Executive Functioning Playbook: Coaching Athletes Ages 11–25
Equip yourself with practical, science-backed strategies to develop executive functioning skills—planning, focus, emotional regulation, and more—in your athletes aged 11 to 25, both on and off the field.
Perfect for: Youth, high school, club, and college coaches working with athletes aged 11–25, in any sport. Also valuable for athletic directors, strength and conditioning coaches, and sports parents who want to understand how to support young athletes' mental development.
Great coaches know that winning isn't just about physical conditioning or technical skill—it's about what happens between an athlete's ears. Executive functioning (EF) skills like working memory, impulse control, flexible thinking, and emotional regulation are the hidden engine behind athletic performance, coachability, and long-term success. Yet most coach education programs say nothing about them.
This course changes that. You'll learn exactly what executive functioning skills are, how they develop across the critical 11–25 age range, and—most importantly—how to deliberately build them through the practices, conversations, and team culture you already control. Every lesson is grounded in neuroscience and developmental psychology, then translated into drills, frameworks, and scripts you can use at your next practice.
Whether you coach a U12 soccer team, a high school swim program, or college-level athletes, you'll leave with a toolkit that makes your athletes sharper, more resilient, and more self-directed. Coaches who complete this course routinely report fewer discipline issues, better in-game decision-making from their athletes, and a team culture where players actually take ownership of their development.
This is not a lecture series about brain science. It's a hands-on coach development program built around what happens at practice on Tuesday afternoon.
What you'll be able to do
- Explain the 8 core executive functioning skills and how they directly impact athletic performance and coachability
- Identify where each of your athletes falls on the EF development spectrum for ages 11–25 and adjust your coaching approach accordingly
- Design practice sessions that intentionally build planning, working memory, and cognitive flexibility alongside technical skills
- Apply evidence-based communication techniques that strengthen impulse control and emotional regulation in young athletes
- Build team routines and pre/post-competition rituals that reinforce EF habits without adding extra time to your schedule
- Recognize and respond to athletes who struggle with EF challenges, including those with ADHD or learning differences, without labeling or marginalizing them
- Use goal-setting frameworks adapted for different developmental stages so athletes own their improvement process
- Create a season-long EF development plan tailored to your specific sport, team age group, and coaching style
Curriculum
6 modules · 19 lessons
Your teacher
J Chase Mayers
I've spent years at the intersection of sport and human development, and the question I kept coming back to was this: why do some athletes with elite physical talent plateau, while others with average ability keep climbing? The answer, almost every time, was executive functioning—how well they could plan, regulate their emotions, adapt under pressure, and stay focused when it mattered most. I built this course because I couldn't find the resource I wanted: something that takes the real neuroscience seriously *and* respects the reality of a coach's week. No fluff, no vague advice to "build mental toughness." Just clear, specific strategies you can run with your team starting tomorrow. I'm excited to share what I've learned and hear how it transforms your athletes—and your coaching.
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