The Bottleneck I Found in December 2025 (And One Focus for the New Year)
December was a big month at The Athletes Health.
It was also a month that made one thing painfully clear.
Our biggest bottleneck heading into 2026 is not the quality of our training.
It’s awareness.
Before I get into the updates, a quick personal note.
I took a real break during the holidays, partly for family time and partly because I got hit with a cold. But now it’s go time, and this is the quote I’m carrying into the new year:
“The first chance to make a lasting change was a year ago. The second was this morning. The best one is now. Dig in, anchor it to your identity, and watch how you evolve.”
The Biggest Bottleneck: Most People Are Still Unaware
Most people are either unaware, or they’re problem-aware.
They can see the nerves, overthinking, and pressure.
They can see how it impacts performance.
But they don’t know there’s a simple, trainable solution.
That’s where mental performance coaching comes in.
Not as “motivation.”
Not as “just breathe.”
As actual training athletes can apply in practices and games to build Clarity, Confidence, and Composure.
That’s why our next 90 days are focused on education.
We’re going to speak directly to the unaware and problem-aware and show how quickly athletes can improve when they train the mental side like anything else.
December highlights at The Athletes Health
Empower Him Conference
On December 3rd, I was invited to Dream City for the Empower Him event. The questions from these young men were real and deep, and it was another reminder that the mental game isn’t “extra” anymore. Pressure is higher, and expectations are higher. Athletes, and students in general, are feeling it earlier than ever.
3C Mental Training Videos for Directors and Coaches
This last month, we also released a video series built for athletic directors and coaches! I’ll be pushing it a lot more in January because it quickly shows what we do, what it looks like in real practices, and why it works. Worksheets are being developed for this as we speak, so programs are fully immersed in the training!
TAH Training White Paper
Alongside that, we finished a white paper that breaks down the full TAH training process, plus a big separator for us: we don’t just teach mental exercises, we track them and make the invisible visible with data. Teams are getting data back week by week now, and the change is literally seen.
What’s coming next
Soon, we’ll have a quick mental quiz live on the site so parents can quickly figure out what area their athlete needs most.
We’ll also be sharing short, actionable exercises pulled from a booklet we finished writing in December, so families can start getting reps right away.
Want to start now?
If you, your athlete, or an athlete you know wants expert support to start the year strong, the best first step is a free Mental Max Out call. It’s a quick way to map out what’s going on, what’s getting in the way, and what to train next.
Free Mental Max Out Call
Thank you for being part of the team.
Let’s make 2026 the year mental training becomes mainstream.
Enjoy the New Year,
Gabe Rummel, M.S.
Founder, The Athletes Health
P.S. A lot more educational content and community engagement is coming this month.