Mindset Matters: Ana Lameiras on Building Resilience in Football

Ana Lameiras' journey into mental coaching didn't begin in a training room or at a university, but on the sideline as a mother of two sons. What started as a voluntary role as a parent representative for a football club developed into something much bigger.

"My phone number began to circulate among parents from different clubs," Lameiras explains. "Suddenly, I was getting calls from people I didn't know, saying: “Can you just talk to my son? He needs to hear this from you."

The turning point came when a player told her about the positive influence she had on him. "His mother confirmed it and said: “He always says he loves having you around, you give him so much confidence" Lameiras recalls. "That was really the moment when things changed for me."

With a background in education and a newly acquired interest in sports psychology, Lameiras founded Creative Minds in 2018. Creative Minds is a consultancy specializing in mental training and psychological support for athletes and coaches. The service offers both individual sessions and team-based workshops that are tailored to the client's specific needs and development goals.

"My work is about helping athletes and coaches develop their mental resilience to perform at their highest level," Lameiras explains. "I focus on their overall well-being, self-confidence, and concentration. It's all connected to how you behave both on and off the field."

Today, she works with players and coaches at all levels - from youth teams to top professionals - and her clients include individual athletes and established clubs. Her consultations typically take place one-on-one, allowing in-depth and personally tailored support.

Lameiras brings an unusual combination of experiences to her work: "I was a teacher, a special educational needs coordinator, and a headteacher". This background has shaped her holistic approach, which has been further strengthened through studies in psychology, counseling, sports psychology, emotional intelligence, and leadership.

"I'm a trauma-informed practitioner and a mental health first-aider," Lameiras adds. "I'm very aware that it's not one-size-fits-all. Just like in a school - if they don't learn one way, they need to learn another way."

Building Resilience One Percent at a Time

Lameiras has developed a comprehensive program through Creative Minds that includes a range of tools designed to strengthen mental strength and resilience in athletes. These include visualization techniques, meditation, breathing techniques, and self-talk - all adapted to the client's individual needs.

"A typical session with a client always starts with creating a safe space," Lameiras explains. "I listen to what's on their mind right now before moving on with the program's exercises. Sometimes, it's more important to address an immediate concern than to follow a set plan."

Lameiras has recently partnered with Tracey Jones to expand the PGP (Personal Growth Program) - a curriculum accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management. One of the most popular services within this program is the ‘Mind Management’ program, which helps athletes handle pressure, uncertainty, and setbacks. 

"It's all about mind management and personal growth," Lameiras explains. "About being your own CEO - how to develop the right leadership mindset, develop yourself so you gain leadership skills and the right mindset to handle setbacks."

Flexibility and connection are at the heart of Lameiras' approach, especially when it comes to adapting her methods for different age groups. "When you talk to under-18s, you need to use a completely different vocabulary than with an older player or a coach," she explains. "With a coach, it's about leadership, relationships, and how to handle egos. With younger players, you need to speak at their level because concentration and focus levels are very different."

Lameiras is also a certified Lumina practitioner, using psychometric tools to help players and coaches better understand themselves. "It provides insight into personality and how they react in different situations, under pressure, and in teamwork," she says.

"Many people come to me when they're in stressful situations," Lameiras notes. "But you need to prevent this. You need to act before you get into that situation."

Her philosophy is focused on building up - one percent at a time. "We talk about your sleep, your hydration, your food, your mind, your relationships. These are building blocks that you add to create a stable and strong foundation."

Lameiras emphasizes that skills and talent alone are not enough to reach the top. "It's about mentality, about knowing who you associate with, about knowing what you do to reach that level."

The Safe Space: Independent Support and Authenticity

A crucial advantage of Lameiras' role is working independently. 

"We value practitioners and sports psychologists within clubs, and they play an important role, but sometimes, players may find it challenging to fully open up to them because they are part of the club structure," she explains.

"I'm independent. I work closely with both coaches and players, but the clubs don't know who I work with, it’s confidential."

This independence, combined with strict adherence to confidentiality, creates a safe space for athletes to discuss their concerns without fear of consequences. "It's so valuable to have someone to talk to who doesn't judge you, who lets you be you, and where you can talk about anything," she says.

Lameiras emphasizes that authenticity is crucial for mental health in sports. "If you pretend to be someone else, it can really harm your well-being, and then you go down the road of mental illness," she warns. "You pretend to be someone else, and suddenly you don't know who you are."

This is particularly relevant in sports environments, where athletes may feel pressured to hide aspects of their identity. "It could be sexuality, mental illness - they couldn't be themselves. They didn't feel the environment was safe enough for them to say, “This is how I am, or this is who I am."

While acknowledging the value of technological aids, Lameiras prefers a balance between traditional and modern approaches. "Video analysis is a powerful tool for player development," she explains. "When a player can see themselves playing on video, they get a completely different perspective. On the field, you have one viewpoint, but when you analyze your performance via video, you get a completely different understanding."

She points out that video analysis can especially help visual learners. "Many players are primarily visual learners, and for them, seeing their movements, positioning, and decisions on video can be transformative. It contributes to better decision-making and helps build confidence because they can see what they're doing right and where they can improve."

However, Lameiras still prefers human contact for personal coaching. "I'm more old school," she admits. For me, it's very much about the individual and the person—about being relatable." She even practices "walking therapy"—sessions that take place during a walk. "You don't need to look people in the eyes, and sometimes it works really well for some individuals," she explains.

Lameiras uses the principles of different learning styles - visual, auditory, and kinesthetic - to help coaches communicate more effectively with their players. "I recently had a conversation with one of my coaches, and he said he had never thought about it," she shares. "I suggested that he have his assistant coach lead the whole training while he observed and took notes. It completely changed his approach."

More Than Just Football

In a sports world that often focuses on immediate results, Lameiras' work represents a long-term investment in athletes' mental foundation. By focusing on small, incremental improvements - the famous "one percent" - she helps build resilience that extends beyond sporting performances.

"It's not just about how you perform on the pitch," she concludes. "It's about how you behave both on and off the field."

Lameiras continues to grow, and she is exploring new ways to reach more athletes and coaches. She delivers workshops and speaks at conferences about sports psychology and mental health. Her long-term goal is to make mental training as central to sports development as physical training.

For those looking to reach the pinnacle of their careers, mental resilience is just as crucial as physical training and technical ability. With Lameiras' approach, success isn’t just about what you do on the field—it’s about how you think, behave, and respond to it - it lies in the mind. To truly unlock your potential, mastering your mindset is the ultimate competitive advantage. The question is: Are you ready to make that shift?