The Kids With The Most Talent Are The Most Likely To Quit. A Westlake Coach Brought In The Best Solution She Could Find

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Apr 29, 2026, 08:52 ET

Hosted by The Elite Competitor and the US Coaches Association, Two Olympians, a Pro Basketball Veteran, and Mental Performance Coach Breanne Smedley speak at Crocker Park May 9

WESTLAKE, Ohio., April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- After 40 years of coaching, Mary Herrick has seen it too many times: a girl loves the game, works hard, has the talent, and then quits.

"It's harder for children that are highly competitive because the fear of losing is such a big factor," Herrick says. "And then you have the child that is the perfectionist… it's never gonna be perfect."

This interactive experience is for athletes and parents, helping athletes know how to recover from mistakes and build confidence, while parents learn how to best support their athletes (often in ways they aren't expecting!)

Women who played at the top are coming to town to give back to young girl athletes

So Herrick decided to do something about it. She went looking for the best mental performance training available for girl athletes. She found The Elite Competitor.

On May 9th, the US Coaches Association and The Elite Competitor are hosting From Pressure to Power: A Parent-Athlete Experience in Building Confidence That Lasts at The Market Square at Crocker Park in Westlake, Ohio from 11am-2pm.

The timing couldn't be more urgent.

Girls drop out of sport at twice the rate of boys by age 14 (Women's Sports Foundation, 2019). Among girls who once identified as sporty, 43% disengage from sport by their teens - compared with just 24% of boys (Women in Sport, 2022).

"Girls don't quit because they stop loving sports," says Coach Bre, a certified Mental Performance Coach, 14 year head coach with 4x state championships. "They quit when the emotional cost becomes unbearable. Confidence isn't a mindset you choose. It's a skill you build.

The keynote and workshop give athletes a reset process for mistakes and give parents the exact words to use on the car ride home.

"That car ride home after a tennis tournament can be brutal," Herrick says. "Parents really want to know how to support their children."

The "Real Talk with Athletes Who've Been There" panel features:

Katie Class Marquard - 2x Olympian speed skater, World Championship bronze medalist, former Executive Director of USA Speedskating.

Brianne McLaughlin - 2x Olympian, NCAA record-holder with 3,809 career saves, first woman to coach men's D1 hockey, US Women's National Team Goalie Coach.

Cassie Sant - D1 basketball, four NCAA Tournaments, played professionally, now Senior Graphic Designer for the Cleveland Cavaliers and WNBA Cleveland.

Gemma Wichmann - Magnificat High School standout, committed to Loyola University Chicago.

Moderated by Dr. Dobie Moser, U.S. Olympic Committee veteran.

"We need to do something now. We must make things better." - Mary Herrick

The goal isn't winning the next tournament. It's building mentally strong girl athletes - in their sport and in life.

Open to girl athletes ages 11-18 and their parents.

REGISTER: www.uscoaches.org
DATE: Saturday, May 9, 2026
TIME: 11AM-2PM
LOCATION: The Market Square at Crocker Park, 239 Market Street, Westlake, OH

ABOUT THE ELITE COMPETITOR
Home to the #1 mental training program for girl athletes (and their parents and coaches), co-founded by Breanne and Kristina Smedley. Learn more at elitecompetitor.com.

MEDIA CONTACT
Gwen Jansen van Vuuren
360-241-4109
[email protected]

SOURCE The Elite Competitor