We’re excited to welcome retired MLB pitcher and current Chicago Cubs Mental Skills Coordinator Bob Tewksbury to the podcast. A special thanks to this show’s sponsor, Lumberlend. Head to www.Lumberlend.com and enter the coupon code CSP to get free shipping on your order of two or more bat mugs.

Show Outline

• What made Bob Tewksbury a successful MLB pitcher for 12 years.
• What inspired Bob to pursue a career as a mental skills coach.
• Why Bob returned to school after his playing days to obtain a Master’s Degree in sport psychology and counseling from Boston University rather than relying solely on his professional baseball experience to propel his career as mental skills coach.
• How we can end the stigma around mental skills coaching and the idea that mental practice is only necessary when things are not going right.
• How Bob established credibility as a mental skills coach and how parents and coaches can distinguish charlatans from reputable professionals in the industry of sports psychology.
• How to overcome the reluctance players have towards discussing the vulnerable topics of mental skills.
• What strategies Bob uses to open the conversation with players who need help.
• Why self awareness is important for building a system to govern your mentality.
• How developing mental skills with high school, college, and professional athletes is similar and different
• How parents and coaches can learn to foster a positive environment, more effectively monitor each child’s psychological needs, and better develop the youth they influence.
• Why it’s important to understand the difference between fantasizing and imagery and how grounded goals give visualization substance.

You can pick up Bob’s awesome book, 90 Percent Mental, here.

You can follow Bob on Twitter at @bob_tewksbury, and on Instagram at @btewksbury39.

Sponsor Reminder

This episode is brought to you by Lumberlend Co. If you’re looking for a unique gift for a baseball fan in your life, you’ll definitely want to check this out: they’ve hollowed out the bat barrel and created a cool drinking mug. You can customize these with colors, names, logos, and photographs. They’re also an officially licensed MLBPA product, so you can get your favorite teams and players incorporated into the designs. I’ve used these as gifts with great feedback, so I’m confident you’d experience the same. The crew at Lumberlend is offering free shipping on two or more bat mugs with the coupon code CSP at checkout. Just head to Lumberlend.com to design yours today.

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