Having an older brother meant I was practically born in the rink.
There was nothing else my brother cared about, it was all about hockey, hockey, and some more hockey.
In classic younger brother form, I copied everything he did.
Although my brother and I bonded over sports, we were different in almost every other way.
I was quite scrawny, my brother was much bigger.
I was loud and energetic, my brother was quiet and calm.
I loved school and learning, my brother wanted to stay as far away from school as possible.
I was average at hockey, my brother was much better.
As the years went by it was evident that I either had to gain weight or I wouldn’t be able to compete in Jr A. I decided to give it a go and follow an intense diet and workout protocol.
Unfortunately, I didn’t gain much weight or strength at all and dealt with many injuries from mismanaging my training.
Simply put, it did not go as planned.
I was decent, but definitely not good enough. So, I chose to shift my focus to school and find a new way to succeed in life.
The human experience naturally fascinated me, so it was a ‘no-brainer’ to go all in on Psychology.
But my brother, however, did the opposite.
At the age of 16 he joined a Jr team from an unsanctioned league. He spent two years there and then went on to play three more seasons in the OJHL.
By the end of his junior hockey career he went through it all – the politics, the injuries, the problems with coaches and teammates, the extremely long bus trips, the crappy post game meals, and worst of all – a broken back one month after committing to an NCAA team.
Against all medical advice, he returned to play within three months. But when he arrived at college, he started in the stands as a healthy scratch.
After all that, he wasn’t even getting the opportunity to play.
This is where my brother’s and my journey collide.
He was struggling to get into his NCAA lineup and I was enrolled in a specialized psychology program on track for graduate school in Clinical Psychology.
Not knowing that Sport Psychology was a professional field of study (it just wasn’t a thing when I played), I started to use what I was learning to help my brother improve his ability to remain focused, composed, resilient, and confident through the ups and downs of his first NCAA season.
My brother started to see results from our work together, and soon after, I was sharing concepts and strategies with the whole team. This is when it first dawned on me that there must be a field of study within Psychology focused on sport.
Fast forward several years since then, I have completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology, and am currently a PhD candidate at York University.
Academically, I have spent the vast majority of my time researching behaviour change, which entailed things like mindfulness, grit, quality participation, motivation, effort, volition, and self-regulation.
My applied practice as a mental performance coach started in June of 2019 when I met Dr. Cassidy Preston. Ever since then, I have been working side by side with Cassidy to refine the CEP Mindset System and grow the business.
We are now one of the top mental performance coaching firms in North America with over 10 coaches who have helped 10,000’s of athletes get in the zone and achieve Consistent Elite Performance.
As CEP Mindset continues to grow, I have taken on the Director of Coaching role – where I have the pleasure of onboarding, overseeing, and supporting all CEP coaches.
As a Mental Performance coach I have a full roster of athletes varying in age, gender, nationality, level, and sport. When working with athletes, my focus is on helping them improve their ability to become aware of, accept, and influence their thoughts, feelings, and actions both on and off the field of play.
I truly believe that competitive sport holds tremendous value to individual athletes and society as a whole. When taken with the right approach, it provides the opportunity for enhanced awareness and greater development. Personally, I’m dedicated to helping athletes become more thoughtful, disciplined, resilient, and confident individuals.
You can learn more about Coach Nicholas by clicking the video below:
Nicholas Santino is a Senior High-Performance Coach, PhD Candidate, and the official Mental Performance Consultant for Elite Prospects. From his specialized psychology research program, to his PhD studies, Nicholas has gained a tremendous foundation of knowledge and appreciation for the human experience. His passion for psychology has accumulated to a commitment to studying and applying positive psychology and stoicism. This commitment has led Nicholas to conduct many research studies focusing on understanding why and how some people thrive and prosper while others do not. His admiration for evidence-based solutions has propelled Nicholas to produce studies revolving around mindfulness, grit (perseverance and passion), performance, quality participation, social relationships, and well-being.
A Native of Quebec, Sara was part of the St. Lawrence University Women’s Ice Hockey team that competed in the NCAA Division 1 hockey league ECAC. During this time, Sara helped her team appear in four ECAC Hockey Tournaments and two NCAA Frozen Fours, and was a four-time member of the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Squad. Following her career at St. Lawrence University, Sara played one year of professional hockey with Lugano, where she truly honed her skills in understanding the intricate connection between mindset and performance.
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
Natasha Habert draws from her training in sport and performance psychology, personal experiences as a competitive athlete, and deep passion for consistent high performance. She is a lifelong athlete and high performer, excelling in volleyball as both a player and coach.
Luciano’s hockey career is highlighted by his time playing college at the University of Victoria and two professional seasons in Europe. Throughout his career, he struggled with performance anxiety, a lack of consistency, fluctuations in confidence, and being caught in the results trap. This eventually led him to deviate from the main reason why anyone should play sports – for the enjoyment of the game. As a former athlete, Luciano has a unique understanding of the psychological pressures and struggles that athletes experience.
Alexis Woloschuk is a name synonymous with mental fortitude in the world of professional hockey. Throughout her career originating playing boys hockey, going to an academy away from home, playing her four years at Boston University and 7+ years in pro hockey she’s learned the importance of resilience, confidence, and dismissing both fear and other’s opinions. With a blend of relatability, confidence, and an acute understanding of playing to one’s potential, Alexis helps athletes reshape the way they perceive and harness the power of their minds.
Sean Mahoney is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and a Master’s candidate in the Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver. For as long as he can remember, Sean has been fascinated by human performance and how to gain an edge over the competition. For most of his athletic career, he focused on the physical aspect of performance but neglected the mental. Because of this, he struggled with performance anxiety, focus issues, and limiting beliefs pertaining to confidence and self-doubt. His lack of focus on optimizing his mental game prevented him from reaching his full potential.
Savannah Fitzgerald is earning her M.A. in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology Option at California State University, Fresno. Possessing an internal motor that fires her rage for success, Savannah forged this attribute over five years while competing as an NCAA D-I water polo player and swimmer. Combined with her opportunity to represent and compete for the United States, she feels that sport has significantly impacted her professional development. Due to her personal experience playing at all levels, Savannah’s passion for mental performance began when she struggled to overcome pre-competition nerves and post-competition processing. When she discovered a world out there that people were referring to as ‘sport psychology,’ she felt like a piece of her brain was unlocked. Reality shifted as she stumbled into a space consisting of the most beautiful blend of elite performance, mental well-being, and athletics.
Gabe is currently completing his Master’s in Counselling Psychology at the University of Victoria. Although Gabe played several years of high-level baseball, including a stint in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (BCPBL), he chose hockey as his sport to pursue at the highest level possible. Gabe went on to play four years of junior hockey with the Richmond Sockeyes in the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) while also coaching minor hockey. Prior to junior hockey, Gabe played 3 years in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) where he experienced the pressures and expectations of moving on to the next level. During those three years, Gabe constantly compared himself to others and struggled with coping when things did not go his way. Over time, he learned how to focus on his own process and path to the next level, while also developing strategies to improve well-being.
Louie is a mental performance coach from Toronto, Canada with a professional hockey career spanning over 14 years. Being a standout player at the University of Michigan, Louie was a Hobey Baker finalist and a 1st team All-American, which led him to getting drafted by the Ottawa Senators and playing in renowned leagues across the globe, including the DEL, SHL, and AHL.
Mia Landry is a former varsity hockey player at Brock University, where she competed at the USPORT level and was part of the 2021-22 OUA gold medal team. Mia currently represents Canada on the Women’s National Ball Hockey team and is pursuing a Master of Kinesiology Sport Psychology at her alma mater. Her research focuses on areas such as team cohesion, group dynamics, leadership styles, and sports culture.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Max is currently attending William James College, where he is earning a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Professional Psychology. During his time as an undergraduate student, Max was inducted into the International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), and played on the Quinnipiac University men’s club ice hockey team.
