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Ryan Hofer on mental toughness, trust, and building stronger athletes

Mariel Anderson sits down with Ryan Hofer, coach of the TWU volleyball program and a deeply relationship-driven leader, to talk about what really shapes athletes beyond skill. They dig into mental performance, handling hard things, confidence versus courage, and how trust, vulnerability, and identity affect both recruiting and performance. In this episode, Ryan shares:

• How hardship has become one of his biggest teachers as a coach and parent, and why avoiding discomfort limits growth
• Why “bringing hard things into the light” matters more than pretending thoughts and feelings are not there
• Practical tools for athletes, including pausing, breathing, naming thoughts, journaling, and reframing
• Why identity and self-talk shape performance more than confidence alone
• How he uses trust, integrity, and competency to evaluate mentors, teammates, and recruits
• Why he believes every athlete on a team should have a voice, not just designated captains
• The idea of “performance languages” and how different athletes need different kinds of sideline support
• How families can navigate pressure and cost of sport more wisely

About Ryan

Ryan Hofer has been Trinity Western’s women’s team’s head coach since 2006. Since taking over as head coach, Hofer has guided TWU to seven national medals, including gold in 2015 and 2022, silver in 2016 and 2023 and bronze in 2011, 2013 and 2017. He has also coached the Spartans to six Canada West titles in the last eight seasons, including each of the last four conference crowns. Hofer has also spent many years coaching at the grass roots club level winning five National Club medals with both male and female players

Individually, Hofer was recognized as the Canada West coach of the year in 2010-11 and 2021-2022 and U SPORTS women’s volleyball Coach of the Year in 2010-11. Hofer also has experience coaching internationally, with Team Canada, as he has been the head coach or the assistant coach at a number of major international women’s events.

Hofer was an assistant coach with Canada's senior women's team, helping lead the Canadian entry at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. Prior to that, he was also the associate head coach with Canada’s women’s team at the 2015 Summer Universiade in Korea.

In 2012, Hofer coached his Spartans team, who was representing Team Canada, at the U23 Pan American Cup. Before that, Hofer was an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2009 FISU Games in Belgrade, Serbia. In 2005, he was also an assistant coach with Canada’s Junior National Team and, in 2006, was the head coach of Canada’s Youth National Team.

Before being named head coach of the TWU women’s team, Hofer was an assistant coach with the Spartans for five years and, in 2006, helped TWU win a bronze medal at the Canada West Final Four tournament. That year, TWU also made it first appearance at the women’s volleyball national championship. Prior to that, Hofer was the interim head coach for the 2003-04 season, while his wife Carol took maternity leave. While as an assistant coach with the Spartans, Hofer was also heavily involved in coaching club volleyball and, following the 2004 season, he was named Volleyball Canada’s Male Coach of the Year.

Hofer graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry from Briercrest Bible College. He is a certified NCCP Level IV (indoor) and Level II (beach) coach. He is currently completing his Master in Coaching and Leadership at the University of Missouri.

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gospartans.ca

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The biggest performance killer is the worry spiral that steals your focus before the game even starts. Mariel Anderson and Jordan Owens break down why your brain is built to predict danger, how to stop future fear from controlling you and the simple habits that help you walk into competition calm, prepared, and confident. This Q&A episode pulls anonymous questions from a senior boys basketball team chasing a provincial championship, and the answers get real fast.

• Why worry is a normal human pattern, not a personal weakness
• How to use a quick self-audit to separate controllables from distractions
• The mindset shift that turns obstacles into armor instead of evidence that you can't handle pressure
• How preparation builds confidence in both school and sport
• Why routines, hydration, sleep, and visualization work together to prime your body and mind

Jordan also shares what game prep looked like in pro hockey, from cooling down after practice to mentally rehearsing every situation he might face as a winger. Mariel connects that to her own volleyball experience and the four phases of performance, showing how athletes can build a personal routine that actually fits their sport, schedule, and personality. If you have ever felt the spike of panic before a test, game, tryout, or big conversation, this episode gives you a practical way to steady yourself and move forward. Perfect for athletes, students, coaches, and anyone who wants to perform better without getting swallowed by anxiety. Mariel Anderson trains athletes in mindset, grit, and performance, working closely with a senior boys basketball team aiming for a provincial title. Jordan Owens is a former professional hockey player who brings lived experience from high-level competition and a practical, no-fluff approach to preparation and mental toughness. Train your mind, build your grit, and forward your legacy.

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The advice you hear about winning is missing the part that actually matters: how to stay relentless without losing your joy. Speed climber Ben Jennings breaks down the mindset, routines, and identity shifts that help him compete at the top level while staying grounded, curious, and human.Ben is currently ranked fifth in the U.S., representing Team USA on the international stage, but this conversation goes far beyond medals and rankings. He opens up about what it really means to race your best friends, why speed climbing has such a rare culture of respect, and how a sport that looks individual is actually built on community, trust, and shared growth. You’ll discover:

• Why Ben says climbing is 95% of what he does, but not 95% of who he is
• The visualization routine he uses every day to mentally rehearse competition and technique
• How he studies video of every lap to make micro-adjustments without overthinking
• Why he keeps one earbud in at warmups instead of shutting the world out
• The boundaries he protects around sleep, training, school, and social life
• How he reframes nerves, failure, and self-talk so setbacks become data, not identity

Mariel also brings the athlete-to-coach perspective, connecting Ben’s approach to performance mindset, emotional regulation, and the power of language like “I am” versus “I feel.” Their conversation digs into the realities of elite sport: loneliness, pressure, discipline, and the invisible choices that shape success long before competition day arrives. If you’ve ever struggled with confidence, comparison, or the pressure to be perfect, Ben’s perspective will help you reset your focus and get back to what actually moves you forward.

About Ben

Ben Jennings is a professional speed climber for Team USA. Climbing since he was 12 years old, Ben is a 3 time national champion, once on the youth, collegiate, and professional stage. He is also a full time student at the University of Utah, studying psychology and planning to pursue a masters in secondary English education so that he can become a teacher. He has a background in coaching, and has worked with athletes that have become successful in both the youth and professional stages. He loves working with kids not only to develop them as athletes, but more importantly to help make them the best people they can be.

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How do you support a youth athlete without becoming their coach, manager, problem-solver, and protector all at once?

Former professional hockey coach Alex Stein joins Mariel Anderson for a powerful conversation about sports parenting, youth athlete development, mental performance, resilience, independence, and the parent-athlete relationship.

Drawing from Alex’s 26 years coaching professional hockey across eight countries, they unpack the Triple E Framework: Environment, Enable, Empower — a simple approach parents can use to help young athletes grow both in sport and in life.

They explore how parents can create a safe and supportive home environment, set healthy boundaries around sleep and phones, help athletes navigate difficult conversations with coaches, respond to playing-time frustrations, build personal responsibility, and learn to solve problems without Mom or Dad immediately stepping in.

The conversation also tackles one of the biggest issues in youth sports: parent behaviour at practices and games. Alex and Mariel discuss coaching from the stands, yelling at referees, the car ride home, athlete versus spectator mindset, and why sometimes the best thing a parent can do is simply let their kid play.

Alex even shares a memorable lesson in sports parenting from watching Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones Gretzky quietly support their child at a hockey camp.

If you are raising a competitive or elite youth athlete and wondering how much to help, when to step in, when to step back, and how to protect your relationship with your child along the way, this episode is for you.

Show Notes

In this episode, Mariel and Alex discuss:

• The Triple E Framework: Environment, Enable, Empower
• Why parenting an athlete can feel like a sport of its own
• Creating a psychologically safe home for youth athletes
• Why boundaries can actually help children feel safer
• Sleep, phones, screen time, social media, and young athletes
• Co-creating boundaries instead of simply imposing rules
• Why mistakes are an essential part of athlete development
• How parents can teach athletes to advocate for themselves
• What to do when your child is unhappy with their playing time
• How to prepare an athlete to speak directly with their coach
• Using role play to practise difficult conversations
• When parents should step in and advocate for their child
• Helping athletes pack their own equipment, food, and game-day necessities
• Building independence and personal responsibility through sport
• Why rescuing kids from every mistake can interfere with resilience
• How parent behaviour affects athletes during games
• Why yelling instructions from the stands usually doesn’t help
• The difference between the athlete mindset and spectator mindset
• What parents should — and shouldn’t — do on the car ride home
• A simple post-game question: “What do you need from me?”
• Referee abuse and why youth sports parents need to reconsider their role
• How parent behaviour can affect recruiting opportunities
• Alex’s story about watching Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones Gretzky parent from the sidelines
• Asking your athlete for honest feedback about how you show up at their games
• How supporting independence today can create stronger, more confident adults tomorrow

For parents of youth athletes, coaches, competitive athletes, hockey families, and anyone involved in youth sports development, this conversation offers practical tools for raising resilient, confident, self-reliant athletes without losing the parent-child relationship along the way.

To follow or work with Alex Stein, find him here:
https://www.carpecoaching.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-stein-coach/

Train your mind. Build your grit. Forge your legacy.

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What does it take to become an Olympian and still feel like the same person the next day? Beattie Podulsky opens up about the reality behind Olympic luge - from the heartbreak of a race that went sideways, to the mental reset that got her back on the sled, to the tiny self-talk shifts that keep an athlete calm at 80 mph. Beattie is one half of Canada’s first-ever Olympic women’s doubles luge team, and she’s only been sliding with teammate Kaylee for about a year. That makes their rapid rise, their brutal learning curve, and their chemistry under pressure even more remarkable. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when elite performance meets fear, nerves, and zero margin for error, this conversation goes deep.You'll discover:

• How Beattie and Kaylee built trust fast, from an awkward first coffee to living together and racing as a unit
• Why their Olympic disappointment became a lesson in mindset, not a dead end
• The exact pre-race ritual they use, including track walks, warmup timing, breathing, and cue words
• How they use visualization and “target mindset” language to stay focused under pressure
• Why second runs can be harder than the first, even when the adrenaline is gone

Beattie's perspective is equal parts honest, hard-earned, and encouraging - especially if you’re chasing something that scares you. This episode is a must-listen for athletes, coaches, parents of young competitors, and anyone who needs a reminder that courage isn’t the absence of fear - it’s doing it scared anyway. If you want a raw look at elite mindset, teamwork, and what it means to keep going when the outcome hurts, press play.

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Pain, grief, identity, motherhood, and leadership all collide in this deeply personal 39th-birthday episode from Mariel. If you have ever wondered how one person can survive chronic illness, rebuild after heartbreak, and still keep growing, this conversation will stay with you. For her 39th birthday, Mariel doesn't bring on a guest or hide behind a lesson, she tells the story herself, tracing the thread through too many versions of her life to count. From the hospital room where ulcerative colitis pushed her to a breaking point, to the promise she made in the shower to stop living in survival mode, this episode is raw, honest, and unexpectedly clarifying. You'll discover how Mariel:

• Reclaimed her life from chronic pain, migraines, fibromyalgia, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
• Learned that her values - kindness, integrity, curiosity, respect, and courage - are what stayed constant through every reinvention
• Found her way through elite sport, skateboarding, dangerous environments, youth work, and leadership without abandoning herself
• Turned grief, motherhood, and co-parenting into a masterclass in accountability, listening, and love
• Realized courage comes before confidence

Along the way, she shares the moments that shaped her most: a humiliating hospital night that became a turning point, a friendship with a man at a soup kitchen that reframed what it means to remember someone, and the hard parenting lessons her daughter has been brave enough to teach back to her. She also reflects on the doors that closed, the collaborations that changed her, and the tools from sport that still guide how she lives and works today.T his is a reflection on what it means to stop waiting, trust your own becoming, and build a life from everything you've lived. You are never starting from nothing. You are starting from experience.

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