Sophie Arreola is an 11 year old 6th grader at Rancho Christian School in Temecula, CA. She is a multi-sport athlete competing in soccer, cheer, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and softball. But thanks to the mental training offered by DropBombs Hitting, what could have been a career-ending softball injury, ended up showing Sophie strength that she never knew she had, courage to endure without yielding, and resiliency that is inspiring

The following is a testimonial written by Sophie’s mother, Yadira Arreola, demonstrating the importance of mental health. Participating in science-based sports psychology training changed Sophie’s trajectory, leading to a huge difference in the outcomes she will get in life.

“I cannot express how much this mental training has impacted my family. About a year ago, my daughter was pitching at Nationals and took a line drive to the head (yes, she was wearing a mask) but bowed down and suffered from a pretty hard blow. It was our biggest fear. Everything changed after that. She went into a depressive state, would have panic attacks every time she heard a ball hit the bat, she would flinch at loud noises, had night terrors, stopped enjoying things she usually did, just wasn’t the same girl that went out on that mound that day when this happened. It got to the point she couldn’t make it through practice without breaking down. She went from the girl who loved and begged to pitch, to completely shutting down every time she saw her softball gear.

We tried everything. We did other mental training courses, we signed up for online seminars, spoke to doctors, tried hypnotherapy, but she was ready to call it quits. I was too. My little girl was no longer the happy kid and it showed in every aspect of her life outside of softball. We paused and decided to take a step back and try a change of scenery.

We decided to drive down to San Diego and begin hitting lessons with DropBombs and Coach Lindsey’s program. We had done clinics in the past but the 4 hour commitment (there and back) prevented us from going to regular lessons. We decided to give it a try anyway. On the way to her first lesson, my daughter looked at me while I was driving and told me she was thinking about quitting. I asked her if she really wanted that or if she was afraid, she answered with honesty and told me that the incident kept on playing in her head like a loop all day and she wanted it to be over.

I’m not going to lie when I tell you, we both cried on that car ride to San Diego to that “first” lesson. I thought it would be the last for my baby. We were blessed to have had an amazing first lesson that brought a little spark back to my girl. Most of what was resonating with her was about mental approach. She asked if we could sign up for the mental training, so we did.

She began to listen to them while she was doing homework, taking a shower, before practices (in the car), and eventually they replaced her ASMR [Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response] sounds during bedtime.

She began journaling and writing her feelings down. She worked on the drills and would challenge herself to push in uncomfortable situations. After 7+ months of not being able to face a live batter, she told me she wanted to try again. So we did. I could see her using the breathing techniques as she threw each pitch. She was scared but was working through it. I couldn’t believe it, she was back on that mound.

It’s been a few months now, still a long way to go but the girl that’s up there when she pitches and who no longer steps out of the box regardless of what team she is facing. I am so proud of her and so grateful for this program that has impacted her in more ways than I can attest to. I feel like I got my little girl back, my little warrior.

We came back from a hitting clinic this past Saturday and on the way back she told me that she’s glad she didn’t quit. That she has a feeling inside and believes she’s going to be a pitcher that hits in college. You just have to have been here to understand how much that means coming from the girl who would flinch at the sound of a softball a few months ago.

I can’t recommend Drop Bombs mental training enough. My daughter listens to it religiously and it’s made ALL the difference.”