Mental Toughness for Young Athletes
🏆 Free Placement Quiz · Ages 8–18

Learn Your Young Athlete's
Mental Toughness Profile

Find out which of the 5 core mental skills your athlete is built on — and exactly where to start building the rest.

Self-Talk ?/10 Goals ?/10 Visualization ?/10 Grit ?/10 Media ?/10 ?
Self-Talk Goals Visualization Grit Media Mindset
15,197+ families profiled ★★★★★ from sports parents Takes 2 min
Your Progress 0%

Question 1 of 9

How old is your young athlete?

8 – 9Elementary
10 – 12Middle School
13 – 15High School
16 – 18Varsity / Club

No email required yet. Results are instant and private.

Question 2 of 9

What sport does your child play most?

🏀Basketball
⚽Soccer
⚾Baseball
🏈Football
🎾Tennis
🏊Swimming
⛳Golf
🤸Gymnastics
🏐Volleyball
🥎Softball
💃Dance
🤼Wrestling
🥋Martial Arts
🏒Hockey
📣Cheer
🥊Boxing
🏃Track & Field
🧗Climbing
🐴Equestrian
🏍️Motocross
🏎️Karting
🎮Esports
🏅Other

Question 3 of 9

🗣 Self-Talk

When your athlete makes a big mistake during a game, what does their inner voice usually say?

A"Shake it off — I've got the next one." Bounces back fast.
B"That was bad, but I can recover." Takes a few minutes.
C"Why do I always do that?" Gets stuck in self-criticism.
D"I'm not good enough." Mentally checks out of the game.

Question 4 of 9

🗣 Self-Talk

On game day morning, my athlete typically…

ASpeaks confidently to themselves — hypes up, focuses, believes they're ready.
BFeels okay and goes through their normal routine without thinking much about it.
CGoes quiet and seems anxious — tries not to think about the game.
DFills with self-doubt — often says things like "I hope I don't mess up."
🧠

The voice in their head is a trainable skill.

Research shows that athletes who practice intentional self-talk — especially out loud — perform measurably better under pressure. It starts with 2 minutes in front of a mirror. The exercises in Troy's book make it a daily habit.

Question 5 of 9

🎯 Goal Writing

When it comes to goals for their sport, my athlete…

AHas specific written goals they review regularly — they know exactly what they're working toward.
BHas goals in their head but hasn't written them down yet.
CThinks about goals when a coach brings it up, but it doesn't stick.
DHasn't really thought about goals — just shows up and plays.

Question 6 of 9

🔮 Visualization

Before a big game, does your athlete mentally rehearse how it will go?

AYes — they picture specific plays AND rehearse how to respond if things go wrong.
BThey think about the game briefly but it's not intentional or structured.
CThey try NOT to think about it — too much pressure if they imagine it going wrong.
DVisualization isn't something they've ever tried or been taught.
Troy Horne

"Kobe Bryant visualized every game before he played it."

Mental rehearsal activates the same neural pathways as physical practice. The athletes who train their minds to win before the whistle blows show up differently. That's what the exercises in the book are built on.

Troy Horne

Author, Mental Toughness for Young Athletes

Question 7 of 9

💪 Grit

When training conditions are tough — bad weather, a rough court, harder competition than usual — my athlete…

AThrives — uses it as fuel and actually trains harder when it's hard.
BAdjusts and keeps going, maybe complains a little but pushes through.
CNoticeably struggles — their effort and focus drop when conditions aren't ideal.
DShuts down or refuses to train — needs near-perfect conditions to stay engaged.

Question 8 of 9

📱 Media Mindset

When it comes to social media and sports content, my athlete mostly…

AFollows elite athletes, pro training content, and uses their feed to study the game.
BWatches a mix — some pros, some peers, some entertainment.
CMostly watches peers their age — highlights from kids at their level or below.
DUses social media mostly for entertainment — no real connection to athletic growth.

Question 9 of 9

🏡 Home Base

After a tough game or a loss, the conversation at home is usually…

AFocused on effort and growth — my athlete feels safe and supported no matter the result.
BGenerally supportive, though I do analyze what went wrong with them.
CTense sometimes — it's hard not to let my disappointment show.
DQuiet and disconnected — my athlete goes distant and I'm not sure how to reach them.

Building your athlete's profile…

Analyzing responses across 5 mental skill dimensions

  • ✓Scoring Self-Talk dimension
  • ✓Scoring Goal-Writing dimension
  • ✓Scoring Visualization dimension
  • ✓Scoring Grit dimension
  • ✓Scoring Media Mindset dimension
  • ✓Generating your profile type

✓ Profile Complete · Mental Toughness for Young Athletes

Your Athlete Is

The Overcomer

"Mentally tough in the fire. One breakthrough away from elite."

0 out of 10

Overall Mental Toughness Score

Calculating across all 5 skill dimensions…

Self-Talk Goals Visualization Grit Media

Your Athlete's #1 Skill to Build First

Mental Toughness for Young Athletes
5 MIN
A DAY

The 5-Minute Fix for Your Athlete's Mental Game

Eight proven mindset exercises built around the exact 5 skills in this quiz — co-written by a father and his 15-year-old son, with insights from NBA legends.

  • Covers all 5 dimensions: Self-Talk, Goals, Visualization, Grit & Media Mindset
  • Written in language kids 8–18 actually understand and respond to
  • Co-written by Moses Horne — a youth athlete who lived every exercise
  • Backed by Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups & Jason Richardson
  • 15,197+ families — across basketball, soccer, baseball, dance & more
  • Audiobook available, narrated by Moses himself
Get the Book on Amazon →

Free shipping with Prime. Available in paperback & audiobook.

What Sports Parents Are Saying

★★★★★
"It has helped her in ways I never could. She's reading the book and can't put it down."
Gina D. & Audrei P. — parents of athletes ages 9–14
★★★★★
"He's started doing workouts on his own since then and WANTS to practice more. The change has been remarkable."
Nathalie L. — parent of 7-year-old athlete
★★★★★
"She went out and danced her best ever right before a major competition. The exercises gave her something concrete to do with her nerves."
Shannon A. — parent of 21-year-old dancer
★★★★★
"We worked on Chapter 1 this weekend. He played the best game of his year today. This works."
Daniel G. — parent of youth basketball player
Troy Horne

Troy Horne — Author & Sports Dad

I know exactly where you are right now. You just want to help your young athlete play their sport with confidence and joy. I went looking for answers and ended up sitting across from Kobe Bryant, Chauncey Billups, and countless other sports pros. Every one of them said the same thing: the mental game. Not talent. The mental game. And the mind is trainable. Five minutes a day. Your young athlete is going to rock this — and this book is going to help them!

— Troy (Aka Horne Kids' Dad)

Mental Toughness for Young Athletes

Your child has the talent. Now give them the mental tools to match it.

For less than the cost of a single training session — 8 proven exercises, 5 minutes a day, built around the exact skills in their profile.

Get the Book on Amazon →

Free shipping with Prime. 100% satisfaction guaranteed.