Building a Growth Mindset in Your Athlete

Derek Marr found his calling in the space between physical preparation and peak performance, the mental gap where championships are won or lost. Mentored early in his career by a World Coach of the Year and coaches who went on to win 18 national titles, Derek was shaped by excellence from the start. His approach to every athlete is individual: rather than working best with one type of competitor, Derek genuinely invests in understanding each athlete's sport, goals, and mind before developing a strategy. His most meaningful professional achievement came when his former college coach, so respected that the national Coach of the Year award bears his name, reached out to Derek for mental performance support, a full-circle moment that validated years of dedication to the craft. Derek has also been part of a landmark research study on the psychosocial performance factors of Olympic medalists, led by his mentor Rick McGuire. He has supported more than three NCAA national champions and built deep, lasting relationships with athletes who credit his coaching as transformative. One of his most vivid coaching memories is an athlete at the NCAA Championships sharing that a single mental strategy Derek taught had made the difference in that race. Derek's coaching is research-informed, athlete-centered, and profoundly practical. If you are ready to close the gap between what you are physically capable of and how you actually compete, Derek Marr knows exactly how to help you get there.