Close-up of a soccer player's blue and white cleats on top of a colorful patterned soccer ball on a grassy field.

Skills for sport. Tools for life.

PLAYfree’s mission is to help athletes, coaches, and parents cultivate the joy, growth, and performance potential of transformational competitive environments through mentorship, support, education, and the collaborative development of resilient, self-determined, and confident human beings.

Work with Aaron

  • A water polo player wearing a red cap and swimsuit is in a pool, holding a yellow water polo ball above her head.

    Individual Athletes

    Build a mental and emotional skillset for accessing joy, purpose, intention, a growth mindset, and peak performance.

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  • A group of five cyclists wearing matching orange and white jerseys and helmets racing on a paved road, with green grass and a fence in the background.

    Teams

    Learn to collaborate, bring the best out of each other, and maximize your strengths and abilities as you reach for new heights.

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  • A soccer player and a coach or trainer having a discussion on the sideline of a soccer field. The player is wearing a pink training bib over a white jersey and blue shorts, while the coach is dressed in all black. The coach is gesturing with his right hand as the player listens.

    Coaches & Organizations

    Create human-centered, growth-focused, intentional and transformational competitive environments built to thrive.

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  • Four young boys in yellow and blue soccer uniforms celebrating together on a football field at dusk, with stadium lights in the background.

    Parents

    Be your child’s #1 fan and positive role model as you support their development, well-being, and joyful sport engagement.

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What is Mental Performance?

Mental performance is not one size fits all, because that’s not how human beings are.

Rather, it is in the ongoing building and practice in the use of a set of skills and mindsets that might include: Identifying one’s strengths and leaning into them; having compassion for one’s imperfections; identifying and learning to navigate one’s emotions; embracing each challenge or setback as an opportunity to grow; learning to engage in each step of the process with curiosity, determination, and openness; connecting with one’s intrinsic meaning and purpose; putting things into perspective; and bringing one’s attention, identity, joy, and energy to bear on the requirements of each present moment, again and again.

My job as a Mental Perfomance Coach is to help you build your performance toolkit.

Hi, my name is Aaron.

I’m a former athlete and coach who struggled daily with the mental and emotional challenges of sport. Since I stopped playing and coaching, I’ve learned a lot and healed a lot, and now my mission is to use those lessons, observations, and experiences to help athletes, coaches, and parents identify, embrace, and solve the challenges that they face in their sports and daily lives.

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Playing Free (The Newsletter)

Ideas, thoughts, and essays from my mind and heart.

On sport, education, psychology, daily life, injury, and more,   plus tips for performance in and out of the arena.

blog
Past Newsletters
performance tips
Ski lift ascending snowy mountain with skiers and snowboarders on slope, under blue sky.