Why Is My Athlete’s Performance Inconsistent?

If you’re a parent of a teen athlete, you’ve probably asked yourself this question before:

"Why is my kid on fire one week… and barely recognizable the next?"

It’s confusing — especially when you’ve invested in club fees, private coaching, and hours of practice. You know the talent is there. So why doesn’t it always show up?

The answer usually comes down to one thing: their mindset.

Consistency Isn’t About Skill Alone

Here’s what research shows: physical training builds skill, but the mental game determines whether that skill shows up under pressure.

• Studies of elite athletes suggest that as much as 70–90% of performance at high levels is mental.

• In surveys, coaches say the #1 area athletes struggle with — across sports — is handling mistakes and pressure.

• Teens, especially, are more vulnerable to swings in confidence because their brains are still developing skills like focus, self-regulation, and stress management.

So when your athlete looks brilliant one week and struggles the next, it’s not because their physical training suddenly disappeared. It’s because their mental game wasn’t ready for the moment.

Where Mental Performance Coaching Fits In

But if your teen is generally healthy and happy, yet still can’t seem to string together consistent performances? That’s a mindset gap.

Mental performance coaching gives athletes the skills to:

• Reset quickly after mistakes

• Stay focused when pressure rises

• Build confidence that lasts beyond a single good game

• Develop routines that make performance more predictable

  The Parent Takeaway

  • When you see inconsistency, it’s not about whether your athlete “has it” or not. They do. The question is whether their mindset is as well-trained as their body.

    And here’s the good news: mindset can be trained, just like shooting, passing, or conditioning. With the right tools and consistent practice, athletes can turn “up and down” into steady, confident, and resilient.

If your athlete already has the talent, don’t let their mindset be the missing piece. At Apex, we train the mental game — because confidence, resilience, and focus aren’t just skills for sports, they’re skills for life.