18: Momentum- Why It Swings and How Great Teams Create It

WATCH Episode 18: Momentum- Why It Swings and How Great Teams Create It

In this episode of the Growing Athletes Podcast, Amy Suiter breaks down one of the most misunderstood parts of sport: momentum.

After working with a basketball team that repeatedly built early leads only to give up massive runs, Amy explores why momentum isn’t about luck, talent, or emotion alone. Instead, momentum is created by focus, attention, and how teams respond after both good and bad moments.

This episode helps athletes, coaches, and parents understand why momentum swings happen so quickly, how focus fuels those swings, and what great teams do differently to stay present and locked in when emotions run high.

This conversation isn’t about hype or motivation.
It’s about awareness, emotional regulation, and learning how to reset so the next play gets your best energy.

Key Takeaways

• Momentum is not random. It’s built possession by possession.
• Both positive and negative emotions can steal momentum if focus isn’t reset.
• Being “locked in” means controlling attention, not eliminating emotion.
• The brain’s focus system plays a huge role in momentum swings during games.
• Great teams feel emotion, then refocus quickly on the next play.
• Momentum lives in the reset, not the scoreboard.

Episode Flow

Opening
Amy shares a real-time story from working with a basketball team that repeatedly lost momentum after getting ahead. She introduces the idea that momentum isn’t magic or chance, it’s created by where attention goes next.

Why Momentum Swings
A look at how both missed shots and made shots can pull teams out of focus. Amy explains how comfort, frustration, and emotional reactions quietly shift momentum when urgency and presence fade.

What “Locked In” Really Means
Amy breaks down focus and attention in today’s game and introduces how the brain’s filtering system (RAS) influences what players notice, react to, and give energy to during competition.

Emotion vs. Reaction
Why emotions aren’t the enemy in sport, but reacting without resetting is. Amy explains why feeling emotion matters and how ignoring or suppressing it actually makes momentum swings worse.

The Momentum Reset
Practical strategies for athletes and teams to feel emotion quickly and refocus on the next play. Why resets are needed after both mistakes and success.

The Present Moment Advantage
Amy reinforces the idea that the team who stays present the longest controls momentum. Focus on the next play, not the last one, is what separates great teams.

Closing
A reminder that momentum is always being created. The question isn’t if it’s happening, but what your focus is creating next.

Connect with Amy

Website: www.amysuiter.com
Instagram: @asuiter25
Facebook: Amy Suiter
YouTube: @amysuitercoaching

Don’t Forget

If this episode gave you language for something you’ve felt in games, practices, or on the sidelines, please share it with a coach, athlete, or parent who needs it. Momentum changes when awareness does.