Building Confident and Resilient Athletes
Through Science-Backed Mental Skills Training
We believe talent and hard work are only part of the story.
What often separates good athletes from great ones is not physical ability, but the capacity to stay confident, composed, and resilient when the pressure is highest. Over the years, we have worked with athletes, leaders, and teams performing at the top of their game. We have seen firsthand how mental training changes everything, helping athletes turn nerves into focus, mistakes into learning, and pressure into opportunity.
We have also seen a persistent gap.
Too often, high-quality mental skills training is reserved for professional athletes or those with access to expensive one-on-one coaching. Meanwhile, young athletes navigate increasing expectations, performance pressure, and identity stress without the tools to support them, both on and off the field.
That reality is what led us to create The Athlete’s Mental Blueprint.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower one million young athletes with world-class, science-backed mental skills training, making resilience, confidence, and well-being accessible to all so they can thrive in sport and in life.
This mission is not about chasing numbers for the sake of scale. It reflects a belief that mental skills should be treated as a core part of athletic development, just like physical training, nutrition, or recovery. Every athlete deserves access to the skills that help them perform under pressure and grow into a confident, resilient human being.
More Than Better Athletes
The athletes who thrive long term are not just successful competitors. They are grounded, self-aware, and adaptable people.
The same mental skills that support peak performance, such as emotional regulation, confidence, focus, and resilience, also shape how athletes show up in the classroom, in relationships, and in moments of adversity. When mental training is done well, performance improves and well-being is supported, not sacrificed.
That is why our work centers on developing the whole athlete.
We understand that sport does not exist in isolation. The pressures of competition often spill into every aspect of a young person’s life. Our approach reflects that reality by teaching skills that athletes can use during competition and carry with them far beyond it.
Meet Your Coaches...
Dr. Cari DeCandia, CMPC
Cari is a high-performance and leadership consultant with a passion for working with elite performers in both sport and business. A former Division I softball player, she knows firsthand the dedication, sacrifice, and pressure it takes to compete at a high level. That experience, combined with her decades of coaching and consulting, allows her to connect deeply with athletes and help them perform when it matters most.
With a master’s and doctorate in sport and performance psychology and a concentration in positive leadership, Cari has dedicated her career to understanding the human side of high achievement. Her expertise blends the neuroscience of flow, the psychology of performance, and practical coaching strategies that help athletes, leaders, and teams consistently reach their potential.
When she isn’t working with clients, you’ll likely find Cari on the water, playing competitive tennis, or cheering from the sidelines at her kids’ athletic events.
Dr. Richard Kroboth, LPC, CMPC
Richie is a mental performance consultant and licensed counselor specializing in helping elite athletes reach new levels of athletic success. Richie's goal is to empower performers to reach the pinnacle of their athletic potential and also thrive in life beyond their competitive pursuits.
With a 25+ years in human development and performance excellence, Richie brings a robust foundation of formal education to his practice. As a proud member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, he continuously stays at the forefront of cutting-edge techniques.
Richie’s expertise extends from working with elite club level athletes to Division 1 competitors. He is sought after to work with athletes in a variety of individual and team sports including hockey, tennis, swimming, basketball, volleyball, baseball, and soccer. He has a deep understanding of the mental demands within athletics. Recognizing that athletes often prioritize physical skills and game knowledge, Richie emphasizes the critical importance of mental skills in achieving peak performance.
What our clients are saying...
"So incredibly thankful for Richie coming into our life when he did. He has impacted My daughter in volleyball and in life and I feel confident about her going to college and thriving at the next level in part because of his help."
- Female, Volleyball, NCAA Division I Commit
"I stopped chasing scores and started trusting my process—soft hands, be where your feet are, one shot at a time. Building a pre-round plan and sticking to it made my rounds more consistent and way less stressful."
- Male, Golf, 16 yo
"As a parent, I appreciated how actionable everything was—breathing, cue words, and a short routine we could support at home. The change showed up not just in performance but in our athlete’s confidence day-to-day."
- Parent of Female, Volleyball, 16 yo
"Richie helped me understand my competitive triggers, regulate my emotions to get into my best performance state, and build simple routines with positive self-talk so I recover fast and move to the next ball."
- Female, Tennis, NCAA Division I
"The biggest shift was learning to notice and name my thoughts without letting them run the show. That skill alone has helped me show up calmer, tougher, and more consistent under pressure."
- Male, NAHL Hockey, 20 yo
"I struggled with confidence and performance anxiety in high-pressure moments. We built simple, practical tools to interrupt negative thoughts on and off the field. After putting them into practice, I felt a real shift: a calmer presence, faster adjustments, and more trust in my game when matches got chaotic."
- Female, Soccer, NCAA Division 1
Partner With Us
If you share our passion for helping athletes reach their potential, on and off the field, we'd love to connect.
The Athlete's Mental Blueprint Partner Program was built for coaches, consultants, and sport organizations who believe in developing the whole athlete.
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