Hello Everyone,

Welcome to all the new subscribers—we had a big jump last week, and I’m so grateful you’re here!

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Wishing you a great week ahead, and I hope you enjoy these principles and exercises!

Justin Su’a

For Athletes: Your Mental Locker

Every athlete changes clothes before a game. The best ones also change their mindset.

I once worked with a Major League baseball player who was struggling to separate an off-field situation from his performance. Together, we came up with what we called the Mental Locker.

As he changed out of his street clothes and into his uniform, he added one more step. He opened a journal, turned to a clean page, and wrote down everything on his mind that he didn’t want to focus on during the game—family issues, financial stress, even simple things like grocery shopping or ticket requests. He brain-dumped it all.

When he finished, he’d look at the page and tell himself, “I’ll pick this up after the game.” Nothing was ignored or buried; it was simply set aside. And with that, he stepped onto the field lighter, clearer, and fully locked in.

After the game, when he got back into his street clothes, he gave himself permission to pick everything on his list back up, and he re-engaged as a dad, a husband, and a son.

In the end, the mental locker wasn’t about writing things down; it was about giving himself permission to be fully present where it mattered most.

Exercise: The Mental Locker

The Mental Locker is a simple routine that can help you separate distractions from performance. Too often, outside worries—family, school, relationships, errands—can follow you onto the field, court, or course. The Mental Locker creates a place to temporarily store those distractions so you can perform with focus and presence, then come back to them later with fresh energy.

Here's how to do it:

1. Pick your “locker moment.”​
   Choose a natural transition where you shift from “normal you” to athlete—before a practice, game, or workout.
2. Grab your locker.​
   Use a notebook, small journal, pad, or notes app to store what’s on your mind.
3. Do a brain dump.​
   Write down everything—worries, errands, tasks, stressors. Big or small, get it out of your head and onto the page.
4. Lock it.​
   When you finish, pause, look at what you wrote, and say: “I’ll come back to this later. Right now, I’m going to be present.”
5. Step into the moment.​
   Move forward lighter, clearer, and more focused—knowing nothing is ignored, just safely stored.
6. Re-open the locker.​
   When you’re done, open the same journal. Revisit your notes, re-engage, and handle those things with fresh energy.

This exercise gives you the freedom to be fully present where you are, knowing you can always pick things back up later.

For Coaches: The Blank Index Card

As a leader, clarity isn’t what you say, it’s what your people hear.

When I work with NFL Head Coaches, one of my roles as a Leadership Performance Advisor is to support them with effective messaging to the players and staff. One head coach I worked with encouraged me to sit in on meetings and roam the halls to gauge how his messaging was resonating throughout the building.

Based on my observations, the message wasn't as clear as the Head Coach had hoped. However, I didn't want my opinion to blur the truth, so we decided to test it. At his next staff meeting, he handed out blank index cards and asked each coach to write down the top priority for training camp.

We collected the cards and compared the answers in his office. The responses were all over the place, signaling to us that his message wasn’t as clear as he wanted it to be.

In the next meeting, he wrote the priority on the board and made it so clear that everyone not only understood it, but they could not misunderstand it. From that moment forward, there was no confusion—everyone knew exactly what mattered most.

Exercise: Conduct a Clarity Check

As a coach, you may think your staff is aligned—but the real test is whether they can clearly repeat your core message. Too often, leaders assume clarity because they’ve said the words. But clarity isn’t about what you say; it’s about what they hear.

The Clarity Check is a quick and powerful way to measure alignment on your team and ensure everyone is amplifying the same message. Here’s how to do it:

1. Prepare the exercise. At your next staff meeting, give every coach a blank index card.
2. Ask one question. Have them write down one of the following:
   • “What is our #1 priority right now?”
   • “What is our mission?”
   • “What is our standard?”
3. Collect and review. Gather the responses and look for alignment—or lack of it. If the answers are scattered, that’s a sign your message isn’t as clear as you thought.
4. Share the results. In the following meeting, review the responses with your staff. Take ownership if the answers were different.
5. Adjust your communication. If the message wasn’t clear, remind yourself: it’s because you didn’t communicate clearly enough.

Clarity isn’t what you say. It’s what they hear. The Clarity Check keeps leaders honest, ensures alignment, and builds trust.

For Parents: Marbles and Confidence

If you want your child to build confidence, help them see the wins they’re stacking.

Years ago, I worked with a young cheerleader who was terrified of doing a back handspring. She had the skill, but fear held her back. Instead of forcing her through it, we started small. I asked her where she felt safe practicing. She said, “At home on my mat.”

So we came up with a system: every time she practiced a back handspring at home on her mat, she dropped a marble into a jar. Weeks later, she walked into the gym carrying a jar full of marbles. She smiled and said, “This means I can do it.” And wouldn’t you know it—she was able to go back to effortlessly doing back handsprings.

The jar became her body of evidence. Every marble represented a rep, a step forward, a stacked win. Her jar of marbles turned fear into confidence.

Exercise: Stacking Wins

For your child, stacking wins is a great way to build confidence and help them see the progress they are making. Here’s how to do it:

1. Pick one skill in their sport.​
   Choose a skill your child wants to improve—serves in tennis, free throws in basketball, ground balls in baseball/softball, or back handsprings in gymnastics. Keep it clear and measurable.
2. Create a visible tracker.​
   Use something they can see and touch: a jar of marbles, tally marks on a chart, stickers on a board. This becomes their “evidence system.”
3. Define the rep.​
   Decide what counts as one win: making a serve over the net, sinking a free throw, cleanly fielding a ball, or completing one safe back handspring. Every successful rep = one marble or mark.
4. Celebrate the deposits.​
   Each time they drop in a marble or add a tally, pause to acknowledge it: “That’s another rep in the bank.” The visible progress fuels confidence.
5. Use the evidence in pressure moments.​
   When nerves show up before practice or competition, point to the jar or chart: “You’ve stacked ___ wins already. You’ve put in the work—you’re ready.”
6. Keep it fun and sport-focused.​
   The goal isn’t perfection. It’s about building confidence through evidence. The more consistent the reps, the stronger their belief becomes.

Confidence in sports isn’t built on empty words—it’s built on stacked evidence. Each marble, sticker, or tally is proof they’re putting in the work and earning their belief.

Quotes of the Week:

At the Performance Advisory Group, we partner with coaching staffs, executives, and athletes across professional sports and college athletics to elevate leadership and performance. If you’d like to explore how we can support you, reply to this email and I’ll be in touch.

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