First Place Performance Podcast

In this episode, First Place Performance head coach Nick Pinizzotto talks about the one area where athletes can separate themselves from a crowded field, and that is through mind training and mental focus. Most competitors work hard to perfect their craft from a physical perspective, but few have recognized that mental training is every bit […]

In this episode, Coach Nick explains what it means to “win the moment,” which is a foundational principle of First Place Performance. He uses recent real life examples of winning moments, and why they’re so important to achieving bigger goals. He also talks about how the late, great UCLA basketball coach John Wooden would prepare […]

We rely on them for a lot of things to help our sports programs be better. Whether it be conducting fundraisers, covering the costs of camps and training, or feeding our athletes after competition on the road, booster clubs perform a host of functions that can make the experience better for the players and coaches […]

In this episode, First Place Performance head coach Nick Pinizzotto reminds senior college athletes that still haven’t signed to play at the college level that they still have a shot. It’s still possible to contact college coaches and find a place that is a fit academically, athletically, and financially, but how athletes go about contacting […]

When young athletes take the step from high school to college teams, there are a number of big changes they will experience. One of the biggest adjustments that will need to be made right away is often among the least talked about, and that is college coaches tend to have egos and personalities that are […]

In this episode of the First Place Performance Podcast, we talk about how spinning your wheels for too long can lead to your missing opportunities, whether you’re an athlete or coach hoping to reach the next level. Falling into a rut is something that happens to everyone, but those who use those challenges to get […]

For whatever reason, the heavily-favored home team came out a little flat. Despite knowing the opponent was a solid team with a good record, and one that they have historically had tight games with, they found themselves down 10 points by halftime, and in a position where a furious comeback would be necessary to get […]