Melinda Harrison was on the national swim team for Canada and participated in the 1984 Olympics. Since those competitive athletic years she has built a career outside of sports as a professional ICF, PCC Level Executive Coach and facilitator. Many highly accomplished people after achieving a major success or realizing Read more
Novak Djokovic has made steady advancements in his professional success. Over the course of time he has masterfully calmed his inner mental game. In his recent Wimbledon victory press conference he answers questions about his mental preparation for the final and his focus during the epic match playing against the Read more
Simona Halep’s recent Wimbledon win over Serena Williams was a flawless performance. During Halep’s post match interview she shared key mental strategies that tennis players’ at all levels can learn to elevate their competitive match play mental focus. *Halep developed a game plan prior to the match and committed to Read more
Argentine professional tennis player Guido Pella discusses with journalist Jonathon Braden, steps he took that helped him become a calmer, more focused and successful player on the court. Pella has shifted his focus so moment to moment he is able to stay centered in the present. “My mind is in Read more
The Atlantic Magazine’s recently published article by Linda Flanagan titled, ” is a good read on the multi-layered stressors that can influence the mental health of young elite athletes in today’s competitive sports environment. The article is also a reminder to coaches and parents of the the essential importance of Read more
“” by Gerry Everding, reveals some interesting findings by researchers at Washington University in St. Louis. Lisa Gorham, lead author of the study and a senior majoring in cognitive neuroscience in Arts and Sciences, said, “We found that involvement in sports but not non-sport activities such as music or art Read more
I am frequently asked, “What does a sport counselor do?” This article by Delia O’Hara offers a nice summary of what a client working with a counselor proficient in sport performance and trained in mental health can offer to an athlete and/or his/her support team. https://www.apa.org/members/content/petrie-athletes-performance
Everyone worries. It’s a part of being human. Our brains naturally watch for danger and prepare to assess and quickly solve problems. There is great benefit to identifying potential problems and threats in our environment so we can respond effectively. Excessive worry, however, can take this adaptive brain response and Read more
Is your training program out of balance? Many coaches and athletes devote a large percentage of their time to physical training for competition. Yet, coaches, players and parents often attribute non-performance mental factors as the culprit of why a player didn’t perform up to his/her capabilities. This is illustrated by Read more
Paula Smith played on the WTA for over ten years, starting in 1977. After her first year on tour she gave her dad back his credit card and said, “If I am going to make it I have to do it myself.” She says it was close at one time Read more