Happy Athletes Perform Better: A Coach's Guide to Beating Performance Anxiety | Marin Lazic

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Marin Lazic believes the best athletes aren't just physically prepared – they're mentally free to perform. But that flies in the face of how many of us were taught to think about high performance. In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Kelly and Juliet Starrett sit down with the Australian Men's Olympic Water Polo team's Head Strength & Conditioning Coach to explore why fun, play, and psychological safety may be some of the most overlooked performance tools in sport.

Drawing from his own experience as an athlete whose performance collapsed under stress, Marin shares how that moment completely reshaped his coaching philosophy. We dive into why reducing anxiety can improve movement, decision-making, and resilience, how breathwork and vision training are becoming part of elite athletic preparation, and why creating a culture where athletes genuinely enjoy the process leads to better long-term results.

Whether you're coaching athletes, raising competitors, or simply trying to perform better under pressure, this episode offers a fresh perspective on building durable, high-performing humans.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why reducing stress and performance anxiety and creating psychological safety can unlock higher levels of athletic performance
• How fun, play, and positive team culture improve movement, resilience, and performance under pressure
• Why elite coaching extends beyond strength training to include recovery, mindset, and athlete well-being
• How breathwork, vision training, and movement quality help athletes perform at their best when it matters most
• Why the best coaches develop durable athletes who can stay healthy, adapt to setbacks, and perform consistently over time

Key Highlights: 

(0:00) Intro & Meet Coach Marin Lazic

(0:38) Marin's Background & Coaching Philosophy

(0:58) Marin's Athlete Setback Story

(8:16) The Stressful Moment That Changed Everything

(9:13) How Stress Physically Tanks Performance

(16:55) Evolving from Old-School to Modern Coaching

(18:12) Happy Athletes Are Better Athletes

(20:17) Entrenched Thinking in Sport

(20:57) Finding a Head Coach Who Buys In

(24:38) Making Fun a Performance Strategy

(26:43) Pre-Game Warmup Games to Ease Performance Anxiety

(27:08) Beating Serbia at the Olympics

(29:27) Preparing for Paris Olympics

(30:25) Six Weeks in Europe Pre-Game

(32:39) Removing Decision Fatigue on Game Day

(33:04) Quarterfinal Loss to USA in Shootout

(34:24) The Physicality of Elite Water Polo

(36:04) Wrestling, MMA, & Water Training Methods

(43:21) Eye Training & Vision Work

(47:19) Breath Work & Session Structure

(48:18) Post-COVID Efficiency Approach

(54:29) The Concept of the "Stoke Tank"

(55:53) Being a "MacGyver" Coach on the Road

(1:00:33) Coaching Influences: Peter Twist & Pavel

(1:02:11) Losing Size, Gaining Water Strength

(1:06:14) Dad of the Year & Bluey

(1:09:56) Infinite Shelf: The Book Legacy

(1:12:17) Where to Find Marin & Watch World Cup

Huge thanks to our sponsors, LMNT and Momentous.