A few coaches have asked the same question since the first two books in the NRF Mental Game Library went live: great, but how do I actually use this with a team, not just hand it to one kid who’s struggling? Here’s how I’d run it.
Don’t assign it like homework
Dropping a PDF in the team group chat and saying “read this” gets the same result as any reading assignment ever handed to a teenager — mostly ignored. These books work better as a shared reference than a solo assignment. Pick one chapter a week and give the team five minutes on it before or after practice, the same way you’d walk through a new install.
Match the book to the moment
The Short Memory is most useful in-season, right after a bad practice or a rough quarter — it’s built for players who are stuck replaying a mistake. Mental Toughness for the Football Player lands best in camp, before the season’s grind actually starts. How to Deal With Adversity On and Off the Field is the one to reach for after a cut, an injury, or any stretch where a kid’s confidence takes a real hit.
Use the reflection questions out loud
Every chapter ends with a reflection question and a weekly challenge. Those aren’t just for a player reading alone at home — they’re built to run as a quick team discussion. A kid who won’t open up one-on-one will often talk in a group when the question’s already on the page in front of him.
Let assistant coaches own a book each
If you’ve got a staff, don’t put this all on one coach. Assign each assistant a book that fits their role — special teams coach runs Short Memory, strength staff runs Mental Toughness — and let each one build a little ownership over a piece of the mental side, the same way they already own a piece of the scheme.