I consult and coach athletes and sports teams in the area of the Psychology of Winning; specifically, how to stay up when you are already up and how to get up when you are down; and more generally, how to convert potential into performance.

My ability as a motivational and leadership coach has helped maximize the performance of professional, college and high school teams and individual athletes. Much of my expertise is derived from my experiences as a professional coach and player. I specialize in:

• DEVELOPING POSITIVES ATTITUDES AND EXPECTATIONS FOR HIGH PERFORMANCE ATHLETES IN ALL SPORTS.

• CULTIVATING THE INHERENT NATURAL TALENTS AND ABILITIES OF ATHLETES ENSURING PEAK PERFORMANCE.

• MOTIVATING AND ACCESSING THE WINNER WITHIN.

• OPTIMIZING AND ALIGNING TEAM DYNAMICS & EFFECTIVENESS

CASE STUDY

Challenge – Michael, a soccer player in his junior year, came to me disappointed because although he had tremendous physical abilities he could not make the starting line up on his team. His determination and desire to succeed were strong due to his innate enthusiasm for the sport and also because he was seeking a sports scholarship in order to go to college. He had confidence in his natural talents as a soccer player, however he was unable to showcase his skills when the pressure for performance became intense. He described his weakness as an inability to focus and relax when in possession of the ball causing him difficulty in making decisions and executing plays. In addition, when defending, he would have a hard time keeping track of his player while concentrating on the game.

Process – It was important for me to watch him practice and play in order to become more familiar with his style, strengths, and weaknesses. After doing so, I was immediately able to spot a few problem areas, but was also impressed with his obvious natural talents. Through the combination of the discussions I had with Michael and my own observations I was able to make some determinations about how he was getting in his own way. Michael lacked confidence and composure under pressure. He was certainly capable of overcoming these obstacles as evidenced by his willingness and enthusiasm. An important key was getting him to allow his innate abilities to shine through under all circumstances, particularly in high pressure games. Therefore, the next step was to have Michael identify specifically the difference between his actual performance and the desired performance. We also discussed under what circumstances he was in fact capable of peak performance. Then, through a series of visualizations and pre-game preparation strategies, he began to shift his game behaviors, displaying calm and effective decision making and execution. His game was improved significantly.

Results – In his senior year, Michael not only started in every game, but was named captain and MVP. In addition, he was elected to first team all-state and is now a scholarship player at a division one college.