ABOUT FORGED YOUTH
Forged Youth was born out of both triumph and hardship. Our founder, Mariel Anderson, knows firsthand how powerful the right mindset can be.
Mariel started sports late in life, with no experience, but through determination and mental training she rose to play at the highest levels. Visualization, resilience, and mindset routines became her secret weapons, not just for winning championships, but for surviving some of the darkest challenges life threw her way. These same tools that helped her excel in sport later became the very lifelines that pulled her through adversity.
That’s why Forged Youth exists. We believe sport is more than a game, it’s a vehicle for life transformation. When athletes learn how to master their mindset, they don’t just perform better under pressure, they gain skills to thrive in school, relationships, careers, and every challenge life puts in front of them.
Our mission is to equip:
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Athletes with tools to compete with confidence and bounce back stronger.
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Parents with guidance to support their athletes through the highs and lows.
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Coaches with strategies to develop not just skilled players, but resilient humans.
Forged Youth isn’t about producing highlight reels, it’s about producing strong, focused, resilient young people who know how to turn setbacks into strength.
If you’re ready to unlock potential, build grit, and prepare for more than just the next game, you’re in the right place. Together, we can raise a generation that is unshakable in sport and unstoppable in life.
Meet Our Team
Mariel Anderson
Founder | Coach | Mentor | Podcast Host
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Mariel is a former elite volleyball player turned mental performance coach, youth advocate, and trauma survivor. After receiving multiple full-ride scholarship offers, Mariel's career was derailed by traumatic events. Armed with tools like visualization, emotional regulation, and mindset mastery, she transformed her pain into purpose.
Today, Mariel guides elite athletes and their families in building the inner fortitude to excel and endure. Her work is rooted in anti-fragility, helping individuals grow stronger through adversity while navigating the high-stakes world of youth sports.
Clay Neumeyer
Director of Strategy & Growth – Forged Youth | Legacy Within
Clay Neumeyer brings heart, hindsight, and hard-won wisdom to Forged Youth as our Director of Strategy & Growth. A former baseball standout with the talent to go pro, Clay knows firsthand what it’s like to walk away from the game with a head full of “what ifs.” Life circumstances and a lack of mental training support at a critical time altered his path, but also deepened his drive. Today, Clay is a successful entrepreneur, master electrician, and father, having built a thriving company that helps other tradespeople scale with excellence.
His work with Forged Youth is rooted in purpose. Clay is fiercely passionate about helping the next generation of athletes recognize their potential and keep going, even when life gets hard. He’s here to help shape a movement that makes mental discipline and emotional resilience accessible, so no young athlete has to wonder “what if” ever again.
Jordan Owens
Head of Mentorship & Mindset
Jordan Owens is a former professional hockey player turned mindset coach, creative strategist, and mentor. After a 12-year pro career that included signing with the New York Rangers and competing in elite leagues across North America and Europe, Jordan now leads the mentorship and mental skills coaching at Forged Youth.
As Head of Mentorship & Mindset, Jordan works directly with youth athletes, particularly in hockey, to help them build confidence, emotional resilience, and a clear sense of identity both on and off the ice. His coaching style combines real-world athletic experience with empathy and actionable tools, supporting athletes through the pressures of performance, transitions, and personal growth.
Outside of Forged Youth, Jordan is the founder of Origin Creative, where he helps mission-driven brands bring ideas to life through strategy and storytelling. He also shares raw, honest reflections through his YouTube series, A Tribe Called Owens, where faith, family, and self-discovery take center stage.
Jordan’s mission is to guide the next generation through the very challenges he once faced, to help them rise strong, move with purpose, and become not just better athletes, but better humans.
Kyle
Editor
Kyle brings a rare blend of athletic experience, media expertise, and deep empathy to the Forged Youth | Legacy Within team. A former collegiate volleyball player turned media arts graduate, he has built a career at the intersection of storytelling and service.
With a background in TV, radio, and podcast production, Kyle is the creative force behind the scenes, shaping the sound, tone, and impact of each episode. Beyond the tech, he’s driven by a passion for mental health advocacy and youth empowerment.
Kyle’s presence is steady, thoughtful, and essential to the mission of helping young athletes forge lives of resilience, integrity, and purpose.
Jessica Hawthorne
Director of Marketing, Communications, & Media – Forged Youth | Legacy Within
Jessica Hawthorne is the creative force helping bring the vision of Forged Youth to life. As Director of Marketing, Communications, and Media, she works closely with founder Mariel Anderson to ensure every message, post, and piece of content aligns with the mission: to equip young athletes with resilience, strength, and self-belief.
A former competitive hip hop dancer, Jessica channels that same energy and discipline into her work; translating powerful podcast moments into tangible tools that serve our community.
Creative, grounded, and relentlessly steady, Jessica doesn’t just support the story of Forged Youth, she helps shape how the world experiences it.