When Gratitude Wins: Coach MJ on Mental Toughness, Golf Psychology, and Leading with Purpos

In a world where perfection often overshadows persistence, Coach MJ stands as a powerful reminder of what really drives performance—not just on the golf course, but in life. On the latest episode of No Bunkers No Bogeys Bridie on One Podcast, Coach MJ, author of When Girls Win, joined me for a deep dive into mental skills training, the emotional ups and downs of sport, and the unique power of gratitude in developing a champion mindset.

Whether you’re a golfer, a coach, or a parent supporting a young athlete, this conversation is packed with insights that tie together golf psychology, anxiety management, and the often-overlooked heart of sport psychology: resilience.

Mental Toughness Isn’t Just a Buzzword—It’s a Daily Practice

Coach MJ doesn't just talk about mental toughness—she lives it. With more than 20 years of coaching experience, including a National Championship under her belt, she’s built her teams on a foundation of emotional resilience and discipline. Her athletes don’t chase perfection. They pursue process.

And that process starts with breaking down self-limiting beliefs—on the putting green and in life. As MJ shared, “mental toughness is something we practice every week.” From embracing mistakes to focusing on process goals like staying grateful after a bad shot, this kind of intentional mental performance work builds athletes who can show up in pressure moments with clarity and calm.

That’s sport psychology at its best.

Gratitude as a Mental Performance Strategy

In golf psychology, it’s easy to focus on mechanics, scorecards, or even pre-shot routines. But Coach MJ brought something refreshingly human to our conversation: gratitude.

Let’s be honest—golf can be brutal. It tests your patience, your focus, and your ability to reset after setbacks. Gratitude might seem like the last thing you’d reach for after a shanked drive or a missed 3-footer, but for Coach MJ, it's the key to golf mindfulness and emotional recovery.

As she put it, “Gratitude is hard to find on the course, but it's powerful. It helps you switch things around when everything feels like it’s falling apart.”

In the realm of anxiety management, gratitude does more than just feel good—it grounds you. It reconnects you to why you play. And in high-stakes moments, that emotional anchor can be the difference between spiraling and staying steady.

Building a Culture of Care and Accountability

The teams Coach MJ builds don’t just win—they grow. From the very first team meeting, she instills structure, values, and ownership. Players are expected to hold themselves and each other accountable—not just for their performance, but for how they show up as people.

That’s what makes her work such a strong example of applied sport psychology. It’s not just about outcomes. It’s about creating a psychologically safe environment where athletes can thrive under pressure and bounce back from failure. It’s mental skills training with heart.

One story that stuck with me: after a heartbreaking moment during the 2023 National Championship—when a third round was canceled due to an error in course setup—Coach MJ’s team didn’t crumble. They responded with unity and resolve. “We got this,” they told her. And they did. That moment proved the mental training had paid off.

Empowering Female Athletes in a Male-Dominated Space

When Girls Win is more than a book—it’s a call to action. It invites young women to believe in their potential, challenge societal norms, and develop confidence that lasts far beyond the playing field. Coach MJ wrote it after realizing there weren’t enough female voices in the conversation about sport psychology and mental performance.

Her coaching—rooted in both discipline and empathy—is about helping athletes realize that their value isn’t defined by rankings or trophies. It’s about showing them how strong they already are, and how much stronger they can become when they commit to themselves and the process.

This matters deeply to our mission at No Bunkers No Bogeys Golf Club. Representation matters. Inclusion matters. And mental fitness is for everyone—not just D1 athletes with massive support teams. MJ’s D3 athletes are a testament to that.

There Are Only Wins and Lessons

As Coach MJ shared in the episode, “perfection gets in the way of excellence.” That’s true for golf and for life. The real win is in learning to keep going. To stay grateful when it’s hard. To believe in yourself even when others don’t. And to redefine what success looks like—not by what’s on the leaderboard, but by how much you’ve grown.

That’s the kind of mindset shift that performance psychology is built to create.

If you want more support with your own mental game—from golf psychology and anxiety management to high-level mental performance coaching—reach out. This work can change your game, but more importantly, it can change your life.

Peace,

JJ