Welcome to Episode 61 of the Dialed and Driven Mentality Podcast — brought to you by Vaughn Custom Sports!

In this episode, Jeff Lerg, Chris Palmer, and Natalie Ferenc dive into a concept that might be the most underrated skill in sports: encouragement.

While athletes often focus on training harder, getting stronger, or improving their technique, the team explores how the energy you bring to your teammates — and the people you surround yourself with — can dramatically impact performance, confidence, and team culture.

From learning how to handle difficult moments after a bad game to understanding why the right environment can shape an athlete’s development, this conversation breaks down the powerful role encouragement plays in both individual success and team dynamics.

The episode also highlights the importance of self-encouragement — the ability to challenge negative self-talk and build confidence by recognizing your own effort, resilience, and growth along the way.

Episode Highlights:

• Why encouragement might be the most underrated skill in sports
• How positive energy and support can transform team culture
• Why the best teammates often aren’t the ones on the scoresheet
• How athletes can ask for space after a tough game while still building accountability
• Why your environment and the people around you shape your mindset and performance
• The science behind encouragement and why supportive teams often perform better
• How helping others can shift your own mindset during difficult moments
• Why elite athletes must learn to challenge negative self-talk
• A simple daily habit that can build confidence and quiet self-doubt
• Why the energy you bring to your team can change the outcome of a season

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or parent, this episode is a powerful reminder that sometimes the smallest actions — a word of encouragement, a positive attitude, or supporting a teammate — can have the biggest impact on performance and personal growth.

Stay dialed. Stay driven.

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Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRwBFDkvYi56TdzIPMRge
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dialed-driven-hockey-mentality-podcast/id1791139650
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Welcome to Episode 60 of the Dialed and Driven Mentality Podcast — brought to you by Vaughn Custom Sports!

In this episode, Jeff Lerg, Chris Palmer, and Natalie Ferenc break down a powerful concept that goes far beyond the gym: stacking gains. While the term is often used in the weightlifting world, the team explores how the real power of stacking gains lies in the mental side of performance — building confidence through the experiences, habits, and challenges you've already overcome.

From navigating the fear of entering a new level of competition to understanding how elite performers rely on past experiences to fuel present confidence, this conversation highlights why remembering who you are and what you've already built can completely change the way you approach pressure moments.

Episode Highlights:

• Why “stacking gains” is about mental deposits, not just physical progress
• How athletes can handle the fear of stepping into a new competitive environment
• Why humility and persistence are key when jumping to higher levels of play
• The importance of remembering your past successes during difficult seasons
• How elite performers separate identity from temporary circumstances
• Lessons in resilience and preparation from the 82nd Airborne
• The difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset in high-pressure moments
• Why confidence is built through consistent habits, effort, and focus
• How athletes can use daily progress as small deposits in their performance bank
• A simple way to rebuild belief when adversity or self-doubt creeps in

AND SO MUCH MORE!

Whether you’re an athlete, coach, or parent, this episode is a reminder that the confidence you’re searching for might already exist — because you’ve been stacking it for years.

Stay dialed. Stay driven.

Send a text

📲 Connect With Us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dialedanddriven/
X: https://x.com/dialedanddriven
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDialedandDrivenPodcast

🎙️ Listen On
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRwBFDkvYi56TdzIPMRge
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dialed-driven-hockey-mentality-podcast/id1791139650
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b1168059-6e38-4352-b3d5-c5fdbba6067f/dialed-driven-hockey-mentality-podcast

Welcome to episode 59 of the Dialed and Driven Hockey Mentality Podcast — brought to you by Vaughn Custom Sports!

In this episode, host Jeff Lerg is joined by our producer, Natalie Ferenc while Chris Palmer is away speaking to U.S. Army Special Operations Forces.

From Olympic gold medal moments to powerful lessons on practice habits, specialization, and joy in sport, this episode dives deep into what truly separates athletes who rise from those who stall.

Episode Highlights:

• Why practice habits are the ultimate separator between college athletes and pros
• The mindset shift from amateur hockey to pro hockey — when the game becomes a job
• The truth about chasing pro hockey: motivation sparks you, but discipline sustains you
• A historic Olympic sweep by USA Hockey — and what it reveals about preparation meeting opportunity
• Michigan-native gold medalists like Megan Keller and Connor Hellebuyck rising on the world stage
• What Norway’s long-term athlete development model teaches us about delaying specialization and building joy first
• The difference between being told what to do vs. choosing your pursuit — highlighted by the comeback story of Alysa Liu
• Why relaxed athletes often outperform tense ones under Olympic pressure
• How internal drive — not entitlement — earns you your spot back when adversity hits
• Why longevity, ownership, and fun may be the hidden keys to elite performance

AND SO MUCH MORE!

From stories of Olympic redemption to behind-the-scenes insights on what it really takes to earn and keep your opportunity, Episode 59 reinforces a core Dialed and Driven truth:

You don’t rise to the moment. You rise to your habits.

Send a text

📲 Connect With Us
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dialedanddriven/
X: https://x.com/dialedanddriven
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheDialedandDrivenPodcast

🎙️ Listen On
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0PRwBFDkvYi56TdzIPMRge
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dialed-driven-hockey-mentality-podcast/id1791139650
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b1168059-6e38-4352-b3d5-c5fdbba6067f/dialed-driven-hockey-mentality-podcast