Pre-Zero Sports Talk
Pre-Zero Sports Talk is built on real conversations beyond the game.
Hosted by Sid Bensalah, with over 30 years of global sports industry experience, the podcast explores sport as a platform for deeper conversations about leadership, faith, performance, purpose, identity, community, and impact.
This is not only a podcast about sport. It is about what sport reveals about people, how we lead, how we handle pressure, how we pursue meaning, and how we build lives, teams, and communities with purpose.
Through honest, long-form conversations with athletes, coaches, leaders, founders, innovators, and changemakers, Pre-Zero Sports Talk explores the deeper why behind performance, success, resilience, clean progress, human potential, and the future of sport.
Topics include sports leadership, coaching culture, athlete well-being, faith and purpose, human performance, community impact, clean progress, sustainability, innovation and technology, governance, and sports business.
No filter. No bias. Straight talk.
Subscribe and join real conversations on sport, leadership, faith, performance, purpose, and life beyond the game.
Pre-Zero Sports Talk
Confidence Isn’t Yelled, It’s Built — Flip the Switch with Sandy Cohan
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In this episode, Sid Bensalah sits down with Sandy Cohan, an elite mindset architect, former professional hockey coach, global keynote speaker, and best-selling author of the UNSHAKABLE: 99 Rules series.
Together, they unpack what it really takes to perform under pressure—on the field, in the locker room, at home, and in life. Sandy shares how true confidence is built over time, not through hype or hustle, but by doing the reps, reflecting on mistakes, and recovering with purpose.
From youth sports to elite performance, this episode offers practical tools, real-life stories, and valuable insights for anyone in sports, leadership, or high-performance roles.
00:00 Flip the Switch: Building Grit, Belief, and Mental Clarity with Sandy Cohan
00:04 Building Confidence: Reps, Reflection, and Recovery
01:26 Exploring Mental Performance in Sports
02:05 Sandy Cohan’s Journey and Insights
02:39 The Importance of Mindset in Sports
06:58 Leadership and Clarity in Team Sports
09:51 Flipping the Switch: Compete Mode
11:50 The Seven Pillars of the Mental Edge Blueprint
13:34 Focus and Grit: Keys to High Performance
15:01 Handling Pressure and Mental Toughness
20:53 Identifying and Preventing Burnout
31:39 Parental Support in Youth Sports
38:44 Reframing for Problem Solving
39:47 The Ride Home After a Game
41:22 Staying Quiet and Letting Kids Process
44:27 Coaching Parents and Young Athletes
46:05 Common Mistakes Parents Make
47:30 Understanding Athlete Psychology
49:39 Socioeconomics in Sports Development
52:54 Building Belief and Confidence
59:52 Sandy's Book Series: Unshakeable
01:10:05 Lightning Round Q&A
Learn more → https://www.mentaledgehockey.com/
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