Like many of her teammates, Libby Burns had never worked with a mental performance coach before. 

  

So, when Jess Knecht, an elite mindset coach and partner at Max Out Mindset (a mental performance training company) began working with the College of Saint Benedict volleyball team three years ago, the now-senior defensive specialist had no idea what to expect. 

  

"In high school (at Watertown-Mayer), we'd done some work with visualizing and that helped a lot," Burns said. "But I'd never worked with someone who brought this kind of depth and experience before. It was a whole new level.  

  

"When Jess first started, our meetings with her were pretty quiet and timid because it wasn't something we were used to," she continued. "But over these past three years, she's made a huge difference when it comes to our performance and team culture. 

  

"She knows exactly what questions to ask and what we need to hear. We've developed so much trust and respect for her and what she has to say. That allows us to be super honest about how things are going and what areas need work. And she's able to come out with the responses the situation calls for." 

  

Knecht, a 2008 graduate of Northwestern (Iowa), was an All-American collegiate athlete herself before going on to a successful volleyball coaching career at the high school and club levels. She also ran her own fitness training company before pivoting to mindset training and partnering with performance psychiatrist Dr. Larry Widman at Max Out Mindset, where she has gone on to work with Olympic, Division I, small college, high school and club athletes alike. 

  

"I was seeing so many high-level athletes who were unbelievably physically talented, but who needed to find the proper mental mindset," she said. "Their belief in themselves didn't match their athletic skillset. 

  

"The brain is a muscle too. Why not train it in the same way you'd train your physical skills? We train the Four Cs of an elite mindset - commitment, confidence, concentration and composure. Those are the areas we specialize in with our athletes.  

  

"We have to be able to break through the barriers in our own mind so we can max out when it matters most," she continued. "That's what it's all about." 

  

CSB head coach Nicole Hess heard Knecht present at a volleyball coaching clinic prior to the 2024 season and it resonated. 

  

"My staff and I felt like, as a group, we were missing that mental edge that could take us to the next level," Hess said. "So I reached out to Jess. We had a couple of phone calls and talked through some stuff. I really liked the approach she took to things. So eventually, we decided to pull the trigger and go for it." 

  

Knecht comes to campus during the preseason each year to observe practice and conduct an in-person meeting. Then players meet with her via Zoom every few weeks during the season, either as a specific group or as an entire team, depending on what the situation calls for. 

  

The results have shown up on the court. The Bennies have won the past two MIAC playoff titles, including a 3-2 road victory over St. Olaf in the conference title match last season in which CSB rallied from an 0-2 deficit to win the final three games. 

  

"Nicole will reference what we've talked about with Jess during almost every match we play," All-MIAC senior hitter Kali Jones said. "So we draw on those lessons constantly. Against St. Olaf (last season), it was all about grit and pushing through when we could have just rolled over and given up. But we didn't. We had a never-give-up mentality, and some of that comes from the work we've done with (Knecht). 

  

"She targets things from a different perspective and it's really nice to have another voice beside your teammates and the coaching staff to draw on. Every year brings different challenges from a mental perspective, and she helps us work through them." 

  

Burns said having the chance to work with someone with a resume like Knecht's has been extremely valuable. 

  

"Until we got to know her, I didn't realize how extensive her background was," Burns said. "That just lends even more credibility to what she has to say. This is someone who's worked with professional athletes and Olympians. But she's just as focused on players at a Division III school in Minnesota. 

  

"We feel blessed and lucky to get the chance to work with someone like that." 

  

Knecht, though, said there are some things that are universal, no matter what level. 

  

"We're all human and we all have this desire to be great," she said. "We all struggle at some point and we all have that need to ask for help. 

  

"I have a huge level of respect for Nicole," Knecht continued. "She's a high-level head coach who's had a lot of success and knows a ton about building and sustaining cultures. She's constantly looking for ways to evolve and get better, and this was part of that. I think she sets a great example for her peers around the conference and region with the way she finds whatever tools she needs to ensure her team is competitive year-in and year-out." 

  

Knecht's success with the CSB volleyball program has led to other coaches at the school drawing on her services as well. In all this school year, she will work with athletes and coaches in 10 varsity sports. 

  

"Saint Ben's is a very special school," Knecht said. "It's a place that strives for excellence both academically and athletically. I love having the opportunity to work with the athletes and coaches there. Every sport is different, but what they all share in common is that they want to get better and they want to learn." 

  

Jones said working with Knecht had definitely improved her game. 

  

"At the end of the season, we fill out a form and I've written about how helpful having the chance to be around Jess has been for me," she said. "I live with two hockey players, and now they're getting the chance to work with her too. I love the fact that what she's doing with them is personalized to their needs. It's not just the same things she's been saying to us. She genuinely cares about what's going on with every team she works with and throws everything she has into helping them get better. 

  

"She's certainly made a huge difference with us, and it's really cool to see other teams now getting the chance to experience that too."