Elite Mindset Coach Jess Knecht

Jess Knecht is a former collegiate athlete and volleyball coach. Her coaching style emphasizes mindset training, making it a key skill set for elite athletes and teams. She has greatly impacted individual high-performing athletes and teams through her coaching and mentorship. We are so excited that she is bringing her talent, passion, personality, and energy to the Max Out Mindset team.

"I wholeheartedly trust Coach Jess with both my athletes and my own mindset training. Jess is patient, fair, and an incredible listener. She is a pro and has done invaluable work with athletes all over the country, helping them perform as elite athletes." -  Kristen Kelsay, Associate Head Volleyball Coach, University of Minnesota

“Coach Jess has helped me in so many ways I cannot even count. She cares so much more than any coach I’ve ever had and establishes that human connection from the very beginning. She wants you to know she wants to be present in your life and wants to be a safe space for you always. Inside your sport or even just inside your life.” - Lindsay Krause, University of Nebraska

“Coach K has been my go-to mentor since she began coaching me when I was 17. That was the year that our club volleyball season was cut short due to Covid. Through those really hard and uncertain times she began to teach me that there is so much more to life, and to myself, than being a volleyball player. She showed me that I could play freely and go after my goals fearlessly. We became really close and she changed the way that I see a lot of things in life. With Coach K, she will never ever try to change who you are in order to reach any goal. She once told me “I want to be able to put people in their strengths and watch them do epic things.” And that is exactly what she does. She loves to watch people succeed, dream, and become the best versions of themselves. She had figured out the areas where I struggled, and she challenged me and challenged my mind through that while still encouraging me, above all else, to be my authentic self. If you tell her a desire you have in life, whether it be to play college volleyball, or to hike a mountain in under an hour (which we did😉), she will hold you to that and she will encourage the heck out of you the entire way.” - Norah Sis, Creighton University

"I have been working with Coach Jess for the past two years. Before mindset training, I didn’t know what mindset training was. I had pretty low confidence and belief in myself. Since working with Jess, I have been able to flip that switch. Her training has helped me immensely with confidence in myself and believing I can do whatever I set my mind to. Since working with her I can push myself further and believe I can do greater things.” - Kam Gibadlo, University of Utah

"I couldn't have imagined the positive outcomes from training with Coach Jess and Max Out Mindset. As I started retraining my mindset to be more composed, present, and to show self-compassion towards myself for my performance on the court, I realized it had an even greater impact on my performance off the court. I’ve grown in so many areas, especially in my relationships with others and, most importantly, in my relationship with myself. Learning to give myself grace and practicing positive self-talk have been a game changer on and off the court. I'm thankful that through my vulnerability and self-improvements, I've been able to positively impact others. My journey with Max Out Mindset is personally rewarding, and I know the process requires continuous effort to continue to achieve my personal and professional goals.” - Skyler Pierce, University of Nebraska 

"Coach Jess has had an impact on me by helping me realize that my demeanor and actions show a lot about how I am feeling on the court and how my teammates could be affected. When I have confidence in myself then the people around me will also be at their best. Everytime I talk to her I can always leave being more confident in myself."- Grace Heaney, Purdue University

“Mindset training is important, especially in a sport where you constantly fail. It’s important to have a strong mindset so you can forget a mistake you made and look forward to the next play to stay confident in stressful situations. While working with Coach Jess, I have learned how to be a leader, confident, mentally tough, and able to get myself out of negative thoughts. It has been amazing being able to work with her. I’ve learned so much and will continue to use what she’s taught me as I move on to college.” - Lauren Putz, University of Michigan

“In 2022, I was playing a game that I had been playing almost my entire life but never on this kind of stage. Initially, I only saw it as fun, and I loved the environment, but on this kind of stage the pressure and expectations hit an all-time high. This led to me putting handcuffs on my ability to play free. In 2023 I hit rock bottom striving for perfection, leading to anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, perfection never happens in the game of softball, or any sport for that matter. I found myself at a loss of being able to compete. My body might have been ready for the next level, but my mindset was not prepared. In learning how to take control of my thoughts and train my mind like I would train my body, it was crazy to see how quickly my inside world began to change in life and sport. I highly recommend Max Out Mindset from firsthand experience in how applying care and attention to our minds changes not only the game we play but our lives outside of it!” -Jordy Bahl, University of Nebraska

"Mindset training was a secret weapon. The work we did gave us the tools to stay connected under stress, compete freely, and become more focused. Our resiliency came from genuine trust, joy, laughter, and love, and allowed each person to be exactly who they are without judgment. This led to a unified, powerful, and driven team." - Amanda Burbridge, Head Volleyball Coach, Sandra Day O'Connor High School