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.
What you'll learn
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
How it works
A school that adapts to you
This isn't a set of static videos. Every lesson is generated live and tuned to where you actually are.
We learn your level
A quick placement check tailors your starting point so you're never bored or lost.
Lessons adapt as you go
Each lesson is written for your pace and your goal, adjusting as your skills grow.
Your AI coach keeps you moving
Checkpoints, feedback, and gentle nudges turn progress into a real result.
The curriculum
What's inside your school
6 modules · 19 lessons
The EF Edge — What Executive Functioning Actually Is (and Isn't)
Build a rock-solid, coaching-relevant understanding of the 8 core executive functioning skills, debunk common myths, and see exactly how EF shows up in athletic performance and behavior.
- 1.1The 8 EF Skills Every Coach Needs to KnowIncluded
- 1.2EF in Action: How These Skills Drive (or Derail) Athletic PerformanceIncluded
- 1.3Myths, Labels, and What 'Bad Behavior' Usually Really MeansComing soon
Development Across the Arc — Ages 11 to 25
The prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed until the mid-20s. Understanding what EF skills are online at each developmental stage allows you to set realistic expectations, spot real outliers, and coach smarter.
- 2.1The Developing Brain: A Coach's Guide to Ages 11–14Coming soon
- 2.2The High School Window: Coaching Athletes Ages 15–18Coming soon
- 2.3Late Adolescence and Young Adults: Coaching the 19–25 AthleteComing soon
Building EF Into Practice — Design Strategies That Stick
You don't need extra time or a separate 'mental skills' session. This module shows you how to embed EF-building moments into technical training, conditioning, and team meetings you're already running.
- 3.1EF-Informed Practice Design: The PLAN FrameworkComing soon
- 3.2Planning and Organization: Teaching Athletes to Think AheadComing soon
- 3.3Working Memory Under Pressure: Drills That Build Cognitive CapacityComing soon
- 3.4Cognitive Flexibility: Coaching Athletes to Adapt, Not FreezeComing soon
Communication and Culture — The Coach's Most Powerful EF Tool
How you talk to athletes—before, during, and after competition—either builds or erodes executive functioning. This module gives you scripts, protocols, and a culture-building playbook grounded in EF research.
- 4.1Feedback That Builds Metacognition, Not DependenceComing soon
- 4.2Emotional Regulation: Helping Athletes Manage the StormComing soon
- 4.3Building an EF-Positive Team CultureComing soon
Coaching Athletes with EF Challenges
Some athletes face significant EF challenges — including ADHD, anxiety, learning differences, or trauma histories — that require adapted approaches. This module ensures you can coach every athlete on your roster effectively and equitably.
- 5.1Understanding ADHD and EF Disorders in the Athletic ContextComing soon
- 5.2Practical Adaptations: Supporting EF-Challenged Athletes Without Singling Them OutComing soon
- 5.3When to Refer: Working with Parents, Schools, and Mental Health ProfessionalsComing soon
Your Season EF Plan — Putting It All Together
Turn everything you've learned into a concrete, personalized season plan that integrates EF development into your existing coaching calendar from day one of pre-season to the final competition.
- 6.1Assessing Your Team's EF BaselineComing soon
- 6.2Building Your Season EF CalendarComing soon
- 6.3Measuring Progress and Iterating Your ApproachComing soon
Questions
Frequently asked
Your teacher
A note from 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.
— J Chase Mayers
Start your journey today
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$125/mo
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- 6 modules, 19 lessons
- AI-adaptive lessons tuned to your level
- Quizzes & checkpoints to lock in progress
- Your own AI learning coach
- Learn on any device, at your pace
- Full access for as long as you're subscribed
17 more lessons coming soon at no extra cost.