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Calico Youth · Mental Performance

Mental performance coaching for committed youth athletes.

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Free, about a minute to book — tell us what's going on and pick a time.

Sports psychology with trackable results.

Every athlete logs their work, every session gets notes, and parents see the change — not just hear about it.

7.3avg touchpoints per athlete per week
86%do mental work on their own time, on top of sessions
The Gap

The talent was never the problem.

You've seen what your athlete is capable of. The talent is real. But talent alone doesn't decide what happens under pressure, and it doesn't guarantee they show up the same way every time. At the level where everyone is gifted, the separator is no longer physical. It's what happens in their head when it counts.

Is your athlete limited by:

01Underperforming in big moments
02Negative self-talk
03Self-doubt
04Playing scared after mistakes
05Inconsistent focus and effort
06Emotions taking over in competition

The mental game isn't a gift. It's a skill. Composure, confidence, the ability to reset after a mistake: these aren't things an athlete is born with. They're trained, the same way physical skills are.

Same talent. Different athlete. That's the work we do at Calico Youth.

What is included

More than a weekly conversation.

Every coaching plan includes:

✓An athlete assessment
✓A custom mental performance plan
✓Private 1:1 coaching sessions
✓Assignments and skill practice between sessions
✓Text access to the coach
✓Parent progress calls
✓Access to the Athlete Portal
✓Documented habits, goals, reflections, and coach notes
Athlete Portal

Progress parents can actually see.

Mental performance coaching should produce more than a conversation your athlete cannot explain afterward.

The Athlete Portal gives the work a visible structure. Athletes record their habits, complete reflections, track goals, review assignments, and stay connected to their performance plan.

Parents can see that the work is happening without needing to manage every step.

Illustration — every athlete's portal is their own.

Your Coach
Mitchell Olsen
MITCHELL OLSENM.S., Sport and Performance Psychology
Founder of Calico Youth

Mitchell was a talented young athlete who competed hard but never learned to manage the mental side of the game. That gap kept him from reaching the level he was capable of, and it stayed with him long after he stopped competing.

It became the reason for this work. It led him to earn his M.S. in Sport and Performance Psychology and to study the science behind how athletes build confidence, focus, and resilience under pressure. Through that work, he confronted and overcame the mental barriers that held him back as a young athlete. Today he applies that same process with the athletes he coaches, giving them the mental skills to compete at their full potential and carry those skills well beyond sport.

M.S., SPORT AND PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGY

Barry University. 4.0 GPA. Graduate Assistant and Research Assistant.

COLLEGIATE AND YOUTH SPORT PRACTITIONER

Worked with collegiate and youth athletes across multiple sports as a sport psychology consultant.

DORAL BLUE MONSTER, GOLF ACADEMY

Sport psychology consultant at one of the most storied PGA courses in the country.

RESEARCH ON CAPITOL HILL

Presented sport psychology research at the Utah State Capitol through Utah State University.

FOUR YEARS OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY RESEARCH

Including work under Dr. Travis Dorsch, one of the most prominent researchers in youth sport and athlete development today.

FOUNDER, CALICO YOUTH

A specialized practice for youth athletes ages 8 to 18, built on the belief that this developmental window is the most important one.

Don't take our word for it.

Hear it from the families below ↓
“My son has been doing mental coaching with Coach Mitch for the past three weeks, and we've already seen so much growth on the court. Each week, he becomes more confident, more decisive, and much less nervous before games. At just 9.5 years old, we can't ask for much more than for him to build a positive relationship with sports and enjoy the process, and Coach Mitch has really helped with that. He's even excited to log into his athlete portal to reflect on his thoughts and feelings after practices and games. Coach Mitch is positive, encouraging, and friendly, which are such important qualities when helping young athletes develop their mental game. We're so grateful for the positive impact he's had on our son!”Annie W. · Parent
“Before working with Mitch, I was dealing with a lot of stress because of problems within my team. I was constantly overthinking every practice and every game, worrying about how I would perform. After just one conversation with Mitch, my mindset started to change. I stopped overthinking so much, started playing with more confidence, and my performances improved almost immediately. I became more focused, more confident, and stopped letting negative thoughts get in the way of my goals.”Division 2 Men's Basketball Player
“He had it on while we were driving home and oh my gosh, you all are doing the Lord's work with these kids! It is so good. The advice is literally spot on for what he needs to hear at his age. You are so right that these things aren't taught during practices or games, so mental strength doesn't grow as the physical skills grow.”Julia G. · Parent
“In general, I've been more positive and honestly just enjoyed the game more. I've learned how to switch my mindset and control what thoughts are going into my head, instead of making a mistake and thinking, ‘I'm bad, I can't do this.’ I've also become more creative in figuring out ways to get out of the problems I was struggling with before.”Division 1 Women's Soccer Player
“Working with Calico Youth has been fantastic. They are professional and completely on top of it. I can't say enough good things about Mitchell. He's competent and knowledgeable, but what really sets him apart is how well he connects with my son. He's young, fun, and gets through to him in ways I never could. I'd recommend Mitchell and Calico Youth to anyone who wants to help their athlete build the mental side of their game.”Maria · Parent
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A short, free conversation about your athlete.

Common questions
Is my kid too young for this?

Probably not, and it's usually the opposite of what parents expect. Younger kids are more open. They haven't built up years of pressure or decided who they are as an athlete yet, so this goes in easier.

It works the same way the physical side does. A kid who learns proper footwork at eight doesn't think about footwork at fifteen, it's just how they move. Same here. Learn how to reset after a mistake at eight, and by high school you're not managing it, you just do it.

We start at eight. If yours is younger, or you're not sure, reach out anyway and we'll tell you honestly whether now is the right time.

Will my kid actually do the work?

It's the most common question we get, usually from parents already picturing the nagging.

Getting your athlete bought in is our job. It's part of what you're paying for, and it's the thing we watch most closely.

Plenty of parents came to us skeptical about this exact thing. Our weekly athletes average over 7.3 touchpoints a week between sessions, and 86% are actively doing mental work on their own time. Those are roster averages, not guarantees. But they include a lot of kids whose parents weren't sure they'd do any of it.

Why is it 1-on-1?

The structure is the same for every athlete: the framework, the session rhythm, the daily work. That part is proven, and we don't change it.

What happens inside it is custom. No two athletes are working on the same thing. A nine-year-old learning to shake off mistakes and a sixteen-year-old fighting for a starting spot don't need the same conversation, so we don't script one.

Every athlete gets their own coach, and the coaching goes where your kid needs it to go: their sport, their age, what they're actually struggling with.

What does it cost?

We'll be upfront: this isn't cheap. Coaching starts at $625 a month and goes up depending on how often your athlete meets with their coach.

There are cheaper options out there. What you're paying for here is everything that happens between the sessions. The tracking, the recaps, the mid-week check-ins, the coach who isn't carrying a full caseload. That's where the results come from, and it's real work on our end.

We'll walk you through the options on the call so you can decide with the full picture.

What sports do you work with?

All of them. Our athletes play basketball, soccer, football, hockey, tennis, golf, boxing, skiing, and more. Individual and team.

Our coaches study the sports they work in, so they know the language and understand what your athlete is walking into on game day. But the principles underneath don't change. How you handle pressure, how you talk to yourself, how you come back from a mistake, that's the same standing over a putt or dropping into a run.

What if the coach isn't the right fit?

Then you switch, free, in the first couple of sessions.

This only works if your athlete actually opens up, and that comes down to the relationship. If it's not there, we'd rather find out in week two than have your kid sit through three months of sessions they're not getting anything from.

How long do athletes usually stay with you?

It's month to month. No contracts, no commitment.

The results build on themselves — the longer an athlete does the work, the more it compounds. Some get what they need and wrap up. Plenty stay with us for the long haul.

Give your athlete the mental edge.

A short, free conversation about your athlete — tell us what's going on and pick a time. It takes about a minute.

Request a Consultation

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