On a tense court during qualifier season, a Michigan Elite 14s team gathers in a tight huddle—shoulders squared, eyes closed, breathing in sync. There’s no panic, no frantic last-minute coaching. Instead, the athletes are leading one another through a brief sequence of grounding breaths. Moments later, they break with quiet confidence and take the court, ready for the pressure of the high stakes points ahead.

Scenes like this have become increasingly common across Michigan Elite Volleyball Academy since the club adopted Neurofuel, a mental performance training app, during the 2024 season. What began as an experiment for a couple handful of teams has now evolved into one of the most comprehensive mental training initiatives in the region.

A Purposeful Shift Toward Mental Performance

The spark came from within: one of Michigan Elite’s assistant coaches, who had relied on Neurofuel herself during an injury at Michigan State University. Visualization sessions kept her game-ready during recovery, and the experience made her a passionate advocate for integrating mental training into club culture. Her personal results helped the club’s directors recognize the untapped potential in equipping athletes with practical mindset tools.

Michigan Elite rolled out Neurofuel to the 13U–18U National teams and the 15U–17U National Select teams in year one. The onboarding was simple—monthly emails with focus areas, usage reports, and encouragement ensured consistency without overwhelming coaches. Adoption quickly exceeded expectations.

From Pilot Program to Club-Wide Culture

After seeing early success, Michigan Elite expanded Neurofuel to all National, National Select, and State-level teams. Athletes as young as 12 now use the app to build routines that support confidence, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.

The cultural shift is tangible. Coaches hear younger athletes using Neurofuel language—breathing cues, self-talk strategies, and refocusing techniques—during timeouts and pre-match conversations. Older players turn to visualization and breathing sessions between matches at tournaments. Usage spikes during qualifier season, when pressure runs highest.

For the directors, watching athletes independently apply mental strategies is one of the clearest indicators that the program is working. “Our players use the breathing techniques with their teammates during team huddles and pre-match communication,” Michigan Elite Business Director Kristin Eddy shared. “It’s become part of who we are as a club.”

Benefits Across Every Level

Although Michigan Elite competes nationally, the staff sees the benefits of Neurofuel across all levels of play. Regional and State-level athletes often use the app to manage performance anxiety and build foundational emotional-control skills. Highly competitive athletes rely on Neurofuel to slow down intense moments, manage stress, and improve decision-making in high-stakes matches.

Regardless of level, the most common feedback from players is simple: they love it. They appreciate the clear messaging, breathing strategies, and visualization reps that help them regain control on and off the court.

Overcoming Obstacles—and What Other Clubs Should Know

The biggest initial challenge wasn’t athlete buy-in—it was helping coaches feel confident discussing mental performance. Michigan Elite is addressing this by offering more onboarding, more coach education, and reframing Neurofuel as a supportive resource rather than an added responsibility.

For clubs considering Neurofuel, Michigan Elite’s advice is direct: invest in your athletes. “This is more than volleyball—it’s something they’ll carry with them beyond the sport,” Eddy explained. Parents benefit from the platform as well, deepening the support system around each athlete.

More Than Skill, More Than Talent

Michigan Elite believes the best athletes in the world share something deeper than physical ability. “It’s mindset,” the directors say. “We talk constantly about skill—but to take on overwhelming moments, you need the confidence and capability to breathe, reset, and forge ahead.”

At Michigan Elite, that mindset is no longer left to chance. It’s trained, practiced, and woven into the fabric of their program—one breath, one visualization, one athlete at a time.

Neurofuel is the Preferred High Performance Mental Training Platform of the JVA. JVA has teamed up with NeuroFuel to help you build mentally strong athletes and teams. Learn how to get your team started here.

Neurofuel is a mental training platform designed to help athletes learn about and train the mental techniques proven to help individuals perform to their potential more often in the moments that matter most. The app was created by Dr. Larry Widman (Max Out Mindset) and some of volleyball’s most respected coaches including Kirsten Bernthal Booth (LOVB, fmr Creighton), Angie Oxley Behrens (Creighton), Craig Dyer (Notre Dame) and Jamie Morrison (Texas A&M, USA Volleyball).  Used by more than 1,200 teams and over 23,000 athletes, Neurofuel supports athletes, coaches, and teams in achieving peak performance mindset and long-term personal growth. Learn more at www.neurofuelapp.com/