasn’t effort or motivation. It was building a stable process that could hold up regardless of outcomes.

JB MPC Process & System Applied

The work centered on installing a repeatable mental system rooted in standards, routine, and emotional regulation—so confidence became a product of preparation, not the scoreboard.

1) Standards before expectations

A defining early framework was separating standards from outcome pressure:

“High standards does NOT mean high expectations.”

The athlete built clear standards to return to: Compete. Process. Present.

The internal anchor became: standards are controllable; outcomes and expectations are not.

That distinction helped reduce pressure without lowering intensity, allowing the athlete to compete with clarity instead of trying to manage results.

2) Simplify: controllables + routine

Across the entire window of work, simplification was a constant theme:

“Simplify”

“Just another game”

“Same mindset”

“Stick to routine / controllables.”

“Success is a distraction.”

Rather than chasing an emotional state, the focus shifted to building stable behaviors: routine, standards, and attention control.

3) Emotional regulation system (3R’s)

As pressure moments intensified (tournaments and bigger events), the work became more tactical. The athlete learned a structured reset process designed for real-time performance.

3R’s framework:

Recognize: identify “yellow / red light situations” (results-focus, errors, internal frustration)

Release: use a cue to let go (physical cue like wiping dirt; visual cue in progress; verbal cue like C.P.P.)

Refocus: return attention to the next pitch, next rep, next decision

This system provided a consistent pathway back to the present, especially after mistakes or adversity.

4) Identity + leadership development

Later sessions moved beyond in-game regulation into leadership-level maturity and ownership:

Pursue excellence vs. avoid judgment

Recognize how fear of judgment quietly shifts decision-making

“Less trying to engineer what we want”

Build the “authentic” version: confident, grounded, able to “stick up for self,” and step forward as a leader

The goal wasn’t to become louder—it was to become more decisive, more consistent, and more self-directed under pressure.

Progression & Key Shifts Over Time

The change wasn’t a single moment. It was a clear progression: process → standards → consistency → composure → leadership courage.

Early phase: awareness + attention control.

The athlete quickly identified what was pulling focus off-center: outcomes, environments, and outside noise. The early focus narrowed to controllables:

Stop focusing on: Outcomes. Environments.

Focus more on: Effort / stay present. Positive self talk.

Within the first month, the athlete noted being “much more myself,” feeling less pressure, less perception of others, and “thriving.” That’s a key marker: not just playing better, but competing with a more stable identity.

Mid phase: standards + consistent competitiveness.

As the season progressed, the system became clearer and more consistent:

“Controlled aggression”

“Consistency to process + routine”

“Success is a distraction.”

“Don’t let success overtake you”

This phase is where performance becomes repeatable: the athlete learns to keep the same internal approach whether things are going well or not.

High-leverage environments: confidence built through preparation.

When bigger stages arrived (showcase / “pro case”), the athlete didn’t try to manufacture confidence. The notes show a clear reliance on routine and interpretation:

“I belong”

“Bring it on”

Same routine

Nervousness reframed into excitement (“how / what you interpret”)

“Stay grateful” and intentional

“Not thinking, just playing aggressive”

This is a meaningful shift: confidence becomes behavioral. It shows up as simplicity, aggression, intention, and composure—not over-control.

Late phase: courage, assertiveness, and stepping forward.

By June, the work moved into a mature layer: discipline and courage.

Discipline: routines and thought process (already “pretty good”)

Courage: visualize more, stop being “too passive,” believe in self, step forward

“Ready - FIRE - Aim”

Weekly focus: Energy and “Just play."

This stage matters for long-term development. Composure is not the end point—courage is. The athlete was building the ability to play free while also being assertive and leader-ready.

Outcomes & Long-Term Impact