As a teenager in the Kansas City area who played basketball, ran cross country, and performed spoken word, I struggled severely with perfectionism. This perfectionism, wanting to do everything right, and wanting everyone to like what I did, led to experiencing performance anxiety in all the activities I mentioned above. Though I was still able to play and perform at a fair level, I don’t feel as though I ever really tapped into my full potential. I believe this is because I allowed psychological distractions like perfectionism and performance anxiety to stand in my way. Back then I didn’t quite understand why I was struggling to perform the way I knew I was capable of performing until my senior year of high school when I read a book called ‘Mind Gym’ by author Gary Mack.

After reading Mind Gym I learned that my mental game is what made all the difference between performing below my potential and playing at (or above) my potential. I realized that most times the difference between my best game and my worst game was my mental game! Unfortunately, I didn’t know of any sport psychology professionals in the area and seeing a therapist back then was considered “weak”, so, I dealt with my internal battles alone. This experience was lonely because I believed I was the only one who was battling internal challenges, so I didn’t open up to anyone at all, which wasn’t the best idea. But fortunately, my curiosity about psychology (as it relates to sport performance) remained strong, and I went off to college to expand my knowledge in the field.

Fast forward a few years later, I have a Master’s degree in Psychology with a Sport Psychology specialization. I have gained significant experience teaching athletes how to apply psychological awareness, knowledge, and techniques to their sport, and their lifestyle. Through my studies and experience in the sport psychology field, I now understand that what I was dealing with mentally as a teenager was far from uncommon. I realize that all I needed as an athlete was support in the development of my mental game.

With that being said, I’m extremely passionate about my work as a mental performance coach! This gives me the opportunity to help others who are in a similar situation I once was in. I would love to support and assist you with developing your mental game, and ultimately aim to help you achieve performance excellence on a more consistent basis! Click the button below to schedule a free 20-minute consultation, and learn more about what being a Mental Fitness Hub member looks like!