Why Space Matters for Athletes

The science of reflection …
and the heart behind our journals <3

When you stop to think about it, all day long, student-athletes are told what to do and how to do it. Teachers, coaches, parents, and even teammates pour in constant information and instruction. It’s so easy to get lost in what everyone else says or thinks or tells you you “need to” or “should” do.

On top of that, the human brain can only grow so much while in “taking in” mode.
The brain needs time to settle, connect, and make sense of what it’s learned.

Neuroscientists call this time to process the default-mode network.
It’s the system that turns on when the mind is quiet.
That’s when memories organize, lessons stick, and creativity sparks.
It is in those in-between moments, while doodling, daydreaming, or journaling, that the brain files experience into understanding.

Without that pause, information just piles up … information overload.
With the pause, wisdom starts to form.

Psychologists have found that kids who get short, unstructured breaks during the day …

• time to reflect
• time to be “bored”
• time to notice how they feel

… become more coachable, more emotionally steady, and more self-motivated.
Their nervous system learns to recover from stress instead of staying in constant “go” mode.

That’s what our journals and reflection sheets are designed to do.
They don’t add more information, instructions, noise or rules.
They create breathing room, a grounding space where student-athletes can:

• decompress after the game
• process what went well and what didn’t
• rebuild confidence
• develop self awareness so they can reflect and correct
• and reconnect with who they are, their why, and what works well for them

Because real growth doesn’t stick during the grind.
Real growth happens in the pause that creates the space you need for everything you’ve experienced and practiced finally take root.

Give yourself and your student-athletes that time and space to GROW.

Start simple with our worksheets.
Dive in with our journals.