YOUTH PROGRAM TERMS & CONDITIONS

Melissa Shakti Coaching, LLC · Melissa Ratliff-Sorrell Effective date: August 1, 2026 

Before the terms

These terms exist so that everyone knows exactly what this is, what it isn't, and how it runs. I work with minors. That raises the bar on being clear rather than lowering it.

Read them fully. If anything is unclear, ask before we start.

— Melissa Ratliff-Sorrell

Scope

These terms apply to youth mental performance coaching services provided by Melissa Ratliff-Sorrell through Melissa Shakti Coaching, LLC ("MSC") — consultations, individual sessions, packages, monthly support, and any group or team format.

These terms apply to youth services only. They are separate from and do not incorporate the terms governing MSC's adult programs.

The purchasing parent or legal guardian is the contracting party and is responsible for all fees. These policies may be updated; the current version is always posted at [URL] with the effective date above.

What this is

Mental performance coaching for youth baseball and softball athletes. Focus, routines, nervous system regulation under competitive pressure, emotional regulation during games, confidence, recovery after errors, and parent–athlete communication about performance.

What this is not

Melissa holds an active clinical license and has twenty years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families. That training is why she is good at this work. It is not what she is doing here.

This is not therapy, counseling, psychotherapy, or mental health treatment. It is not diagnosis, assessment, or treatment of any condition, including performance anxiety. No clinical or therapist–client relationship is created by working together, and none of the protections specific to a clinical relationship apply.

 

This does not substitute for therapy, counseling, medical care, or psychiatric care. If your athlete needs clinical support, Melissa will tell you, will help you find it, and may require it as a condition of continuing.

 

Melissa's clinical license is issued in Mississippi. These services are coaching. They are not licensed clinical practice in Mississippi, Tennessee, or any other state, and are not delivered as such.

Eligibility and consent

Services are provided to athletes under 18 only with the written consent of a parent or legal guardian.

Where legal custody is shared, all custodial parents or guardians must consent in writing before the first session. The purchasing parent is responsible for disclosing the custody arrangement accurately.

No session occurs until the Parent Consent, Scope of Services, Disclosure Protocol, and Communication Policy documents are signed and returned. This applies regardless of payment received. If those documents are not returned within thirty (30) days of purchase, the transfer terms below apply.

Parent participation

Parent participation is a condition of service, not an option.

A parent or guardian attends every session for the designated parent portion, and is included on every communication channel between Melissa and the athlete. A family that does not wish to participate is not a fit for this program, and that is better established before purchase than after.

Continued refusal to participate is grounds for ending services, governed by the withdrawal terms below.

More than one athlete

Where more than one athlete from a family is enrolled, sessions are delivered as a single session per scheduled meeting rather than one session per athlete. Instruction is delivered jointly; application is worked individually with each athlete; the parent portion is delivered once.

A second athlete does not add a second set of six sessions. It extends the length of each session. Session lengths by family composition are stated on the offer page and in the enrollment confirmation.

Fully separate sessions for each athlete are available on request at the full single-athlete rate for each.

Fees, refunds, and transfers

All enrollments include a 48-hour grace period from the time of purchase. Withdrawals in this window receive a full refund, less third-party payment processing fees.

After 48 hours, withdrawals requested within fourteen (14) days of purchase receive a refund of fifty percent (50%) of the amount paid, less processing fees. Requests must be in writing to [email protected] 

No refunds are issued more than fourteen (14) days after purchase, or once the program has begun — whichever comes first.

In place of a refund, funds may be transferred to another MSC youth offering. The decision must be made within sixty (60) days of the withdrawal request; the chosen program need not occur within that window, only the decision. Funds not designated within sixty (60) days are forfeited. Transfers are available to youth offerings only and may not be applied to adult programs. 

Consultation fees are non-refundable inside 24 hours of the scheduled call.

Payment plans represent a commitment to the full program price. Discontinuing a payment plan constitutes withdrawal and is governed by the terms above; remaining balances may still be owed for programs already underway.

Monthly support may be canceled at any time with written notice at least thirty (30) days before the next billing date. Monthly sessions do not roll over.

Multi-session packages must be used within six (6) months of purchase. Unused sessions after that period are forfeited.

Accounts not brought current after a missed payment may have services paused until resolved.

Ending the work

Families ending a package early complete a final session with the athlete rather than stopping without one.

This is not a formality and it is not a retention tactic. A thirteen-year-old who has been working on something difficult should not have an adult disappear from their week without explanation. The session is short, it names what was built, and it ends the work cleanly.

Scheduling

Sessions require a minimum of 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. Sessions canceled with less than 24 hours' notice, or missed without communication, may be forfeited. 

Booking is by private link provided at enrollment. Session links and reminders are sent to the parent, not the athlete. 

Melissa reserves the right to end a session in progress if the athlete is unsupervised, in an unsuitable environment, or unwell. Ended sessions are rescheduled at no cost.

Session environment

The parent is responsible for providing a private, quiet space for the athlete and for the athlete's supervision during virtual sessions. Sessions are not conducted from vehicles, dugouts, or public spaces.

No session is recorded by Melissa. Families may not record any session without written permission.

Communication between sessions

Packages include support between sessions by text and telephone, on two channels: a direct parent thread, and a group thread including the parent, the athlete, and Melissa. 

All communication between Melissa and the athlete includes the parent. There is no one-to-one text, call, message, email, direct message, or social media contact between Melissa and any athlete client. Every channel is parent-inclusive. 

Where an athlete requires a private conversation, it is conducted as a scheduled virtual session of 15–30 minutes rather than through private messaging. The parent is informed the session is scheduled, does not attend, and consents in advance to such sessions under the Communication Policy. The Disclosure Protocol applies to these sessions in full. They are not counted against a package.

This structure is not negotiable at a family's request.

Support hours are Monday–Saturday, 9:00 AM–7:00 PM Central. Saturday is included because games are on Saturday. Messages outside those hours are answered in the next window.

This is not a crisis line and is not for emergencies. If an athlete is in crisis, contact 988 or your nearest emergency room.

Melissa does not connect with athlete clients on personal social media.

Confidentiality and disclosure

Sessions are held in confidence and are not shared publicly or with third parties, except as set out below.

A minor athlete's confidentiality does not run against their parent. The parent or guardian is the holder of consent, and there is a written Disclosure Protocol, agreed before the first session, setting out exactly what triggers a conversation with the parent, what triggers a referral, and what triggers a report to authorities. The athlete is told at the start of session one, in age-appropriate language, what stays between them and Melissa and what does not.

Where siblings are enrolled together, what each athlete discusses in their individual portion is not repeated to their sibling.

Melissa is a mandated reporter and will report suspected abuse, neglect, or risk of serious harm to an athlete or another person, regardless of the coaching frame and regardless of family preference.

Coaching communications are not protected by therapist–client privilege and could be subject to subpoena.

Records

Melissa maintains a dated record of session dates, attendance, general session focus, and any disclosure or referral made. These are not clinical records and no clinical documentation is created.

Records are retained for the period recommended by counsel and available to the consenting parent on written request.

Note for counsel: this deliberately departs from the adult terms, which state that no notes are kept. With minors, an accurate contemporaneous record of what was and was not discussed is protective. Confirm the correct retention period.

In-person and tournament attendance

Onsite attendance is offered when scheduling allows and is not guaranteed. It is not a fixed deliverable and no package is discounted or refunded if it does not occur.

Onsite attendance requires a signed Onsite Attendance Addendum. A parent or guardian is present and responsible for the athlete throughout. Melissa does not supervise, transport, or take custody of any athlete, is never alone with an athlete, and does not photograph or record athletes at events.

Third-party instruction

Skills instruction referenced in any package is provided by independent third parties through referral partners. Those providers are not employees or agents of MSC. MSC makes no representation as to their qualifications, insurance, or conduct and assumes no liability for their services. Any agreement for that instruction is directly between the family and that provider.

No guarantees

Melissa does not promise or guarantee any particular outcome — competitive, performance, emotional, or otherwise. This work depends on the athlete's engagement and the parent's participation. MSC does not claim to cure or treat any condition.

Program materials

All frameworks, materials, worksheets, and methods used in MSC youth programs are the intellectual property of Melissa Shakti Coaching, LLC and may not be copied, taught, or distributed without written permission. Portal access is for enrolled families only.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Mississippi. Disputes will be resolved in the courts of Lee County, Mississippi.

Severability

If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect.