PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

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PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

Rebecca Smith

205 episodes

1 day ago

There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching an athlete lose the sport they love to injury. The pain is not only physical but also emotional. For many gymnasts, it can feel like their confidence disappears right along with their routines. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I sit down with former BYU gymnast Rebekah Bean Ripley, known for her viral Barbie Girl floor routine. Rebekah shares her journey through back and ACL injuries, the long and emotional rehab process, an...

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There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching an athlete lose the sport they love to injury. The pain is not only physical but also emotional. For many gymnasts, it can feel like their confidence disappears right along with their routines. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I sit down with former BYU gymnast Rebekah Bean Ripley, known for her viral Barbie Girl floor routine. Rebekah shares her journey through back and ACL injuries, the long and emotional rehab process, an...

Show more...

Episodes (20/205)

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

The Future of Cal Gymanstics with Geralen Stack-Eaton

There is something truly powerful about a coach who sees more than just the athlete in front of them. Someone who understands that success is not just about medals but about growth, confidence, and character. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I sat down with Geralen Stack Eaton, the new head coach of Cal Gymnastics, and discovered a coaching philosophy that every athlete and parent needs to hear. Geralen’s journey from a struggling gymnast to an NCAA national champion shaped...

6 days ago

39 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

What Not to Do When Having a Mental Block

There is nothing more frustrating than watching your gymnast freeze on a skill they know how to do. One day it looks easy, and the next day, fear and hesitation take over. It can leave both of you confused and unsure how to help. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I talk about the things that actually make mental blocks worse and what to do instead. Around this time of year, I call it Nervous November because fears seem to grow stronger and confidence can feel shaky. The good...

1 week ago

20 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

When is it Time to Leave a Toxic Training Environment

There is nothing more painful than watching your athlete lose their love for the sport they once adored. The stomach aches before practice, the tears in the car, the fear that never used to be there. It breaks your heart. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking about toxic training environments. These are gyms where kids feel scared, anxious, or unsafe. Places where yelling and shaming are mistaken for motivation. Every week, I talk to athletes who believe this is just...

2 weeks ago

18 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How Sarah Neumayer Overcame the Twisties

If you have ever experienced the twisties, you know how overwhelming they can be. The twisties are a type of mental block that make even familiar skills feel impossible. One day everything flows, and the next your body and brain no longer feel in sync. It can be confusing, frustrating, and lonely. That is why this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast is so special. I talk with Sarah and her mom Jennifer, who both share their journey of working through the twisties together. Sarah opens ...

3 weeks ago

32 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

Are Smart Kids More Prone to Anxiety?

Ever noticed your brilliant, sensitive gymnast getting stuck in their own head? You’re not alone. As a sports psychology expert, I’ve seen countless smart kids struggle with mental blocks, and today I want to share some hope and practical advice. What Makes Smart Kids Different in Sports Intelligent athletes often have some common traits: They’re incredibly talented.They move quickly through skill levels.They love their sport deeply.They’re sensitive and cautious.They set incredibly high stan...

1 month ago

15 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How to Shut Down a Bully in Gymnastics (Even the One in Your Head)

There is nothing more painful than hearing words that cut into your confidence. Maybe someone told you that you will never get that skill, or that you are not good enough, or that you are holding the team back. Even if you try to ignore it, those comments can sit in your mind and make you question yourself again and again. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I want to help you and your gymnast handle those moments. Bullies can show up as teammates, as coaches, or even as the l...

1 month ago

9 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How to Know if You're Making Your Mental Block Worse

There is nothing more frustrating than watching your athlete finally get a skill… only to lose it the very next day. One step forward, two steps back. Skills appear, then disappear, leaving athletes, parents, and coaches in a cycle of confusion and discouragement. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m diving into what I call “Yo-Yo Confidence” — that frustrating cycle of gaining and losing skills — and the hidden habits that actually make mental blocks worse. As a gymnast, I...

1 month ago

13 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How to Actually Reach Your Goals in Gymnastics

There is nothing more frustrating than setting a goal, working hard for it, and then feeling like you are getting nowhere. You show up, put in the effort, and instead of building confidence, you leave practice more discouraged than when you started. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m breaking down why so many athletes get stuck in this cycle and how to set goals that actually move you forward. Instead of focusing on what is “wrong” or what you “can’t do,” I’ll show you ho...

1 month ago

11 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

Fear isn't Forever - How to Build Lasting Confidence With International Elite Gymnast Céleste Mordenti

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I had the privilege of chatting with international elite gymnast Céleste Mordenti, the first gymnast from Luxembourg to ever win a FIG World Cup medal. Céleste’s journey hasn’t been an easy one. As a young gymnast, she rose quickly through the ranks, representing Luxembourg at European and World Championships. But behind the medals and the spotlight, she battled the same struggles so many gymnasts face — fear, mental blocks, and the pressure to be perfec...

2 months ago

30 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

Building a Champion Mindset with Utah Gymnast Avery Neff

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking with Utah gymnast Avery Neff — a rising star whose journey proves that resilience, mindset, and belief in yourself can take you further than raw talent ever could. Avery wasn’t always the clean, confident athlete you see competing on the NCAA stage today. She started as a “floppy” gymnast, throwing skills with no fear but little form. With the help of her coaches, her relentless drive to prove herself, and a mindset shaped by her fearless fam...

2 months ago

40 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

Helping Kids Navigate the Pressure of Upcoming Competitions

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking to parents who are navigating one of the hardest parts of raising athletes: watching your kids struggle with disappointment, pressure, and even toxic coaching environments. As parents, our instinct is to protect our kids from heartbreak and setbacks. But what if the very challenges we want to shield them from are the ones that help them build resilience for life? Using clinical psychologist Dr. Becky Kennedy’s “bench” analogy, I share how let...

2 months ago

25 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

From Injuries to Easterns - A Gymnast’s Comeback Story with Gymnast Arya & Sara Rose Page

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking to athletes and parents who are in the thick of it — setback after setback, injury after injury, and feeling like the dream is slipping away. If that’s you, I want you to meet Arya and her mom, Sara. Arya spent years navigating injuries, mental blocks, and environments that didn’t bring out her best. She battled fear of re-injury, lost skills, and even walked into the gym in tears some days. Through it all, she held onto her dream of competin...

2 months ago

35 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How to Get Your Skill Back Before Season Starts

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking to athletes who are stuck. You know you’re capable of doing the skill—you’ve done it before—but for some reason, it’s just not happening right now. Maybe you’re dealing with the pressure of move-ups, recovering from a past fall, or your brain is simply hitting the brakes. You’re not alone, and there is a way through it that doesn’t involve just pushing harder or trying to force your way over the mental block. In fact, trying to "just do it" i...

3 months ago

15 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

Why Kids Get Camp Superpowers and How to Keep Them

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m sharing one of my favorite topics: the “camp magic” that gives athletes those powerful bursts of confidence, and what you can do when that confidence disappears back at the gym. Whether it’s a breakthrough skill at camp or a fearless moment at competition, those experiences can feel like superpowers. But why don’t they last? I’ll explain what’s actually going on in the brain when athletes are in fresh, positive environments, and how you can capture t...

3 months ago

15 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How to Build Lasting Confidence in 10 Minutes a Day

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m sharing the simplest way to build confidence, even if you feel like you don’t have a single extra minute. So many athletes and sport parents tell me the same thing: “I want to feel more confident, but I’m just too busy to add one more thing to my day.” Trust me, I get it. Between school, sports, work, and everything else, life is full. But what if I told you that just 10 minutes a day could actually rewire your brain for more confidence, happiness, a...

3 months ago

12 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How to Talk to Your Athlete About Their Sport Without Adding Pressure or Stress

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m talking directly to sport parents (but athletes, don’t tune out just yet!). I had two parents in our community share the same concern: “I don’t want to say the wrong thing.” They love their kids, they want to help, but they’re afraid they might accidentally be making things worse. So in this episode, I’m sharing what I’ve learned about how to actually support your athlete, without adding pressure, without creating shutdowns, and without walking on eg...

3 months ago

15 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

Should I Quit? 4 Questions Every Athlete Should Ask Themselves

This week on the PerformHappy Podcast, Coach Rebecca dives into a powerful Q&A session centered around one of the most difficult crossroads in an athlete’s journey—deciding whether to keep going or walk away from their sport. Whether you’re deep in upgrade season, dreading practice, or feeling the spark fade, this episode offers clarity and compassion for athletes (and their parents) navigating burnout, fear, and identity. Coach Rebecca shares personal stories from her own gymnastics care...

4 months ago

19 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

3 Hidden Warning Signs You're Accidentally Keeping Your Athlete Stuck in Fear

Has your athlete suddenly developed a fear of a skill they’ve done a hundred times before? You know they can do it physically, but something’s holding them back… and no matter what you try, nothing seems to help. In this week’s PerformHappy podcast episode, I’m diving into three hidden warning signs that you, as a well-meaning parent, might accidentally be keeping your athlete stuck in fear. Maybe you’ve tried everything: encouragement, time off, stepping back, even considering a new sport, b...

4 months ago

13 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How I Stopped Pushing and Helped My Athlete Thrive with Susan Bardack

In this week’s PerformHappy Podcast, I’m joined by sport parent and PerformHappy alum, Susan Bardack, for a real, honest conversation about the rollercoaster of raising an athlete. Susan shares her daughter Ashland’s journey from gymnastics to D1 college diving, including how they navigated tough mental blocks and the moment everything shifted—when Susan stopped pushing and started trusting. We talk about the lessons parents often learn the hard way, the impact of pressure (even when it's wel...

4 months ago

43 minutes

PerformHappy with Rebecca Smith

How to Help Your Athlete Manage Disappointment

There’s a specific kind of heartbreak that hits when your child doesn’t get moved up to the next level, especially when all their friends do. You see it in their face. You feel it in the silence on the car ride home. And as a parent, you just want to fix it. You want to make it better; give them hope and tell them to keep pushing. But deep down, you might already know… this just isn’t going to go the way they hoped. In this week’s episode of the PerformHappy Podcast, I’m diving into this all-...

5 months ago

18 minutes