FAQs
What is mental performance coaching?
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Mental performance coaching helps athletes and other high performers develop the mental skills and habits that influence how they prepare, respond, and perform.
Just as athletes train their physical skills, they can train skills such as confidence, focus, emotional regulation, resilience, self-talk, goal setting, visualization, and performing under pressure.
My approach is individualized and practical. We identify the specific situations that are affecting your performance, develop strategies based on established performance psychology principles, and then practice those strategies until they become sustainable habits.
The goal isn't simply to help you feel better before the next competition. It's to help you develop skills you can continue using throughout your athletic career and beyond.
Who do you work with?
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I primarily work with high school and college athletes, from athletes who are beginning to take their sport more seriously to experienced competitors preparing for the next level.
I also work with coaches, teams, executives, managers, and other professionals who want to improve performance, leadership, focus, decision-making, and resilience.
You don't need to be struggling to benefit from mental performance coaching. Many of the people I work with are already successful and want to become more consistent, prepare for a higher level of competition, or develop skills that will help them perform under greater demands.
Is this therapy?
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No. Mental performance coaching and mental health counseling serve different purposes, although there can be some overlap in the skills they address.
Mental performance coaching is primarily focused on performance development and skill building. We work on areas such as confidence, focus, preparation, routines, goal setting, resilience, and performing under pressure.
Mental health concerns such as significant anxiety, depression, trauma, eating disorders, or other clinical conditions may require a licensed mental health professional. When appropriate, I work collaboratively with parents, coaches, therapists, physicians and other professionals to make sure an athlete has the right support.
How old does an athlete need to be?
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I primarily work with high school and college athletes, although the appropriate starting point depends more on the athlete's developmental readiness than on a specific age.
For younger athletes, mental performance work will be age-appropriate and focused on building healthy skills and habits rather than creating additional pressure to perform.
For high school athletes, coaching can become more individualized and can address challenges such as competition pressure, confidence, recruiting, transitions to higher levels, and balancing athletics with academics and other responsibilities.
How often do sessions take place?
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The frequency depends on the athlete, goals, schedule and stage of development.
Most athletes benefit from weekly sessions when they are actively developing new skills and habits. Others may meet less frequently once they have established a strong routine and want periodic accountability and refinement.
Mental skills develop through practice between sessions, not simply through conversations during a coaching session. I want athletes to leave sessions with practical strategies they can use in training, competition, school and everyday life.
What makes you different?
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My approach is based on three principles:
Individualized: There is no universal mental-performance formula. We start with the individual—their goals, experiences, strengths, challenges, and environment.
Research-backed: I use established principles from sport and performance psychology rather than relying on motivational slogans or unsupported quick fixes.
Sustainable: The objective isn't simply to perform better for the next game. We work to develop habits and skills that can become part of how you prepare, compete, lead, and respond to challenges over time.
My background also gives me a perspective that extends beyond sport. In addition to being a father of two athletes, I have spent years coaching athletes, leading teams and organizations and managing complex projects. I've seen that many of the same principles that help athletes perform under pressure also apply to leaders and professionals.
How long does coaching typically last?
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There isn't a predetermined number of sessions that works for everyone.
Some athletes come to coaching with a specific challenge—such as preparing for a major competition or adjusting to a new level of play. Others want to work over a longer period to develop a broader set of mental skills and habits.
My goal is not to create dependence on coaching. It's to help you develop the skills and confidence to manage your own performance more effectively.
For most athletes, we begin by meeting once per week for 12 weeks. After that, we can determine the best next steps based on your needs.
Can you work with athletes remotely?
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Yes. Mental performance coaching can work very effectively through virtual sessions.
Much of the work involves conversation, reflection, planning, skill development, and practice strategies that can be applied anywhere. Virtual coaching also allows us to continue working when athletes are traveling, attending college or competing in different locations.
In-person coaching may also be available depending on circumstances and location.
Yes. My experience as a coach and organizational leader has given me a particular interest in helping teams and coaching staffs develop stronger performance cultures.
Team sessions can focus on topics such as:
Confidence and resilience
Performing under pressure
Process vs. outcome focus
Communication
Leadership
Accountability
Handling mistakes and adversity
Pre-performance and reset routines
Team culture
Sustainable performance habits
Team training can be customized to the age, sport, competitive level, and specific needs of the group.
Do you work with teams?
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The first step is a conversation to discuss what you're hoping to accomplish and whether mental performance coaching makes sense for you. There is no obligation to begin coaching after that conversation.
If we decide to work together, the first session is a deep dive into your background, experience, current challenges, goals and aspirations. In our second meeting, we will discuss your individualized roadmap to take from where you are now to where you want to be.
If you're ready to develop your mental game, let's start the conversation.
What happens during our first session?
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Mental toughness is often used as a catch-all term, but I prefer to be more specific.
Rather than simply telling an athlete to "be mentally tough," we identify the skills that allow someone to respond effectively when things become difficult.
That might mean learning how to reset after a mistake, manage pressure, maintain focus, regulate emotions, communicate effectively, or continue executing a process when the outcome is uncertain.
Mental performance isn't about never struggling. It's about becoming better at responding when you do.
Is this about becoming “mentally tough?”
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We start by identifying what you want to change or improve.
Depending on your goals, progress might look like:
Responding more effectively after mistakes
Staying focused during competition
Following your routine more consistently
Feeling more prepared before competition
Making better decisions under pressure
Recovering more quickly from setbacks
Spending less time dwelling on outcomes
Taking greater ownership of your development
Performing more consistently in situations that previously caused difficulty
Performance isn't always linear, and a single result doesn't tell the whole story. We look at patterns over time and use reflection and feedback to continually adjust the approach.
Do you have a question that was not answered above, please ask.