SOUTH BEND — No matter how things go for Notre Dame football on Saturday night at Texas A&M, no matter how hot or how loud it gets at rollicking Kyle Field, a one-word refrain is sure to echo on the visiting sideline.

Reload.

“You get on the field and you might be tired,” sophomore wide receiver Jordan Faison said, “but you can’t show that you’re tired. You just have to reload, no matter what. Get ready for the next play.”

Third-year coach Marcus Freeman has been reinforcing that concept throughout preseason practice.

It’s part of the mental skills training the seventh-ranked Irish have received from Joey Ramaeker, director of Notre Dame’s sports psychology program and an increasingly familiar presence around the football program.

“Coach Free has invited Joey to be a closer part of our team,” third-year backup quarterback Steve Angeli said. “We’ve been able to learn some new strategic ways and new things off the field that can help us win. Joey’s been around all the time.”

A former Division III baseball player at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Ramaeker (rhymes with “Rainmaker”) grew up in Phoenix and was hired at Notre Dame in 2017 after prior stops at Boston College, North Texas and Iowa State.

His experience at the University Counseling Center and his willingness to make himself available at all hours has helped Ramaeker build a strong rapport with student-athletes balancing the pressures of academics and big-time sports.

“It’s never an issue seeing him,” Angeli said. “He’s a great addition. Whenever you need to see him, he’s always there. He’s a real instrumental part for us.”

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Rocco Spindler, a graduate junior offensive guard who started the first 10 games last season, was stunned by the statistic Ramaeker shared with the team during an offseason talk.

“We had a whole discussion as a team on how often we get distracted,” Spindler said. “I think Doc said it was 80,000 times per day.”

In the age of pinging cell phones and constant information overload, centering one’s thoughts has become increasingly difficult. Whether it’s in practice, film study, workouts or game day, Notre Dame football players are mindful of the importance of staying present.

“You want to stay focused on what you have to do,” Spindler said. “It’s how to refocus, reload and complete the task that’s at hand. In a game, you might get distracted: ‘Hey, I had a bad snap, had a bad play.’ How do I reload and refocus on that next one?”

Faison, a two-sport marvel who went straight from winning the Sun Bowl MVP trophy to helping Notre Dame lacrosse win a second straight national championship, credits Ramaeker with helping him slow things down.

“He’s been coming to our team meetings and giving us these different things to do mentally,” Faison said. “He’s helped me a lot with my reflection. When he gave his presentation, I took that a long way and ran with it.

“It’s been helping my mental (side) a lot. Being able to reflect on what you do throughout the day helps. It helps you on the field, off the field, as a person. It’s just been a world of help, and it’s great to have him.”

Targeted breathing techniques are among the newest tools Irish football players are using to keep their mental games on point.

“We were taught this in one of our team meetings,” Faison said. “You breathe in four seconds, hold it four seconds, breathe out four seconds and then hold that for four seconds. You focus on your breath the whole time, and it helps your mental (side), helps you focus in on what you need to focus on and get going.”

Loren Landow, hired in December as director of football performance, reminds players to use their breathing techniques as they come to the sideline.

“You do it and you recuperate faster,” Faison said. “It’s like, ‘Damn, this stuff really works.’ You could use it for any aspect of your life: Stress levels, going to bed, exam, anything. It’s a big help, and it was awesome to learn.”

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Freeman has been steadily building out the sports performance team for Notre Dame football since being promoted from defensive coordinator in early December 2021.

The sports psychologist role, however, remained open after Amber Selking followed longtime Irish coach Brian Kelly to LSU. A former Notre Dame women’s soccer player who worked with Irish athletes in multiple sports, Selking was a visible presence as director of mental performance for Notre Dame football from 2017-21.

“Joey is our sports psychologist,” Freeman said. “He can meet with our guys privately. He’s also been able to talk to our guys about ways to refocus. That’s something we’ve been preaching about: How do we make sure we win those 170 minutes that we’re not actually playing? Joey has really given them some tools.”

Working with Landow, sports nutrition director Alexa Appelman and head athletic trainer Rob Hunt, Ramaeker has helped Freeman’s program achieve the “holistic approach” to sports performance he laid out as the goal in March of 2022.

“To me, it’s a greater example of our whole sports performance team,” Freeman said. “All these guys that work together, along with me, to say: How do we best give our guys a chance to have success? Part of it is sports psychology. It’s nutrition, it’s in the weight room. Joey has done a terrific job in executing his role within our program. That team has worked really well together.”

Veteran offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, back for a third stint at Notre Dame after spending the past two seasons at LSU, has been impressed with Ramaeker as well.

“One of the things that I really have enjoyed from him in particular is his approach to understanding how to get yourself back centered,” Denbrock said. “Whether that's meditation, whether that's effective breathing techniques. …

“Our mentality of ‘One Play, One Life’ means whether successful or unsuccessful, put it away, refocus yourself, re-channel your energy on what you can control, which is the next play, and let’s go on.”

Denbrock’s fast-paced offense stands to benefit from a roster that can avoid getting stuck in neutral.

“With a system offensively that wants to play with some tempo to it, nothing is more critical than that,” Denbrock said. “Whether you make a good play or a bad play, it’s got to go bye-bye. And let’s move. It’s ‘next, next, next, next.’

“For the guys to learn how to use their breathing to help them do that … is a really strong way of getting them back focused on what we’re trying to get done.”

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Two of Notre Dame’s newly elected team captains spoke glowingly of Ramaeker’s impact on the current roster.

“He’s been great this offseason,” sixth-year linebacker Jack Kiser said. “He’s helped a lot of guys, held sessions on all types of different categories: mental fortitude and how you can take the next step — not necessarily a physical step.

“He’s talked to the team, given presentations on the importance of breathing, how your thoughts can control your emotions. There’s a lot that goes behind the psychological part of the game. It’s good to make sure you’re well-versed in everything.”

For junior cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a Phoenix product like Ramaeker, connecting with the mental health professional felt natural.

“He teaches us how to be in the moment; that’s the biggest thing,” Morrison said. “Joey is an exceptional human being. You can just learn in passing from him. Just small little nuggets he can give you. Joey teaches you the importance of the moment, the importance of grounding yourself. Joey is just a great dude.”

Fourth-year offensive lineman Pat Coogan, back in a reserve role after starting all 13 games at left guard last season, can use Ramaeker’s counsel to help process that disappointment and mount a personal comeback.

“I had a couple meetings with him this summer,” Coogan said. “He did a couple pods of ‘mental toughness’ is how he called it. He’s just been a great resource, honestly. We’ve built a relationship through the summer.

“As I’ve grown older and learned how mentally stressful this game is and the college atmosphere is, I’ve tried to prioritize building the mental side of the game and the mental side of me as a person. He’s been a huge resource for me.”

Spindler, also dealing with the loss of his starting job, noted the increased accessibility for Ramaeker as the 2024 season neared.

“I’m pretty sure he was around (last season), but now we see him more often in the building,” Spindler said. “He’s helped me tremendously. He’s helped other guys. I know other guys have their own meetings with him, but he’s one of the guys and he’s someone you can go to when the time is needed.”

As Notre Dame heads into a season that would require it to play a whopping 16 games to win the national championship, the Irish believe they have what it takes between the ears and between the lines.

“Football is a physical sport,” Angeli said. “There’s a lot of physical demand, but what Coach Free talks about is the stuff that sets people apart. It’s feathers of a difference when it comes to the mental edge. You have to train your mind as much as you train your body. Being able to do that will set us apart from everyone else.”

Mike Berardino covers Notre Dame football for the South Bend Tribune and NDInsider.com. Follow him on social media @MikeBerardino.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame football players credit team sports psychologist