Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Brian McSparron, Founder of Superior Sports Psyche, located in Canton, GA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Superior Sports Psyche provides individual and team resilience sports performance coaching and programs that empower athletes and teams to become the "best" athletes they aspire to be. Through Superior Sports Psyches programs, we educate athletes and coaches based on evidence on the importance of having a strong mental component to their game to help complement their physical skills, thus developing the "whole" athlete.
We empower athletes to take control of their mental game by developing mental skills that will give the athlete "mental discipline" in competition. We educate and coach the athlete's parents on how to manage and support their children's athletic careers by allowing them to develop and compete on their own without the fear of expectations and anxiety.
Our primary customer is any athlete that is older than 12 years old and is looking for a competitive advantage or looking to enhance their performance.
Tell us about yourself
My background is in athletics, with an undergrad degree in Athletic Training and Advance Degrees in Physical Education and Sports. Throughout my career as a coach, coaching different sports at different levels (youth, high school, and college), one thing that most athletes struggle with, regardless if they are 6 years old or 24 years, was the mental game of sport. I would hear other coaches and family members shout out to athletes, "Focus," "Relax," and "Be Confident" well, as an athlete, how do you: focus, relax, or be confident in sport?
In sports, especially at the youth level, athletes are quitting because they don't feel they are good enough to compete, and at the high school level, coaches are hurting the confidence levels instead of raising them. So when I stepped down from college coaching after 16 years, I decided I was going to shift my coaching to help athletes develop the necessary mental skills in order for them to compete at the highest level possible. Resilience sports performance is skills-based, and once an athlete can learn the skills to focus, relax, or be confident, they are able to take their performance to another level and enjoy the sport.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
My biggest accomplishment is seeing the increase in performance of my athletes, seeing them apply the skills that I teach them, and for them to see the results. When I hear parents say that their athlete was close to quitting and now they enjoy their sport, or they were able to obtain a PR in their event. That's the fulfilling part of my job.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
In my line of expertise, it is the buy-in from athletes, coaches, and parents. They all know that the mental side of competition is important, but many do not apply mental skill training. Sports coaches will tend to use slogans or quotes to help build mental toughness, but that doesn't work. While parents will go with what they grew up with when they were athletes, like "no pain, no gain." Trying to get coaches and parents to understand that the athletes' thoughts and emotions have a direct relationship to their performance and showing them how we can help the athlete/team.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Keep pounding away. If it is something that you believe in, keep pushing it, and don't take no. I've heard more no's than yes's, and that doesn't stop me from getting my message across.
- Align yourself with people who believe in you, trust you, and will give you honest feedback, no fluff.
- Seek help with things you do not know about. Website development, marketing, branding, etc. Be careful of your time because time is valuable. Always keep on learning regardless of what it is.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: http://www.superiorsportspsyche.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/superiorsportspsyche/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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