ACT for Coaches: How Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Can Transform Your Mental Game

How to Handle Pressure Without Losing Yourself

Coaching is mentally demanding. The pressure. The stress. The frustration. The need to perform every day. It piles up.

What if you could handle all of it without being derailed? What if you could accept your emotions without being controlled by them, and still stay locked in on what matters most?

That’s the power of Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT). And it’s not just for players. It’s for anyone who wants to build resilience and perform under pressure — especially coaches.

What Is ACT?

ACT is about two things:

• Acceptance: Making space for thoughts and emotions, even the tough ones.

• Commitment: Taking purposeful action aligned with your values, no matter what’s happening around you.

It’s not about pretending everything is fine. It’s about showing up with clarity, grit, and focus, even when your emotions are loud.

The Six Core Processes of ACT for Coaches

1. Acceptance: Opening Up Instead of Fighting Back

You can’t outrun frustration, anger, or fear. Fighting emotions only makes them hit harder.

• Acknowledge the feeling. Don’t push it away.

• Say to yourself: “It’s okay to feel this. I don’t have to erase it to coach well.”

• Let it be there without letting it run the show.

“Acceptance isn’t giving up. It’s giving yourself space to perform.”

2. Cognitive Defusion: Breaking Free From Sticky Thoughts

Your mind throws thoughts at you nonstop. Some help. Some sabotage. You don’t have to buy into every one.

• Notice when you’re stuck: “I’m failing.” “They don’t respect me.”

• Add the phrase: “I’m having the thought that…” before each one.

• This creates distance between you and the thought.

“Thoughts are just words. They only have the power you give them.”

3. Mindfulness: Being Here, Not Stuck in There

Games demand presence. Stress pulls you away. Mindfulness brings you back.

• Focus on your breath, body, or surroundings.

• Anchor yourself with: What can I hear? What can I see? What can I feel?

• Use it mid-game to reset in real time.

“The present is the only place you can actually make a play.”

4. Self-as-Context: You Are Bigger Than the Moment

You are not your mistakes. You are not your anger. You are the one observing them.

• Visualize thoughts and emotions as clouds drifting by.

• Remind yourself: “I’m not my thoughts. I’m the coach noticing my thoughts.”

“Awareness is your power. It puts space between you and your reactions.”

5. Values: The Compass That Keeps You Grounded

Stress blurs what matters. Values sharpen it.

• Define your coaching values: Growth. Integrity. Development. Leadership.

• Ask: “Am I acting in line with my values right now?”

• Use values as your reset when emotions flare.

“Values don’t move. They anchor you when everything else does.”

6. Committed Action: Doing What Matters, Anyway

ACT isn’t just awareness. It’s action.

• Break goals into small, clear steps.

• Act even when emotions are messy.

• Let values drive the action.

“You don’t need calm to act with purpose. You need commitment.”

Take This With You

“You can’t always control your thoughts and emotions, but you can always choose your actions.”

“Acceptance is space, not surrender.”

“Your values are your compass. Follow them when emotions try to pull you off course.”

“Resilience isn’t about feeling good. It’s about staying committed when you don’t.”