About Mental Grit
The Coach I Needed and Didn’t Have
Mental Grit is what that turned into: a team of mental performance coaches who have spent more than a decade on one thing. Teen athletes and their families, in every sport.
Nate Last · founder
Beaten by My Own Head, Before Anyone Else Could
I quit more than one sport at a young age. Not because I couldn’t do it, but because my mental game broke down before my body ever got the chance.
Years later I found performance psychology, and it changed far more than my sport. My life became more productive, more enjoyable, and ultimately more successful as I kept taking on challenges in sport and in life: a 14-year marriage, raising three kids, years of Ironman triathlons, helping to write a book, and everything that comes with building a business.
Nobody taught me to use my own mind at the age it mattered most. That is the work now, and it is the only work we do. Athletes and families across the United States and around the world, from Bangkok to Europe.
What We Believe
Every athlete already has a mind that does everything a champion’s does. It feels. It focuses. It talks to them. It pictures what’s coming. It gets them ready. Nobody teaches them to use it on purpose, so most of the time it’s using them.
That is not a flaw and it is not a diagnosis. It is an untrained capability. We teach athletes to use their own minds, and we teach their parents what their real role is in that.
We are not here to fix problems. We are here to optimize potential.
Life is difficult AND we are capable of thriving.
Mission
At Mental Grit Consulting LLC, we empower teen athletes to overcome performance anxiety, overthinking, fear of failure, and negative self-talk through elite, science-based mental performance training methodologies. We provide individualized, flexible support that equips athletes to perform with confidence, focus, and power, while guiding parents on how to effectively nurture and support their high-performing athletes.
Vision
Our vision is to make elite-level mental performance training accessible to teen athletes nationwide. We aim to be a respected name in both sport psychology and elite athletic clubs, driving a cultural shift that normalizes and celebrates the use of mental skills training in athletics. We envision a future where our services are integral to at least half of the nation’s elite sports programs, empowering athletes to achieve lasting confidence, happiness, and peak performance, while fostering strong, supportive relationships between parents and their athletes.
What We Hold Ourselves To
These are the values our people live by, every coach and Nate included. What we ask of an athlete is what we ask of ourselves first.
Grit
We embrace the hard parts of this work. When an athlete is stuck, a parent is frustrated, or a week goes sideways, we stay focused and committed rather than easing off. Resilience is built by pushing through, and we model it before we ever ask an athlete to.
Authenticity
We are real with athletes, parents and each other. We are honest and transparent, and consistent between what we say and what we do. That consistency is where trust comes from, and we do not trade it for a more comfortable conversation.
Resourcefulness
Problem-solving is the heart of how we work. When something is not working, we adapt quickly, think critically, and find a way. We do not wait to be told, and we never settle.
Growth Mindset
We bring a growth mindset to everything we do. Our own misses are information, feedback is a gift, and a challenge is the path to getting better — for us every bit as much as for any athlete.
Data Tells The Truth
We make decisions from data and logic, not emotion. When something is in question we go to the measurable results, the facts, and the input of everyone relevant, then act decisively.
Scientific Integrity
Every method we use is grounded in applied research, and we hold ourselves to the highest standard of practice. We are not life coaches; we are mental performance professionals who deliver real, lasting results. If we cannot say where something comes from, we do not teach it.
Client Success Is Our Compass
Client success drives everything we do. We understand each family’s goals, exceed their expectations, and build relationships that last — performance goals and personal growth both.
Empathy and Communication
We keep communication open and mutual respect between athletes, parents and the team. We listen first. Every athlete’s perspective is their reality; we work to understand it, then guide with empathy.
The Coaches
Every athlete works one-to-one with a Mental Grit coach for the whole program. Same method, same standard, same values.
See How the Work Works
Ninety days, one athlete at a time, with a parallel track for the parent.