{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Unstoppable Athlete - Mental Resilience for Teen Athletes","title":"#31 - When Sitting on the Bench Is Still Playing for the Team","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1440,"description":"In this episode, Sara and Michelle unpack a provincial silver medal weekend that became a powerful lesson in team culture, resilience, and competitive maturity. Sara reflects on a group of athletes who had the team “rolling” together—competing hard, recovering quickly from mistakes, encouraging each other, and staying composed under pressure. The heart of the episode is a bench player’s reminder to her coach: “We want to win, and if us sitting on the bench is how that happens, don’t feel bad.” For parents, this is a valuable reframe around playing time, showing how athletes can understand roles, buy into a team plan, and still contribute through energy, readiness, and support. Top 3 TakeawaysThree steps of reflection for provincialsWho do I choose to be out there?What does my best look like today?How do I bounce back?Players want to win - even if it means sitting on the bench (in high stakes games)Execution (physical) vs mental errors","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/tD7caDM1YZxkrXB5lGj9mP84wdtATuDXHv4jFTpFt-I/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80Y2Rm/ZWRjOGU3YjJiZjcx/M2IyMWI5ZGEyNGQw/YWQ2NC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}