Mental Struggles of the Adult Athlete: Mindset, Progress & Balance

VBSC Podcast — Show Notes

Episode Title: You're Not Over the Hill: Mental Struggles Adult Volleyball Players Face

Hosted by: Greg Herceg (The Volleyball Strength Coach) Guests: Coach Sarah, Coach Dion, Coach Gerry

Episode Overview:

Greg and the VBSC coaching staff get real about the mental side of being an adult volleyball player. Whether you're in your late 20s, 30s, 40s, or beyond, this episode is packed with honest conversation, personal stories, and practical mindset shifts to help you keep competing, keep improving, and stop getting in your own way.

Topics Covered:

🧠 The Defeated Mindset Adult athletes often carry the weight of who they used to be. Coach Sarah breaks down how comparing your current self to your peak can hold you back — and how reshaping your mindset around present-day goals changes everything.

📉 Progress Isn't Linear Coach Gerry opens up about switching his approach footwork and what it cost him short-term — and why it's worth it. If you've ever felt like you're getting worse while trying to get better, this one's for you. Greg also covers how vertical jump testing can temporarily dip during heavy training phases, and why that's actually a good sign.

🚫 Limiting Beliefs Coach Dion brings the energy with one of his favorite quotes: "If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them." — Jim Kwik. A powerful reminder that the ceiling you put on yourself isn't real.

🏐 "I'm Not a Pro, So I Don't Need This" Greg addresses one of the biggest barriers he sees from people considering working with VBSC — the belief that professional-level coaching and resources are only for professionals. Spoiler: everyone benefits from training smarter.

📊 The Rule of Thirds Coach Sarah shares a framework used by Olympic-level athletes: roughly a third of your sessions will be bad, a third good, and a third great. Stop spiraling after a rough practice — it's part of the process.

⚖️ Balancing Life as an Adult Athlete Greg walks through the 80/20 rule for adult athletes — why 100% perfection isn't the goal, and how VBSC helps clients fit training, nutrition, and volleyball into real, busy lives. Plus a great client story about how cutting back on volleyball actually led to her best-ever performance.

Quotes from This Episode:

"If you fight for your limitations, you get to keep them." — Jim Kwik (shared by Coach Dion)

"Give yourself permission to accept that this is where you are now." — Coach Sarah

"Just because you're not a pro doesn't mean you don't deserve to get better." — Greg Herceg

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Previous episode featuring Miles Partain (on training smarter, not more)
• Jim Kwik — memory expert & author
• Alex Hormozi — on the statistical reality of bad days

Connect with the Coaches:

- Greg Herceg: @thevolleyballstrengthcoach (Instagram/YouTube) | @vbstrengthcoach (TikTok)

• Coach Sarah: @volleyballcoachsarah (Instagram)
• Coach Dion: @dionlala (Instagram)
• Coach Gerry: @Gerryplaysbeach (Instagram)

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and drop a comment with topics you want us to cover next week!

Resources & Links:

• VBSC Coaching Application (Link to apply for personalized volleyball coaching)

Connect with Coaches:

• Greg - YouTube | Instagram