Functional Training Institute

24 hours left.

Registrations for Mental Skills Training Level 1 close tomorrow.

This course is for sports and fitness coaches who want more than programming, cueing and session plans.

Because once pressure enters the moment, the work can change.

A client may understand the plan but struggle with follow-through.

An athlete may have the skill but lose access to it under pressure.

A team may know the strategy but communicate differently when the environment shifts.

Mental Skills Training Level 1 gives coaches practical tools for confidence, composure, communication, ownership and pressure response.

If you have been thinking about joining, this is your final window.
Use code VIP20 before registrations close.

Secure your Level 1 spot here: https://functionaltraininginstitute.com/high-performance-mental-skills-for-sports-fitness-coaches-level-1/

A client may have a clear plan and still lose momentum outside the session.

An athlete may have prepared well and still make different decisions once pressure rises.

A coach may have solid programming and still want a more useful way to work with confidence, communication, follow-through and the human response when things become harder.

High Performance Mental Skills Level 1 is a six-week live online course hosted by Tarek Michael-Chouja and Jay Hedley for sports and fitness coaches who want to develop that next layer of practical coaching skill.

The course gives you a framework for noticing what may sit beneath missed sessions, rushed decisions, fading confidence and performance changes, then responding with practical tools that can be used in real coaching environments.

The next intake starts 22 July 2026, with live weekly sessions from 4:00–6:00 PM AEST. Use code VIP20 at checkout to recieve 20% off

https://functionaltraininginstitute.com/high-performance-mental-skills-for-sports-fitness-coaches-level-1/

A coach can often read pressure before the athlete has the words for it.

It might show up in the way a player responds after a mistake, the way communication changes when momentum swings, or the way a group starts to carry the emotional weight of the moment. That is why the conversation between Gareth Baber, Jay Hedley and Coach Tarek is so valuable for coaches who want to understand performance beyond the physical plan.

Jay’s point speaks to the athlete’s relationship with pressure. Are they fearing the moment, or can they stay open enough to find possibility inside it? Gareth’s point speaks to composure. Can the athlete still access skill and decision-making while the pressure is present? Tarek’s point speaks to the group. What is the collective state doing to the way people respond?

These are practical coaching questions. They help coaches look beyond the drill and better understand state, meaning, connection and response.

Use VIP20 and explore Mental Skills Training Level 1 here: https://functionaltraininginstitute.com/high-performance-mental-skills-for-sports-fitness-coaches-level-1/

The physical plan can be clear, well structured and appropriate for the person in front of you.

Yet a client may still struggle to follow through once the session is over. An athlete may prepare well, then lose clarity after an error. A coach may recognise that something is changing, while wanting a more practical way to respond.

High Performance Mental Skills Level 1 is a six-week live online course designed for sport and fitness coaches who want to work more confidently with pressure, communication, focus, behaviour and performance response.

Hosted by Tarek Michael-Chouja and Jay Hedley, the program connects practical mental skills to the real environments coaches work in: sessions, competitions, team settings and the conversations that influence what happens next.

The next intake starts 22 July 2026, with live weekly sessions from 4:00–6:00 PM AEST. 🧠

Learn more about Level 1 here https://functionaltraininginstitute.com/high-performance-mental-skills-for-sports-fitness-coaches-level-1/

Holding the kettlebell by the horns keeps the bell close to the body, but the squat and curl place different demands on how the client organises around it.

In a goblet squat, the horns can support a stable front-loaded hold. From there, the coach may be looking at posture, breathing, bracing, depth and whether the client can stay connected to the bell without the torso folding forward as they move through the squat.

In a goblet curl, the same hold supports a different movement task. The focus may shift to the arm path, wrist position, shoulder control and whether the client can move the bell without leaning back, swinging or using the trunk to complete the repetition.

The hold is the same, but the coaching focus changes with the movement. 💪

Illustration credit: Pheasyque.com

The next High Performance Mental Skills intake is now open.

For sports, fitness and performance coaches, there are moments where the physical program does not explain everything.

An athlete can be prepared, capable and technically skilled, yet still struggle when pressure rises, confidence shifts or the moment starts to feel bigger than the task.

This program is designed to help coaches better understand and support that layer of performance.

Across 6 live online sessions, Coach Tarek Michael-Chouja and Jay Hedley will guide coaches through practical mental skills tools that can be used inside real coaching environments.

Tarek brings his experience in functional training education, coach development and the connection between the inner game and outer performance.

Jay brings more than 20 years of elite mental performance coaching experience across Olympic, professional and international sport, with a deep background in mindset, identity, communication and performance under pressure.

Together, they will explore pressure response, state management, confidence, communication, consistency, decision-making and athlete ownership.

This is not about turning coaches into psychologists. It is about helping coaches better support the human side of performance that already shows up in sessions, games and client behaviour. 🎙️