Build Confidence | About Us | Great Athletes Think Elite

Meet Ashley Ainsworth!

Specialist in
Mental Performance Coaching
for Youth & College Athletes

About
Great Athletes Think Elite

Great Athletes Think Elite was built on the foundation of PASSION for helping, coaching and supporting athletes through the field of sport psychology. I was led back to sport psychology after years of working as a high school counselor and numerous types coaching positions. The connection, rapport and trust I was able to develop with students and athletes created the strong desire to pursue my purpose in life… which is helping athletes feel confident, successful, and learn invaluable lessons taught in sports that can be applied for the rest of our lives.

I'm Ashley!

Currently, I hold two Master’s Degrees in Sport Psychology and School Counseling. I also hold a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a Minor in Coaching Science. In my career, I help athletes build confidence in sports using sport psychology strategies.

My approach to mental performance training is from a holistic & hands-on approach. Additionally, I help athletes improve their mindset through applicable strategies based in sport psychology.

Consistency and intentional training are key to mastering your mindset and improving your sport performance. Mental training should be prioritized in daily routines in order to develop meaningful habits. When practiced every day, these habit can make exceptional & substantial changes to your game.

In my career as a lifelong athlete, I have encountered many of the obstacles & experiences that many athletes today face. Performance anxiety, low self-confidence, lots of self-doubt, perfectionism, you name it. I truly know how hard it is to be an athlete. Overall, I have been through the ups and downs in the process of improving my mindset in order to enjoy all of the benefits that being an athlete provide

Ashley's Mission is Simple

To make mental performance coaching accessible, affordable, and achievable for youth and college athletes so they can perform to the best of their ability, conquer their goals, build confidence, and learn to handle obstacles that may be holding them back using effective sport psychology strategies.

     EXCELLENT  
     Based on 15 reviews 
    
 
 
   
 
 
        
   John Shallo 
 May 18, 2024
 
 
  Amazing experience, really helped and very thoughtful with every meeting.
  
 
       
   Nicole Woodroof 
 May 4, 2024
 
 
  We cannot say enough great things about Ashley and the work she has done with our son. When we started with her, his confidence regarding his sport was at an all-time low. He had been beaten down mentally by old-school coaches that don’t have any idea how to get what they really want out of kids. At almost sixteen, this had been going on for years. The focus she gave all of us, not just him, has made all the difference. She has helped my son refocus on what creates results to help him reach his goals, instead of being in his head about every tiny mistake he makes. As a high-level competitor herself, a high school counselor, and a coach, she has the trifecta of perfect skills for what it takes to work with kids and athletes. She understands kids in a way that even as parents we haven’t at times. In fact, we have asked her on several occasions to help us, and she partnered with us in a way that gave him the support he needed to meet his goals. Sometimes, although well-intentioned, we would say things that were reinforcing the thoughts that weren’t serving him well, but Ashley was patient with us too, and was able to help us help him. She has helped change our mindset as well as my son’s. She is an incredible, caring, wise mentor and we only wish we found her sooner! I highly recommend hiring Ashley Ainsworth!
  
 
       
   Caitlin McGonagle 
 April 22, 2024
 
 
  Ashley is the best! She is not only a very kind and enjoyable person to be around but she is an even better coach. She always makes sure to push me to my potential and is so encouraging the entire time. While I am away at school Ashley creates weekly workout programs for me and always sends me texts to check up on my progress and how I am doing. She has taken the time to get to know me and my body and I can’t be more grateful for the confidence she has given me in the gym!
  
 
       
   Ali McGonagle 
 April 22, 2024
 
 
  I recommend Ashley because she always pushes you to be the best you can be. She is super motivating, fun to work with, and is happy to see you succeed. She is the best coach for anyone looking to achieve their goals and adopt a healthier lifestyle!!
  
 
       
   Tyler Zarbock 
 March 24, 2024
 
 
  Amazing teacher if you are willing to put in the work! Sets you up for success from the very first talk, and makes plans that are extremely easy to follow along, and all it requires is that you being willing to do everything with an intention!
  
 
       
   Chrissy Hunsberger-Smith 
 January 10, 2024
 
 
  I highly recommend Ashley to anyone who have performance anxiety, put too much pressure on themselves to be the best all the time, or even ones who have just hit a plateau and need help. She is genuine, honest, and truly cares for each of her athletes and it shows by her actions and words. She will listen to your wants, needs, and struggles as an athlete. After learning what you need, she will work with you to help you find different ways to visualize your goals reach them.

As a prior college athlete, I know I would have benefited from having a coach like Ashley in my corner back then to help release some of the pressures of being a student athlete while also striving to be the best at my sport.
  
 
       
   Shannon Murphy 
 November 13, 2023
 
 
  I recently worked with Ashley helping to get my mind settled for a Muay Thai fight this past weekend. In a very short amount of time, Ashley helped me drastically improve my mentality going into the fight. She is skilled and knowledgeable in her work and her passion and care for her clients is very apparent! I would recommend any athlete to Ashley looking to up their game in more ways than one.
  
 
       
   Dean Plummer 
 November 5, 2023
 
 
  We can not thank Ashley enough for the time she invested in our son.  The relationship and trust that Ashley was able to develop with our son enabled her to fully understand the barriers holding him back from realizing his full potential.  It has been amazing to watch our son's performance change and his confidence soar with the skills and techniques Ashley has taught him.  He now has a toolbox of skills that he can utilize on and off the field to help him succeed as he finishes up his high school career and transitions into college.  We recommend Ashley and Great Athletes Think Elite to help your son or daughter reach their full potential on and off the field.  Thank you Ashley!
  
 
       
   Kristen Garron 
 May 25, 2023
 
 
  Where do I even begin? Ashley is, simply, the best! She has helped me so much in achieving my personal goals using various tactics to build and maintain my mental strength. Her passion and drive is unmatched. She is so caring and compassionate and just wants you to succeed. Not only has she helped me but she’s also helped my 9 year old daughter through sports performance coaching. My daughter plays year-round club soccer and needed some help with her confidence on the field. Ashley was so wonderful with her and we saw a new spark in our daughter’s passion for the game and skill level on the field. Passionate, empathetic, caring, genuine, empowering and just all around awesome are some words I would use to describe Ashley. Do yourself a favor and work with Ash! You will not regret it!
  
 
       
   Brian Threadgill 
 May 25, 2023
 
 
  My wife and I could not give a higher recommendation to Ashley and the support she provided to our child.  They now how the skills to approach not only sports but school work and the challenges that growing up present.

Ashley is an Expert in
Sport Psychology

Mental performance coaching can help transform any athlete into a champion with our cutting-edge mental performance coaching system. Our unique approach includes:

Developing rapport and building trust

Proving personalized action plans to help build an elite mindset for sports & life

Seeing through that the athlete remains consistent and held accountable throughout the process

Build confidence, sharpen your focus, and create the routines & systems you need to successful in sports & life with mental performance coach, Ashley Ainsworth.

No matter what challenges you may face, you can do it with more confidence and grit! Don’t let past athletic performance dictate your future.

Ashley's Approach to Coaching

I will help challenge & strengthen your mind as an athlete while developing rapport, building trust, and truly caring for your overall wellbeing as an athlete and a person. As a coach, I am very passionate about helping athletes and giving them the tools, strategies, accountability, and support they need to be successful in their sport. If you put in the work, i can promise you that you will see results.

I truly believe in your abilities to exceed expectations, and I can help you make a plan to build resilience and achieve success.

Believe that building confidence is possible and push beyond what you thought you were capable of through learning & applying sport psychology strategies with a coach who keeps you accountable.

You will gain increased confidence, better focus, greater resilience, reduced anxiety, improved motivation, strategies for positive self-talk, noticeable mental toughness.

Think about this... Your thoughts control your emotions. Your emotions control your actions. Ultimately, when you are able to control your thoughts & regulate your emotions... ...you are able to help dictate the results of your actions.

Everything you do as an athlete starts with your mindset.

You make decisions almost every day as an athlete & those decisions are affected by your mindset.

How are you handling your nerves before competition?

On your rest day, are you taking care of recovery correctly?

If you are not getting along with your coach, how are you responding?

What steps are you taking to become better at your worst skill?

All of these questions are a part of your daily process as an athlete. By working with a mental performance coach, you can help make your processes smooth, automatic, and stress free.