A Letter to the Athlete I Once Was

Hey B—

You’re 17. You’re all in on the dream. You’ve got the fire, the drive, the goals on your wall. You’re working your tail off—lifting early, swinging late. And even though nobody sees it yet, you believe deep down you’ve got a shot.

But can I tell you something?

It won’t go how you think it will.

You’ll get drafted. You’ll make the big leagues. You’ll stand in the box during the World Series. You’ll live the dream—and it’ll be everything you hoped for... but also nothing like you imagined.

Because here’s what no one is telling you: The mental game will be your biggest battle—and your greatest advantage.

You think confidence will come with success.

But it won’t.

Not when you hit a rough stretch in the minors and rather than playing, often find yourself as the first base coach. Not when you get hit by a pitch for the 5th time in a week. Not when you’re wondering if you’ll ever play at that level again. 

Confidence isn’t a feeling. It’s a system. It’s breathwork, routines, identity, mindset reps. It’s what you fall back on when pressure, doubt, and failure show up—and they will show up.

You’ll learn that toughness isn’t pretending nothing bothers you.

Toughness is feeling it—and choosing your response anyway.

You’ll cry in silence after setbacks. You’ll question yourself, your path, your place.

But you’ll also get back up. You’ll build tools. You’ll train your mind just like your body. And eventually, you’ll become the kind of competitor who thrives—not because of perfect conditions, but because of preparation.

And one day, you’ll walk away from the game.

Not because you failed. But because you finally understood what the game was trying to teach you all along:

That winning isn’t the goal. Becoming a winner is.

And that kind of becoming? That’s a life mission—not just a career one.

Today, you coach athletes. You mentor parents. You build systems to help others become the version of themselves you wish you had access to earlier.

You take every scar and turn it into a strategy. Every loss, into a lesson. It’s the Importance of Teaching the WIN or LEARN Mentality.

You don’t teach motivation—you teach mindset.

And the best part?

You get to watch kids step into pressure moments… breathe… reset… and rise. Not by luck, but by design.

Because of the work.

Because of the reps.

Because of the identity they’ve built.

So here’s what I want you to remember: Keep going. Keep learning. Keep becoming.

The athlete you are today is just the start. And the lessons you learn in this game? They’ll go way beyond it.

With love and purpose,

-Brandon