Payoff 01
More consistent game performance
She closes the gap between what she shows in training and what she can access in competition.
The Competitive Edge Mentorship
She has the game. Let’s build the competitive edge to bring it under pressure.
A 12-month private mental performance coaching and mentorship program for competitive female basketball players, from middle school through college. She receives private coaching throughout the year as she builds, practices, and refines her system in real competition.
For committed middle school, high school, and college players. Application required. Outcomes such as offers, scholarships, playing time, and roster placement are never guaranteed.
The real gap
The player you see in practice needs to show up in games.
She can work hard, have the skill, and still hesitate when the game speeds up. As competition grows, so do the demands of new roles, tougher opponents, feedback, setbacks, and important opportunities. Her mental skills need the same deliberate training as her physical game.
The goal: help her play more like the athlete she has trained to become, even when the game gets uncomfortable.
She looks different in games than she does in practice.
She has the ability, but pressure makes her hesitate, rush, play safe, or disappear.
One mistake changes the rest of her game.
She carries missed shots, turnovers, coaching feedback, or a bad start into the next possession.
Her confidence depends on what just happened.
Playing time, points, praise, and other people’s reactions determine how she sees herself.
She still needs adults to reset her.
Reassurance helps for a moment, but she needs a way to prepare and reset for herself.
The year-round payoff
A competitive edge she can carry into the next game and the next level.
Over the year, she practices, tests, and refines a mental performance system in her actual basketball environment. Progress means more assertive decisions, faster resets, and greater ownership of her game. It does not mean every game will be perfect.
Payoff 02
Faster recovery
Mistakes, missed shots, bad calls, and difficult feedback stop controlling multiple possessions.
Payoff 03
Mental independence
She learns how to prepare, reset, refocus, and evaluate herself without constantly needing a pep talk.
Payoff 04
Ready for her next opportunity
Whether she is earning a role, pursuing college offers, or preparing for the next level, she can show more of the player she has trained to become.
Real athlete. Real result.
She went from zero offers to multiple opportunities and a Division I commitment.
Liv entered spring AAU as one of the top players in her state, but she had zero offers. She was fighting for minutes on a new, stacked team while carrying the pressure of the recruiting process.
Through our work together, her preparation became more focused and intentional. Her confidence steadied. She stopped tearing herself apart over minor mistakes, stayed composed when she traveled without her parents, and learned to bounce back from difficult games more quickly.
Then college coaches began reaching out. By the end of the season, she had multiple opportunities and committed to play Division I basketball.
“Our daughter ended the season with multiple offers and is now committed to play at a D1 school.”Parent of a High School Basketball PlayerApply for Mentorship
Liv’s experience reflects her individual work, circumstances, and development. Results vary, and coaching does not guarantee offers, scholarships, playing time, or roster placement.
One mentorship. A full year of development.
Private coaching through every stage of her year.
She receives private mental performance coaching throughout all 12 months. The first 16 weeks focus on building her system. In the following eight months, we keep coaching as she applies it to games, setbacks, changing roles, and new opportunities.
Months 1–4
Build her mental performance system
She works through the nine-step Mentally StrongHer™ Method and builds a personalized system she can use before, during, and after competition.
- 12 private coaching sessions
- The complete 9-step Mentally StrongHer™ Method
- Awareness, Arsenal, and Arena application
- Research-based assessments and Athlete DISC Profile
- Personalized roadmap, routines, and in-game tools
- Between-session Voxer voice and text support
- Parent guidance and check-ins
Months 5–12
Coach it through real competition
Private coaching continues as we review what happens in her games, adjust her tools, and work through the situations and decisions she encounters during the season.
- 16 twice-monthly private coaching and mentorship sessions
- Support through her season, camps, evaluations, and changing roles
- Recruiting and next-level decisions when relevant to her stage
- Role changes, playing time, coaches, and team dynamics
- Leadership, communication, and self-advocacy
- Setbacks, injuries, identity, and next-level preparation
Coaching continues across both phases. We build the system, then keep testing and adapting it with her through real pressure.
Progress you can see
We do not measure success by whether she never gets nervous again.
Pressure is part of competitive basketball. We measure whether she recognizes what is happening sooner, uses the right tool faster, returns to the next play, and relies less on adults to restore her confidence.
Her progress is tracked across the year
✓
Practice-to-game transferHow often her preparation becomes visible in competition.
✓
Mistake-recovery speedHow quickly she returns mentally after errors, feedback, or adversity.
✓
Decision-making under pressureWhether she plays assertively instead of hesitating or avoiding mistakes.
✓
Mental independenceHow consistently she can prepare, reset, and reflect using her own system.
✓
Season-long adaptabilityHow well she adjusts to new roles, competition levels, coaches, and expectations.
What is included
A year of private coaching, feedback, and support.
The coaching stays active throughout the year. Each session responds to her goals and the demands of her current basketball season.
28 scheduled private sessions across the year
12 private coaching sessions during the first 16 weeks, followed by 16 twice-monthly private coaching and mentorship sessions during months five through twelve.
Research-based baseline and progress assessments
Clear starting-point data and scheduled checkpoints to track development.
Athlete DISC Profile
Insight into how she communicates, responds to pressure, receives feedback, and competes.
Personalized mental performance roadmap
A development plan based on her goals, pressure patterns, season, and next-level aspirations.
Between-session Voxer support
Voice and text messaging support when she needs help applying a tool, processing a current challenge, or preparing for an important basketball moment between scheduled sessions.
Parent guidance and check-ins
For minors, guidance helps parents support her without becoming her mental performance coach. Adult athletes determine family involvement.
Performance observation and review
Feedback that connects the mental work to the way she actually responds in competition.
Mentally StrongHer™ curriculum and resources
Practical tools, exercises, and resources she can continue using beyond the mentorship.
Next-level preparation
Mentoring around the mindset, communication, ownership, and adaptability required as the game gets more demanding.
Who this is for
This is intentionally not for every athlete.
This is for competitive female basketball players from middle school through college who are ready to practice mental skills between sessions and apply them in games.
This may be the right fit if she...
✓Plays competitive basketball in middle school, high school, or college
✓Has talent but does not access it consistently in games
✓Wants to earn her next opportunity and grow into the demands that come with it
✓Is coachable and willing to complete the work between sessions
✓Wants support through real games, changing roles, and setbacks
✓For a minor, has a parent or guardian who supports the process
This is not the right fit if...
×The family is looking for basketball skills training
×She expects confidence to change without practicing new skills
×The only goal is a guaranteed scholarship or offer
×She is unwilling to reflect, communicate, or take ownership
×The family wants a quick motivational fix instead of development
Meet your coach and mentor
I know the game. I know what pressure can do to it.
I am Val Whiting, a former WNBA player, Stanford national champion, and Certified Mental Performance Consultant®.
I also know the difference a mentor can make because I had mentors as both a high school and college basketball player. They gave me more than instruction. They helped me navigate pressure, expectations, important decisions, setbacks, and the transition into higher levels of the game.
Those relationships showed me that talented athletes sometimes need someone outside the immediate pressure of parents, coaches, teammates, and recruiting to help them see clearly. A mentor can ask harder questions, share perspective, tell the truth, and help an athlete grow into the player and person she is becoming.
I also know that talent does not protect an athlete from fear, pressure, self-doubt, role changes, injuries, or the emotional weight of trying to prove herself. My work combines evidence-based mental performance training with mentorship from someone who has lived the demands of elite basketball.
An athlete deserves more than another reminder to “be confident.” I help her understand what changes under pressure, build usable tools, and practice applying them when the game gets hard.
2× NCAA Champion
Former WNBA Player
2× All-American
CMPC®
Frequently asked questions
Before you apply.
Who is this mentorship for?
Competitive female basketball players in middle school, high school, and college who are willing to practice mental skills between sessions. We tailor goals and examples to the athlete’s age, level, and season. A parent or guardian participates in the enrollment process for minors.
How does the year work?
Private coaching runs throughout all 12 months. She has 12 sessions in the first 16 weeks to build her system, followed by 16 twice-monthly sessions to apply and refine it through real competition. The work is tailored to her age, level, and goals.
Does this guarantee a college scholarship or offer?
No. Offers, scholarships, playing time, and roster placement depend on many factors. The mentorship focuses on mental skills she can train: preparation, assertive decisions, recovery after mistakes, and responding to pressure.
What role do parents play?
For minors, parents receive guidance and check-ins so they can support the athlete without taking over her mental game. We respect the athlete’s trust and privacy while keeping parents informed about overall progress and support needs. Adult college athletes decide whether family is involved.
What happens after I apply?
I review the application for goals, readiness, fit, and availability. If it looks like a match, we schedule a consultation to discuss the athlete’s situation and whether the mentorship is appropriate.
Help her bring the player she is in practice into the games that matter.
The Competitive Edge Mentorship is for competitive female basketball players ready to train their mental game and apply it through a full year of development.
Apply for MentorshipSubmitting an application does not guarantee acceptance. Availability is intentionally limited.