|
Testimonials
Read what athletes, coaches, parents, and clients have to say about working with Coach A
_____________________________________________________
FOOTBALL
back to top SOFTBALL/BASEBALL
Performed Better in Just One Week
Coach Anderson has truly helped me become a better player in one week of instruction. In one week of mental coaching, I was able to get more from my practices through focus, and performed better in my games by dropping my expectations and staying focused in each, individual moment. Coach Anderson is helping me enjoy the game more by losing the mental distractions, whether internal or external, and playing to the best of my abilities. Already I feel like a different player because I can control my mind, and as a end result, I can control my mental and emotional state to get the most out of each time I step on the field.
-Alli Sambo
_____________________
Decreased Strikeouts and Improved Batting Average
Throughout my high school season I struggled with mix emotions. I felt that I was a good player, but when my coaches started to bench me and move down in the line up I began to feel discouraged. My batting started to suffer from my lack of confidence, but soon enough, I started to work with Coach A. He helped me refocus my mental game and helped me do my best in the situations I was given. He helped me realize that despite the coaching decisions (which were out of my hands) I could be a good ball player I’ve always been except with a new mental edge. I significantly decreased my strikeouts and improved my batting average on my travel team and a secured a starting position as a catcher. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without Coach A’s help.
- Alyson Taddeucci, Softball Player
_____________________
From "Hot Head"
to
All-Conference Honorable Mention
When I started with Coach A I was the average high
school player. I had a lot of skill but a short temper.
I was a hot head.
Coach A made me realize that I can only control my
emotions and my reactions to the things that happen.
He also helped me enjoy the game of baseball because
he broke things down with me to the basics and I was
able to play free of stress and pressure. Sitting
down in Coach A's office he once told me "the
body is a warrior of the mind" and he helped
me realize that this was true, and when I did and
got my mind right my true abilities were able to shine.
Coach A helped me feel not only confident going into
every game but made me feel like I was going to dominate
everyone that got in my way because I had the biggest
edge of all, the mental game.
By working on the mental game it helps take the pressure
off of me and I am able to put it on the batters and
pitchers that I face. Without Coach A and the mental
game I would have never been all-Conference, all-Area,
and all-state Honorable mention in high school and
wouldn't be able to compete for a nationally ranked
college baseball team because I wouldn't have the
focus and mental toughness that I do as a result of
working with Coach A.
If there is one thing that I can say about mental
training it is that it works. Working with a man like
Coach A who knows about the atmosphere of the game
and emotions that players feel in situations makes
mental training work even that much better. I can't
even begin to fathom how much more my game will grow
as a result of working with Coach A.
- Mike Coduto -- Baseball Player
_____________________
Changed My Mental Game in
One Week
Coach A changed my whole mental game in just one
week. My confidence level boosted greatly after one
session with him. I am now able to get rid of distractions
and negative thoughts and focus on my game. I have
also performed better due to the boosted confidence.
Coach A has helped me achieve my goals and has taught
me how to control my emotions and be able to play
at a higher level. He also helped me become a team
leader. He has changed my whole athletic and personal
career.
- Ryan Nikolich -- Baseball Player
back to top
BASKETBALL
Best Basketball Ever
During my mental coaching with Coach Marc Anderson, I went from an out of control, hot headed soccer player, to a level headed leader this basketball season. I started off the year playing soccer; through the first 20 games I earned nine yellow cards and one red card and was in the coach's doghouse.
After this is when I began to talk Coach A. The rest of the games I earned only one yellow card and helped our team to a 3rd place finish in the state tournament. Through numerous emails and conversations, Coach A helped me identify my mental game issues and camp up with mental strategies to solve these problems.
In the middle of the basketball season, I was struggling with my play. I felt like I wasn't playing up to my potential. I emailed Coach A, and I was in his office the next day. We chatted for a while about my confidence, and the unneeded pressures I was putting on myself. After this, I regained my confidence and was playing the best basketball of my life. Coach A was a huge part of helping me become the player and person I am today.
- John Rosenberger
_____________________
Having Fun and Improving Every Day
Because of mental performance sports, I am able to play focused yet free. I am not focusing on making mistakes; I am having fun playing the game I love and improving every day.
--Tom Fitzpatrick
Basketball Player, The Citadel
_____________________
Mental Aspects of Game A Powerful Weapon
Before I ever began sessions with Coach A, in my head I was expecting for my confidence to boost, but in reality I wasn’t really sure what to expect and I didn’t really believe the mental aspect was very important. Then shortly after I sat in on my first mental coaching session with Coach A, I found that the mental aspects of one’s game could be a very powerful weapon to have in your artillery.
--Brooke Olson
Basketball player, Wheaton College
_____________________
Kept Focused Even in Pressure Situations
I liked having Coach A on the sidelines of our games, he was constantly making sure our mental aspects were it needed to be and he helped us keep our focus in pressure situations by giving us strategies and talking with us.
--Brooke Olson
Basketball player, Wheaton College
_____________________
Helped Improve and Reach Goals
Coach A is committed to helping you improve and reach your goals. He is a great at simplifying situations and mental skills so that they can be manipulated and used for your improvement.
--Tom Fitzpatrick
Basketball Player, The Citadel
_____________________
Exceeded Expectations
Coach A’s mental training exceeded my expectations because it helped me in all areas of my life.
--Tom Fitzpatrick
Basketball Player, The Citadel
back to top
VOLLEYBALL
Successful Teammate and Captain
Coach Anderson has been a positive and influential person in my athletic career. When I started speaking with Coach A I was confused, worried, and intimidated by the future and what kind of player I wanted to be. Through the numerous discussions we had and exercises he showed me, I immediately learned so much. Coach A taught me how to be confident, stay focused and compete at a higher level.
Not only did Coach Anderson help me mentally as an individual, but he helped me become a better teammate and captain for every sport and team I am a part of. Some things he showed me were positive ways of dealing with different coaches and coaching styles. Also, as a captain, he showed me how to encourage and help bring my teammates to a higher mental state and competitive level. I can credit Coach A for helping me achieve much of my athletic success. He is a great person, athlete and mental coach and I am grateful for all of his guidance and encouragement.
_____________________
At the Top of My Mental Game
Coach A introduced me to the process of mental coaching and gave me the tools I needed to be at the top of my mental game. He has been an inspiration in my pursuit to become a mental game coach myself.
~ Katie Pommier, Volleyball Player
_____________________
Great Techniques to Overcome Internal Distractions
Coach A taught me how to not let your own mental distractions come in the way of you being successful was very helpful. He gave me some performance cues and breathing techniques that helped center me and get me ready to make the next play that I needed to make.
~ Jessica Ullrich
Volleyball Player, Penn State
_____________________
Drastic Transformation and Positive Impact
The mental coaching sessions with Coach A far exceeded my expectations. I was apprehensive at the start of this program because I had no idea what it was going to be like. All that I had were the stigmas and stereotypes that I had heard about going to a psychologist and those scared me. But after my first session, I was excited to begin my journey to a more confident me. I could never have hoped for such a drastic transformation within myself and such a positive impact on my performance at sports.
~ Caitlin Cremin, Volleyball Player
_____________________
Boosted by Confidence and Enthusiasm
He truly believed in me when I wasn’t’ able to, and this support enabled me to grow and become a stronger athlete and a stronger person. Without Coach A’s encouragement an genuine enthusiasm in me, I truly believe that I would not have been able to make the personal changes that I needed to make in order to become the athlete that I am today.
~ Caitlin Cremin, Volleyball Player
_____________________
Overcame Obstacles to Play With More Freedom
Learning the importance of separating my self esteem from self confidence were the most influential in my mental coaching sessions. Before working with Coach A, I based my self worth on my performance, which led to a vicious cycle of lower and lower self confidence. When I realized the difference between self esteem and self confidence, my game changed dramatically. I could have a day of poor performance, but that no longer made me believe that I was a bad player. This knowledge has allowed me to overcome and learn from the mistakes I make instead of letting errors overcome me.
~ Caitlin Cremin, Volleyball Player
back to top
GOLF
Set a New Personal Best
As an athlete for my high school I have been looking for ways to improve
my performance in both golf and basketball since I started playing
sports. I put a lot of time and energy into working to become faster,
stronger, etc. and I saw success to some point but I was looking
for something more.
When Mr. Anderson talked to my basketball team this summer he
asked us if we were looking for a way to get an edge over the competition
and it really hit home with me. After a disappointing junior basketball
season I was intrigued by the idea of improving my confidence and
the mental aspect of my basketball game. As soon as I started to
meet with Coach Anderson I was able to recognize my mental weaknesses
and we began to help improve my confidence levels and thought processes
during competition, in order to tap into “the zone”.
It was easy for me to see the extreme importance of having a strong
mental game- especially as golf season rolled around.
At the beginning of our training I set some reasonable goals for
myself during golf season which included, consistently shooting
in the 40’s, breaking my personal best nine hole score, and
qualifying for sectionals. As our training continued I was able
to get a sense for how I felt when I was playing well, or in “the
zone” as well as focusing on the process rather than the outcome
and competing with my own best self. The concepts we discussed were
simple yet they challenged me to become stronger mentally. When
I set a new personal best for my nine hole score (45) I was very
excited. I beat my best 18 hole score several times as well this
season and I qualified for sectionals, and set a new personal best
for my 18 hole score (90) and a nine hole score again (43).
As cliché as my experience may sound, I really feel like
mental game training has helped me to improve as a golfer. I am
ecstatic about the outcome of my senior season thus far and I honestly
feel like the majority of it has to do solely with my mental game.
I can’t say enough good things about Mr. Anderson and this
program, and I would recommend mental game coaching to anyone who
is looking for an edge in sports. I am excited to continue my training
through basketball season and look forward to continuing to reach
new heights in my athletic career.
-Emily Flaherty
back to top
TRACK
Qualified for State
“Coach Anderson helped me pull it together the last two weeks of the
outdoor track season. I believe the time we spent before the
sectional track meet gave me exactly what I needed to perform well.
I achieved my goals of qualifying for state and finished my high
school career with a 12th place finish in the state meet.
The mental skills Coach A taught me will be useful for the rest
of my athletic career.”
-Patrick Trofimuk
_____________________
Established a Best Personal Record
Marc Anderson helped me establish a PR (personal record) of 6.9 seconds in the 55m during indoor track season. When I got in blocks all I thought about was listening for the gun and to do what I do best. It was the first time I’ve been so focused and relaxed at a track meet.
- Steve Tovt
_____________________
Now a Mental Toughness "Giant"!
Distance running requires enormous mental toughness
and endurance. Anyone who has ever run a significant
distance can attest to that. It is a sport that revolves
around an individual’s ability to mentally persevere
and push through pain and distractions.
Although I have always possessed a high physical
tolerance for pain, up until meeting and working with
Coach A, I was truly a mental midget. I would consistently
doubt myself in races and tell myself that I wasn’t
strong enough, fast enough, or good enough. This persistent
cycle of negative thinking limited my abilities and
performances. My self-confidence was nonexistent and
I knew that in order for me to perform and compete
at my best something had to change.
Going into my first session with Coach A, I understood
that negative thinking had the ability to be detrimental
and limiting to one’s goals, but I had my doubts regarding
the power of positive thinking and mental coaching.
After my first session with Coach A, all my doubts
were erased. I walked out of his room feeling confident,
free, and excited about my upcoming track season.
As I worked through his exercises and his one-on-one
sessions, I grew to fully understand and believe in
the powers of mental coaching.
I grew to thirst for competition, no longer fearing
other runners and putting myself down in the face
of other elite athletes. I replaced my negative thoughts
with confidence-boosters and reversed my whole way
of looking at road-bumps and obstacles. I quickly
found myself helping other teammates with positive
mental thinking and utilizing the skills I learned
for the athletic field from Marc in the classroom
as well.
After only a few months of working with Coach A,
I felt like a whole new runner, I was no longer timid
or afraid of competition and my times were dropping
consistently. From my work with Coach A, I was able
to unlock my talents to the fullest and for once,
fully believe in myself. I transformed from a physically
gifted runner who was being severely handicapped by
self-doubt and negative thinking into a physically
and mentally strong athlete.
The results clearly showed, as I PR’ed in every
one of my meets, consistently dropped times, and became
an All-State track athlete. The reason Coach Anderson’s
program has been so effective is because he genuinely
cares for his athletes and truly believes in the power
and effect of mental coaching and training. His programs
are effectively customized for each individual athlete,
and Coach Anderson strives to fully understand and
know his athletes while creating programs and exercises
that cater to the exact needs of the individual. I
have enjoyed every minute of time with Coach Anderson
and completely believe in the success and power of
mental game coaching, I am truly excited to continue
my mental training with Coach A.
Michael Lederhouse -- Distance Runner
back to top
PRAISES FOR COACH A's WORK
I am More Confident in Myself
I knew I had a problem with self esteem
and lack of confidence, but never really knew why
or how to change it. My parents thankfully found Coach
A. He has helped me figure out that part of my problem
was that I was basing my success as a cheerleader
and honestly everything I do on what everyone else
has to say about my performance. As soon as we figured
out what the problem was, Coach A helped me come up
with a plan. Now, I have a plan when I am not feeling
completely focused before a competition as well as
during and after a competition. He taught me not to
be so hard on myself. Only I can control whether I
do good or not and I need to be the best "Morgan"
I can be. I have had a great year and can honestly
say that I have hit every tumbling pass, stunt, jump,
and dance that I have encountered. This hasn't only
helped me with cheerleading but with my school work,
friends, and social situations. He taught me that
I need to be who I am and be more confident in myself.
~ Morgan McMurray -- Cheerleader
_____________________
Performed Better Than Ever Before
Coach Anderson has truly helped me become a better player in one week of instruction. In one week of mental coaching, I was able to get more from my practices through focus, and performed better in my games by dropping my expectations and staying focused in each, individual moment. Coach Anderson is helping me enjoy the game more by losing the mental distractions, whether internal or external, and playing to the best of my abilities. Already I feel like a different player because I can control my mind, and as a end result, I can control my mental and emotional state to get the most out of each time I step on the field.
-Alli Sambo
_____________________
Encouragment and Guidance for Athletic Success
“Coach Anderson has been a positive and influential person in my athletic career. When I started speaking with Coach A I was confused, worried, and intimidated by the future and what kind of player I wanted to be. Through the numerous discussions we had and exercises he showed me, I immediately learned so much. Coach A taught me how to be confident, stay focused, and compete at a higher level.
Not only did Coach Anderson help me mentally as an individual, but he helped me become a better teammate and captain for every sport and team I am a part of. Some things he showed me how to encourage and help bring my teammates to a higher mental state and competitive level. I can credit Coach A for helping me achieve much of my athletic success. He is a great person, athlete, and mental coach and I am grateful for all of his guidance and encouragement.”
-Jessica Ullrich
Purdue University
back to top
COACHES
Clear Vision of What's Imporant in Sports and Life
I have always welcomed the opportunity to have Marc Anderson speak to my
teams. Marc's mental strategies and goal-setting programs have had
a positive impact on our individual players as well as our team.
Marc is true mentor in every sense of the word. He has a clear vision
of what is really most important in sports and life. I would highly
recommend Coach Anderson's Mental Game Coaching.
- Bob Ward, Wheaton North High School
_____________________
Improvement Was Unbelievable!
This is my second year as the Varsity Girls Basketball Coach at Wheaton North.
My very first year we were 1-27. This year Coach A worked with my
team, which consisted of only two seniors, and the improvement was
unbelievable. We had the most wins our program has had in 9 years;
three players selected to the All Conference team, and broke the
school record for points in one game. We also broke a 58 game conference
losing streak (stretched over 5 years). I credit Marc for a lot
of this success. I talked with him for an hour or two one evening
and took some of his ideas back to my team. That NEXT day we broke
our losing streak in conference. After that, he helped us with some
sessions to help finish up the year. The girls responded great to
him and he really was the turning point in our season. Both the
girls and I can't wait until next season to begin training with
him again. He is the biggest asset to our program. He helped the
girls and he helped me become a better coach.
- David Eaton, Wheaton North Varsity Girls Basketball Coach
_____________________
Improved Performance and Boosted Confidence
My best shot-putter fell into a terrible slump after fouling all of his throws at the DVC conference indoor championships. It was a meet he badly wanted to win, and his poor performance that day shook his confidence. As the outdoor season progressed, he would typically throw very well during warm-ups, but find himself unable to reproduce those throws during competition. Each week his frustration grew. He worried about letting down the team. He worried that all the hard work he’d put in over the four years was going to waste. He worried that he’d be thought of as a failure.
I recommended that the young man start working with Marc Anderson. I’ve known Marc for many years. We coached football together in the late 1990’s, and I was always impressed by his knowledge of the game and his rapport with our athletes. In my role as an English teacher I have come to value Marc’s ability to help students deal with emotional difficulties. A lot of things happen to kids out there in the real world, and when one of my students is hurting I always try to get Marc involved. He has been an indispensable source of solace and advice for countless young men and women here at Wheaton North. I’ve even sought Marc’s help in my role as a parent. One of my stepsons had great difficulty transitioning from a small private grade school to a large public high school, and Marc stepped in to guide him through a very troubled time.
So I thought that if anyone could help my shot-putter, it was Marc. I sat in on Marc’s first conversation with the young man, and the kid’s sense of relief was palpable. Marc listened as my shot-putter explained his frustrations, and looking back I’d say the process of restoring this kid’s confidence began right then and there. During subsequent sessions, Marc helped this young man develop a routine which allowed him to focus on his past successes and to relax during competitions. The results were not immediate. The next couple of weeks brought more downs than ups, but with Marc’s guidance the young man kept his spirits up and was able to achieve his goal of qualifying for the state track meet.
Remarkably, it was under the intense pressure of the state meet that he rediscovered his confidence. Competing against a tough field in a big stadium in front of a big crowd on an extremely hot day, he was his old self again. He warmed up well then launched his best throw of the outdoor season, 54’2”. That throw enabled him to place 12th after having been ranked 32nd coming into the meet. He was the only DVC thrower to make the final, and more importantly he was one happy dude. His love of throwing has been restored and he is excited about going on to compete at Illinois State University. Marc has helped him develop a mental approach that will allow him to fully tap his physical gifts.
-Dan McQuaid
Wheaton North Varsity Track Coach
_____________________
Snapped a 58 game losing streak.
We won
back to back Conference Championships
Coach A and I have worked together for the past six
years. In those six years, our team has snapped a
58 game conference losing streak and won back to back
Conference Championships in the last two years. Coach
A does a great job teaching the "basics"
of the mental game to the athletes which allows the
athletes to relax and play the game. As a head coach,
his value and input with the girls allows me to coach
and get our athletes prepared for the game. Through
our meetings, he gives me insights to how our team
is feeling, which allows me to organize my practices
to help our players' confidence or to demand more
from them if they begin to lose their edge.
Our girls completely believe in Coach A and what he
teaches. They listen intently during our mental game
sessions and practice what they have learned on the
court. I firmly believe that without the help of Coach
A, our program would not be where it is today. Today's
athlete is very different from the athlete even ten
years ago. Most of today's athletes have all played
organized sports their whole lives and have never
had to rely on themselves to get through tough situations.
Coach A teaches the athletes how to mentally prepare
for each game, how to focus on the controllables and
not worry about the uncontrollables, and to come together
as a team is setting obtainable goasls.
I highly recommend Coach A as he is an asset to any
team and has truly been a blessing to our athletes
at Wheaton North High School.
Dave Eaton -- Head Girls Basketball Coach
back to top
PARENTS OF ASPIRING ATHLETES
Instilled Confidence and Built Leadership Skills
Our son, John has benefited tremendously from Coach A. He has always been
an energetic, highly competitive, leave his heart on the field kind
of kid. During his senior year, there were periods where he focused
the natural frustrations and tension of a game onto the referees
or retaliated through overly aggressive play when things were not
going so well.
Coach A began to work with our son on his mental approach to competition
through one-to-one mental coaching sessions and homework exercises
via email to reinforce and build on coaching points, according to
our son, of channel ling the natural tension and frustration of
a competitive game into a positively contributing to the game. From
my observation, I'd say Coach A was working on instilling confidence
in our son and building leadership skills.
What I can speak better of were the results. Our son completely
turned around his on the field behavior in soccer, going from a
somewhat inconsistent and periodically contentious player to one
who consistently contributed positively through his play and influence
on others. My view is that our son became a leader on the team and
that his positive play and attitude helped significantly contribute
to the team becoming one of the top teams in the state. In addition,
this new focus and intentionality on the field, he also had an excellent
basketball season and was a leader on that team.
I would point to Coach A's influence and actions as critical to
our son's changes in focus and behavior on the field and also to
his maturation, general confidence, and openness at home. Although
his journey is far from complete, we thank Coach A for significant
positive impact at a critical juncture in our son's life.
-David Rosenberger, John's father
_____________________
Great Tools to Regain Focus and Concentration
I only wish we would found Coach Anderson years ago! My daughter Alli is a softball picture getting ready to enter her senior year in high school. For many years, I have watched her struggle on the mound with a combination of success and disappointment. Even though softball is a team sport, there is a lot of pressure for the pitcher. Quite often, I could see her lose focus to distractions, pressures, etc., but I couldn’t help her. We brought books on sports psychology, but she still struggled. Fortunately, Alli met Coach Anderson at school and he started working with her. It’s been great for Alli. Coach Anderson has given her the tools to obtain and/or regain her focus and concentration during games and difficult situations. I have so appreciated his availability during Alli’s emergencies by being only a phone call away! Alli is having a good travel ball season this summer and is already thinking about her goals for the next high school season. Thanks Coach Anderson!
- Anne Sambo
_____________________
Brought Back the Passion for the Sport
This year my daughter, Aly, was faced with a difficult and frustrating varsity softball season. She believed that she was to be the starting catcher, but only caught occasionally and became the designed player, which meant she was only batting. Her confidence and passion for the game dissipated, causing her disappointment, anger and frustration to get the best of her mindset and her batting average. Once Coach A evaluated her athletic profile and began working with her things changed for the positive. Aly came to accept that not every coach is going to embrace your athletic style and to change/control what she had the power over as an athlete. Instead of “thinking” too much at the plate she was able to narrow her focus and her batting average increased. She began hitting the ball hard again; homered off a Division I recruit, and dramatically decreased her strikeouts. Aly finished her season confident, determined, and focused thanks to Coach Anderson. In her last two games, she was 4 for 6 with 5 RBI’s. Now her passion for softball is back and she is ready for the challenge of the summer travel season.
~ Sue Taddeucci Parent of Alyson Taddeucci Softball
Player
_____________________
Transformed someone who
dreaded practice into a mature athlete
Marc, what you have accomplished with Morgan in just
four short weeks is indescribable. She has transformed
from someone who dreaded going to practice and was
not having fun, to a mature freshman who has made
her varsity team. Not only was she pulled up to the
varsity squad, Morgan is the starting third baseman
and is batting sixth in the lineup. In Morgan's first
game of the season, she went 3-5 with a 2 run line
shot homer, over the left field fence and into the
wind!
On Monday, you were kind enough to come out and see
Morgan play. You witnessed first hand what you, as
her mentor have accomplished. In the second game of
a double header, Morgan struck out to end the inning.
Typically, she would have dug a six foot grave and
crawled in the hole never to be seen of for the rest
of the game. Instead, she put it behind her, went
out to her position at third base and made two very
nice defensive plays that kept her team in the game.
Four weeks ago, this would not have been reality.
I think for the first time in Morgan's life, she "gets
it." I know she is having fun again and she has
started to think about where she wants to go for college.
More importantly, Morgan is starting to "get
it" in life. What you have been able to do thus
far by guiding and showing her what she is capable
of accomplishing has not only worked on the field
but off the field as well.
~ Charlie Dastych -- Softball Parent
back to top
|
|
