The Sport Psychology Of

Performance anxiety, the enemy of so many athletes who are striving for greatness, takes the confidence, and ultimately, fun, out of anyone’s sport. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to chip away at this detrimental consequence of the mind. Dr. Jim Taylor is here to provide an abundance of tangible ways to reduce performance anxiety. Before that, we discuss the ways in which the mind is suscep...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has entered the world of many careers, but few understand its impact in sports, particularly, mental performance. With AI increasing efficiency all over the workplace, how can AI be leveraged to help athletes optimize their mental game?  Joining me today is the perfect guest for this topic, Dr. Ford Dyke, a Human Performance Optimization subject-matter expert. Dr. Dyke...

Athletes, Coaches and scouts agree that being a gritty player bumps up their value as an athlete. What remains then, is whether or not grit is something athletes are born with or is it a quality they can train, and if so, what specific techniques are effective? Joining me today is Will Johnston, a former basketball player for Virginia Tech, a retired US Navy SEAL, and a mental performance coach. T...

Every sport has its own version of a shot clock to induce stress and anxiety, or focus and a flow state. Whether you sink or swim under that pressure largely depends on the strength of your mental game. Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re breaking down the sport psychology of shot clocks. For the first time, 2 guests will be joining me today - Aren Ulmer and Dave Laug...

Addiction is on a spectrum, and prevalent for everyone, especially for those in pursuit of performing at their best on a consistent basis. Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re breaking down the sport psychology of addiction. Dr. Justin Jacques joins the podcast to discuss topics like different forms of addiction, how even minor forms can impact performance, how one’s m...

What exercise takes the prize for being most frequently suggested to reduce stress, and so abstract most people don’t understand how it impacts the brain? Welcome to the sport psychology of - today, we’re talking about the sport psychology of meditation. Pete Kadushin, Ph. D., CMPC, is the mental performance coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. Pete’s work focuses on two key areas of growth: helping...

Do you ever have a loud inner critic that constantly wears down your self-esteem, and increases your self-doubt?  Is an athlete’s ability to talk themselves down from a negative, erratic mindset a sign of weakness, or evidence of mental toughness?  Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re breaking down the sport psychology of self-compassion. One of the researchers contrib...

In the NFL, you have an average of 18 million viewers watching you every game. Couple that with ample time in between opportunities to make an impact and the fate of the game oftentimes coming down to you, kickers feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. Trying to execute a field goal they’ve done hundreds, if not thousands of times, leaves the mental game an essential ingredient to their...

Developing a leader on the combat field is similar in many ways to developing leaders in sports. While the end result might look different, the training can readily be applied to either position.  Welcome to the sport psychology of. Today, we’re breaking down the sport psychology of leadership development in soldiers. The guest for today is Jenny Hennig, who works full-time as a performance expert...

Whether done consciously or unconsciously, you are constantly setting goals and thinking about them day in, day out.  What’s less obvious is the optimal science to setting and striving toward your goals. Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re breaking down the sport psychology of setting, striving toward, and satisfying goals.  Garett Westerwelle joins the podcast to tea...

No matter your skill level, age, or sport, mental blocks are something many athletes come face to face with that challenges their resolve. What’s the difference in the athletes who come out the other side stronger, and the ones who quit? Training and taking care  of your brain. Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re breaking down the sport psychology of mental blocks. In...

Coaching baseball, which involves athletes constantly failing, a variety of different positions, and a lengthy season, is no small task. Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re breaking down the sport psychology of coaching baseball. I’m excited to welcome Scott Laverty who entered his 11th season as Head Coach at Chapman University in 2023-24. Scott reached the pinnacle...

When stepping up for a penalty kick or shootout attempt, it’s not difficult to imagine why many athletes panic and begin to feel their mind race. How often do you approach this moment with calm confidence? If you’re like most athletes, it’s probably not often. Luckily, there are methods to consistently reach this state through mental skills, no matter how big the moment is. Joining me today is Jus...

When it comes to optimizing mental performance, understanding your thought patterns and what you say to yourself is a top priority.  While this sounds like common sense and simple, how difficult is it really, and what are the concrete ways athletes are trained to optimize their thoughts? This conversation is a slight pivot from many episodes, as Dr. Brad Donohue joins the podcast to discuss a prog...

Whether it’s running, swimming, cycling, or any other type of endurance test, your mind is usually the first to falter, not your body.  What types of mental skills can you apply to your endurance training and competing so your mind becomes the strongest, and not the weakest link? Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re discussing the sport psychology of mid-race mental sk...

You can't have a winning team without a strong starting lineup, but what about the unsung heroes waiting in the wings—the backup players?  They often spend the majority of their careers on the sidelines, yet their mental strength and readiness to step up at a moment's notice are critical components of a team's success.  As a backup player, you're expected to put in the same, if not...

When thousands of people are in pursuit of the same goal that only allows a small fraction in, it creates a mindset that is dangerous as much as it is common Welcome to the sport psychology of, I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re talking about the starving artist mentality. Also known as the scarcity mindset, is a pattern of behavior and thoughts that everyone recognizes in some capacity.  For those in...

Do you have trouble accepting certain outcomes that you know are possible, leaving you more tense and ultimately hurting your performance? Mark Cheney joins the podcast to discuss the impact of pre-acceptance on your confidence and performance. We also go over multiple tools you can put into practice to help improve your ability to accept any outcome so you can focus more effectively on the presen...

Any quarterback will agree that there are few feelings worse than throwing an interception. Unfortunately for them, this part of the game isn’t going anywhere, so how can quarterbacks learn to mentally prepare for this turnover, and recover their mental game as quickly as possible? Welcome to the sport psychology of. I’m Gabe Zelico. Today, we’re talking about the sport psychology of throwing an i...

Patrick Mahomes recently discussed his pregame routine on the new Netflix series, Quarterback. In this solo episode, I break down each component of his routine and give you a lens into the sport psychology of it - how does he boost his mental game, and what can you take into your own pregame routine?? Follow @thesportpsychologyof on  Instagram ,  Twitter , and  TikTok . Find us on  Youtube  to wat...

What common obstacles do parents face as they guide a young athlete throughout their career? How can parents better manage the gut wrenching feeling of watching their children lose and fail? What are fragile perfects, and how can parents avoid raising someone who’s vulnerable to adversity? What are the pros and cons to participation trophies in youth sports? How can a parent stay composed on the s...

Liz Robakiewicz gives insight on how to practice values, the mental skills and mindsets enhanced through this work, and how values help athletes trust themselves. Liz is the owner of Momentum Mental Performance based out of Boise, Idaho. She works with youth and adult athletes across all sports, as well as stock market traders to leverage their strengths and values toward improved mindset and perf...

Jon Osborn and I dive deep into different mental skills and how they boost your mental game at the free-throw line. Some topics we discuss include Awareness Imagery/Visualization Self-talk Relaxation techniques Pre-shot routine Jon graduated from the University of Utah in 2017 with a Masters in Sport & Performance Psychology. As a professional, Jon works to improve mental toughness through the...

Aaron Goldman helps us unpack all of the different ways to cultivate fun in sports. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant based out of Oregon and is the director of PLAYfree. A former high school and college athlete and longtime youth coach, Aaron collaborates directly with athletes on the development of mental and emotional life skills that help them thrive on and off the field; he also...

Is it possible to get better at creating and sustaining momentum? What about stopping your opponents from gaining it? What is momentum, exactly, and how can we use this knowledge to leverage more control over it? I’m joined by Mike Howard as we talk all things momentum. You’ll hear answers to questions like What is momentum? How can athletes, coaches, and teams improve their ability to gain and su...