mental game of 
pickleball

Built for Athletes. Designed for Performers. Grounded in Real Confidence.

 

You’ve got the talent.
You’ve put in the reps.
But when the lights are on and the pressure hits… something still feels off.

That’s where I come in.

 

I’m Vera Jo Bustos (aka Coach VJ), former college All-American, pro athlete, keynote speaker, and mental performance coach. I help athletes and high performers close the gap between their potential and their results by giving them the tools to unlock what’s already inside.

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The Mental Game Isn’t Magic. It’s Trainable.

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Confidence, focus, and composure aren’t things you’re born with.
They’re skills, and just like any skill, they can be trained, practiced, and strengthened.

At Mentality Solutions, I teach practical, powerful mindset strategies used by elite athletes and performers, but made simple enough to use in the heat of the moment.

 

Through keynote speaking, team workshops, and 1:1 coaching, I help performers:

• Reframe nerves into performance fuel

• Turn doubt into mental curiosity

• Convert pressure into purpose

• Build confidence that doesn’t depend on outcomes​

 

We Train The Full Mental Game.

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From mindset and confidence to nervous system regulation and performance under pressure.

 

The mental game isn’t just about what’s in your head.
It’s also about what’s happening in your body, especially when the pressure hits.

 

That’s where somatics comes in.

 

Imagine your body has a secret control center.

It’s called your nervous system. Like a superhero headquarters that helps you respond to the world around you.

 

Somatics is just a fancy word for how your brain and body work together to handle stress, pressure, and emotions.

 

Picture this: You’re in a big game. You want to stay focused, but suddenly your heart’s racing, your mind’s spinning, or you freeze up.

That’s not because you’re weak or unprepared. That’s your body’s control center kicking into protection mode, even when you don’t want it to.

 

Somatics helps you understand that system and train it.

 

So when the pressure rises, your body doesn’t panic or shut down.
It learns to stay calm, focused, and ready to respond with control, not chaos.

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Let's Build A Mental Game That Wins.

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If you're ready to take the next step in your mental game, let’s talk. I’d love to help you play with confidence, respond to mistakes with ease, and perform with clarity when it matters most.

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You don’t rise to the occasion. You fall to your level of mental training.
Let’s raise that level, together.