In 2022, Bob Krizancic co-authored a book with Cathy Lombardo titled, “Mental Toughness, the game changer: how to create elite players, teams and athletic programs.” The hope for the longtime Mentor boys basketball coach was to provide a type of guidebook for young coaches and others in all walks of life. Almost three years later, Krizancic wants to continue his message with an emphasis on parents and athletes of all ages. His latest venture is an online course titled, “Creating the complete package” — with the subtitle: “A parent’s guide to helping their athlete become the complete package.” Krizancic — who is nearing 700 career wins and has won two state titles — calls the online course an extension of his 2022 book and a blueprint to help parents assist their children in the classroom and with sports and social situations. “So many parents wish, hope and want this but there’s no real plan,” said Krizancic. “The course, the target audience is parents and the athletes, and to give them a blueprint to understand everything when you talk academics and definitely your sport. We talk your character, sleep, nutrition, hydration. Everything. “We really want parents to build relationships with their kids and know them better through this because that’s huge.” Krizancic himself knows the importance of a parent’s role in a young athlete’s life. He was a single parent raising two sons Cole and Conner, and both became high-level athletes at Mentor. Cole was The News-Herald boys basketball player of the year and Ohio’s leading scorer at 27 points per game as a senior, and Conner was a two-sport standout in football and basketball, and was The N-H’s Tony Fisher Award winner as a senior. .@CardinalCage Coach @CoachKrizancic – author of the book ‘Mental Toughness’ – on his new online course ‘Creating The Complete Package,’ which is targeted for parents and athletes @NHPreps @MentorAthletics pic.twitter.com/ZUrRKPGqLf — Mark Podolski (@mpodo) December 26, 2024 The keys to helping his sons attain success were mostly from “trial and error,” said Krizancic. It’s taken years of experience as a father and coach to craft the online course he feels will provide value to parents with children interested in athletics. “It was about what I believed in, what worked,” he said. “And what didn’t work. I wanted my sons to be successful and happy. Sports were going to be a big part of it. During those formative years, how do you guide them? How do you help them feel confident? How do you build that relationship?” Early last fall, there was a trial run for the course that Krizancic said received solid reviews. The course consists of five modules and 53 total lessons: • “The power of a strong body and mind,” which focuses on the importance of nutrition, hydration and sleep. • “The power of character on and off the court/field,” which focuses on solid decisions, commitment, discipline and perseverance. • “The power of being fundamentally sound,” which focuses on creating positive life habits. • “Unleashing the power of sport IQ,” which focuses on always being in learning mode. • “The power of being virtually flawless,” which focuses on striving to be more than you thought you could be. In addition to the course, Krizancic hosts monthly question-and-answer zoom calls with parents. There is no timetable for the course to be completed. “At your own time,” said Krizancic. For more information, go to www.completepackagecourse.com.