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High-Performance Coaches
Associate Coaches
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Dr. Cassidy Preston
Coach, Author, Speaker &
Founder of CEP Mindset
Core Clients
Professional Athletes (all sports) & Business Executives
Dr. Nicholas Santino
Vice President, Coaching Director
& Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Semi-Pro/Professional Athletes & Business Executives
Expert Coaches
Adam Carter, MA
Coach Mentor &
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Football, Hockey, Tennis,
Soccer, Golf, Combat Sports
Sara Reichenbach, MSc
Coach Mentor &
Mental Performance Coach
(English & French)
Core Clients
Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball, Softball/Baseball, Business Executives
Luciano Somerville, MC
Coach Mentor, Clinical Counsellor
& Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Hockey, Baseball, Basketball,
Soccer, Volleyball, Football
Natasha Habert, MSc
Coach Mentor &
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Golf, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Gymnastics, Hockey
Brant Stachel, MSc
Registered Psychotherapist &
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Endurance Sports, Basketball, Soccer,
Individual Sports, Hockey, Football
Expert Coaches
Adam Carter, MA
Coach Mentor &
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Football, Hockey, Tennis,
Soccer, Golf, Combat Sports
Sara Reichenbach, MSc
Coach Mentor &
Mental Performance Coach
(English & French)
Core Clients
Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball, Softball/Baseball, Business Executives
Luciano Somerville, MC
Coach Mentor, Clinical Counsellor
& Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Hockey, Baseball, Basketball,
Soccer, Volleyball, Football
Natasha Habert, MSc
Coach Mentor &
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Golf, Basketball, Swimming, Gymnastics, Hockey
High-Performance Coaches
Gabe Suessenbacher-Fu, BA
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Hockey, Baseball, Soccer,
Lacrosse, Basketball
Savannah Fitzgerald, MA
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Swimming, Water Polo, Tennis, Golf,
Basketball, Track, Soccer, Hockey
Elaina Raponi, MA
Registered Psychotherapist &
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Endurance Sports, Individual Sports,
Dance, Gymnastics, Figure Skating
High-Performance Coaches
Gabe Suessenbacher-Fu, BA
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Hockey, Baseball, Soccer,
Lacrosse, Basketball
Savannah Fitzgerald, MA
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Swimming, Water Polo, Tennis, Golf,
Basketball, Track, Soccer, Hockey
Associate Coaches
Austin Glover, BA
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Hockey, Golf, Soccer, Lacrosse
Baylie MacMillan
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Rugby, Basketball, Flag Football,
Football, Track, Wrestling
Chris Leathem, BA
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Baseball, Hockey, Boxing,
Basketball, Volleyball
Bo Vink, BSc
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Hockey, Rugby, Lacrosse, Volleyball
Track & Field, Soccer
Danielle Hanus, MA
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) & Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Swimming, Hockey, Gymnastics
Track & Field, Individual Sports
Monica Russell, MA
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) & Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball
Hockey, Running, Golf
Associate Coaches
Baylie MacMillan
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Rugby, Basketball, Flag Football,
Football, Track, Wrestling
Chris Leathem, BA
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Baseball, Hockey, Boxing,
Basketball, Volleyball
Bo Vink, BSc
Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Hockey, Rugby, Lacrosse, Volleyball
Track & Field, Soccer
Danielle Hanus, MA
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) & Mental Performance Coach
Core Clients
Swimming, Hockey, Gymnastics
Track & Field, Individual Sports
Administrative Team
Affiliate Coaches
Bio Highlights:
Education: Ph.D., Sport & Exercise Psychology, York University
Core Clients: Hockey, Baseball, Soccer, Skiing, Combat Sports, Business Executives
Have you ever looked up to someone so much that you copied their every move? That was me with my older brother. Hockey wasn’t just his passion – it was his identity and I made sure to make it mine too.
We bonded over hockey and all sports, but in almost every other way, we were complete opposites. My brother was big and strong, while I definitely was not. He was calm and quiet, while I was energetic and loud. He wanted nothing to do with school, while I loved the classroom. And on the ice, he was clearly much better.
As I got older, it became obvious that if I wanted to compete in Jr A, I had to put on size. So, I committed to a strict diet and intense workout plan. But the results never came. I struggled to gain weight and strength, and worse, I picked up injury after injury from mismanaging my training.
Simply put, things didn’t go as planned. I was decent — but not good enough. That’s when I decided to go all in on school.
The human experience always fascinated me, so diving into psychology was a no-brainer. My brother on the other hand, chose the more challenging and daunting path…at least in my opinion.
At 16, he joined a Jr team in an unsanctioned league – where he spent the next two years collecting stories that are beyond any other ‘crazy sport story’ you may have heard. He then moved on to play three seasons in the OJHL, where he was forced to deal with everything else that comes with Jr hockey — the politics, the clashes with coaches, the long bus rides, the crappy post-game meals, the injuries, and eventually worst of all: a broken back just one month after committing to an NCAA program.
Against all medical advice, he returned to play within three months. But when he arrived at college, he found himself out of the lineup and in the stands as a healthy scratch. After all that sacrifice, he wasn’t even getting the opportunity to play. Imagine how strong the feelings of wasted time and self-doubt must have been for him!
Meanwhile, I had my head down in school, preparing for the next chapter of my life.
This is where my brother’s and my paths intersected once again. He was struggling to earn his spot in an NCAA lineup, and I was enrolled in a specialized psychology program, preparing for graduate school in Clinical Psychology.
At the time, I didn’t even know Sport Psychology was a profession — it simply wasn’t talked about when I played. But I began applying what I was learning in university to help my brother stay focused, composed, resilient, and confident through the ups and downs of his college hockey career.
I vividly remember this one conversation we had – when we talked about the overwhelming fear of failure and constant worry about falling short of expectations that he was experiencing. The overbearing uncertainty around having any success at the college level was taking over his life.
In this specific conversation, we walked through what I now call the Slot vs Vending Machine Mentality. The main idea, in short, is that you don’t want to fall into a Vending Machine Mentality – where you’re caught up with your results and rewards exactly matching the amount of effort and passion you put into your sport.
Instead, you want to have a Slot Machine Mentality – where you know you need to do everything you possibly can to develop and perform, you embrace the uncertainty between your work and the results, and you lean into the hope that comes with all that uncertainty.
It worked – he started to see results both on and off the ice! Soon after, I was sharing concepts and strategies with his teammates, and that’s when it hit me: I could combine my love for sport with my passion for psychology.
P.S My brother went on to be an Assistant Captain as a Sophomore and earned the Captaincy in his Junior and Senior seasons, all the while maintaining his Dean’s List status in the classroom…all of which I of course take complete credit for.
Fast forward several years since then, I have completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology, followed by a Master’s and Doctorate in Sport & Exercise Psychology at York University.
Most of my academic research focused on behaviour change — specifically in areas like mindfulness, grit, motivation, effort, and self-regulation. But my work as a Mental Performance Coach began in June 2019, when I met Dr. Cassidy Preston. Since then, I’ve worked alongside Cassidy as Vice President to not only grow and refine the CEP Mindset System, but also significantly expand our coaching team so we can have the greatest impact on the largest number of athletes possible.
Today, CEP Mindset is one of the top mental performance coaching firms in North America, if not the world! Together, we’ve been able to build a relatable and expert team of coaches who have helped tens of thousands of athletes get in the zone and achieve Consistent Elite Performance.
Personally, I have had the honour to work with a full range of athletes over the years — from youth chasing their first big dream, to college and semi pro players grinding to get to the next level, to pros competing on the biggest stages. No matter the sport, age, or level, the struggles are often the same: nerves, pressure, setbacks, and self-doubt.
That’s why my focus is always on strengthening what I call true mental toughness — the ability to become aware of your thoughts and emotions in the moment, accept them without judgment, and then choose what you’re going to do next. It’s not about pretending that the pressure and fear don’t exist. It’s about learning how to stay present, centered, and confident when it matters most.
When approached with the right mindset, sport isn’t just about creating better athletes — it builds better people. It teaches awareness, discipline, resilience, and confidence in ways few other experiences can.
That’s why I do what I do – to help athletes free themselves from the weight of results and achieve consistent elite performance, both on and off their field of play.
You can learn more about Coach Nicholas by clicking the video below:
Bio Highlights:
Education:
Playing Background: Hockey Canada U22 National Team Camp, Canadian championship with Team Québec, NCAA Division I college hockey (two Frozen Four appearances), professional overseas, and prep school hockey.
Core Clients: Hockey, Soccer, Swimming, Volleyball, Softball/Baseball, Business Executives
Hockey was my life from as far back as I can remember, but it was a challenging and wild ride. It was like a rollercoaster ride with many achievements and highs, but also full of fears and self-doubt.
I genuinely loved hockey and thought I was doing everything possible to develop as a player. My focus was on everything to do with my physical development, but I failed to take control of my mindset.
I played with the boys until I was 18 – mainly because it was my only option.
When I first started, everyone was always complimenting me on how good I was for a girl, but it was not long before I was told I sucked and should not play with boys.
I endured those negative comments for a long time and am so glad I did…
That experience taught me that my work ethic and strength were my superpowers, and fortunately, they served me well my entire career.
The environment I played in and the coaches I played for demanded that I push myself in order to keep up with the pace and physicality of the game. They pushed, and I responded… I knew I could not let myself fall behind.
I would describe myself as the “little engine that could” on all my teams. I worked and always went hard, whether we were up by 5 or down by 5 in games. I showed up consistently at practice, ready to pay attention and go hard until the whistle, and even when my teammates told me to cool it, I never did.
I dedicated myself to hitting the gym, got jobs to pay for gym memberships and personal trainers, and grew really strong.
Because of the intensity and drive, I turned into a highly effective power forward.
My strength and hard work are why I won a Canadian Championship with Team Quebec, gota an NCAA D1 hockey scholarship, was invited to the Canadian U22 tryout camp, and was invited to play professionally in Switzerland.
The problem was I didn’t own my successes along the way. Instead, my mindset was full of negativity, self-doubt, and fear.
I had a knack for attributing any success I experienced to external factors rather than acknowledging my own role in it. It was never because of just me; I never owned it…
I attributed my team’s success and personal success to other factors:
“I got lucky today”
“It’s my team that is good, not me”
“Wow the other team played really bad”
I believed, as an elite athlete, you should never be satisfied…
I felt like I did not deserve to be where I was ALL THE TIME, which took an emotional toll on me, and the fear paralyzed me when I was on the ice.
As they say, I was my own worst enemy, and I never took charge of my mindset.
The biggest downfall was that I played with fear. My mind was overrun by it, to the point that I would blackout when I had the puck.
There was so much tension in my body, that I panicked, and I held my stick so tight I could not make a play to save my life. In college, it was the worst. I managed to get about 0.5 points per game because I went hard to the net, but whenever I had a lot of time and space, I had the all-out “YIPS.” It was not pretty…
All this fear was because I spent so much time trying to prove myself and worried about what other people thought of me.
“Who is watching me today? What if they think I suck?”
“What if I make a mistake to upset my team?”
“Will my coach stop playing me?”
These thoughts were endless, and the overthinking was constant.
Every mistake I made weighed me down. I could not let go of them or accept them… I never owned my capabilities.
I put everyone’s opinion of me – ahead of my own…
Causing my career to fly by in a state of constant worry and disappointment.
Even though there was so much displeasure and discomfort during my career, I still loved hockey, and the day it came to an end was devastating for me. Luckily, I knew what my next steps were.
From the first hockey camp I worked in college, it was clear that coaching would be what I pursued when my career was done.
After playing in Switzerland, I got my first coaching job at a hockey academy, which ultimately led me to coaching in college for 18 years. Coaching became the avenue that allowed me to stay connected to the sport and it fulfilled me just as much as playing. I loved it.
As a coach, I could see that my athletes were struggling with the same things I did in my playing career. It hit close to home, and I felt like I had to help them. I used what I had learned in my psychology and leadership degrees, and read over 100 books in order to help with their mindsets.
This became my new passion, learning and understanding the importance of mindset.
After 18 years of coaching college, it was time to move on to my next thing, and I recognized that my calling was to be a Mental Performance Coach.
The transition from coaching to being a Mental Performance Coach was a little bumpy at first, but once I connected with CEP Mindset my dream finally came true.
As I got to work with more athletes 1-on-1, I found myself drawing from the reservoir of my personal struggles and the raw frustrations I felt throughout my career.
My role as a Mental Performance Coach is not just a profession; it’s a passion that comes from my own challenging experiences as an athlete.
As part of the CEP team, I get to help athletes navigate their own journeys and, most importantly, not let fear hold them back, as it did for me. Instead, I help them embrace their love of the game and the process, which paves the way for them to achieve Consistent Elite Performance.
You can learn more about Coach Sara by clicking the video below:
Bio Highlights:
Education: MA, Applied Behaviour Analysis, Brock University
Core Clients: Football, Hockey, Tennis, Soccer, Golf, Combat Sports
I’m 8 years old and sitting in the Stoney Creek dressing room before our team’s first practice.
My coach asks “who wants to try goalie?”
I freeze.
Part of me wants nothing more than to shoot my hand up. I idolized every Leafs goalie, always pretending to be “The Cat” while playing road hockey with my friends.
But the other part of me is paralyzed by fear – fear of letting my teammates down, fear of looking silly, fear of not being good enough.
And most of all, a fear of getting hurt.
A few years earlier, I had broken my femur in soccer. Months in a body cast left me physically healed but mentally scarred.
That injury lived rent-free in my head. It made me play the “What if?” game.
“What if I get hurt?”
“What if I embarrass myself?”
“What if I blow it?”
So, I didn’t raise my hand.
Injuries gave me the excuse to stay quiet, play small, and avoid risk.
I let fear hold me back and I never got to play goalie.
I went on to play competitive hockey as a defenceman growing up, but always wondering what my career would look like if I had raised my hand.
Once high-school came, I made the football team. This became my priority. This was my chance to rewrite the story.
My coach told me I’d get to play both sides of the ball and I was fired up.
And then one drill changed everything.
It’s called the Oklahoma Drill. Two players line up head-to-head and see who can drive the other back. The biggest lineman on the team stepped up. Nobody wanted him.
The biggest lineman on the team was up next, and nobody wanted to go up against him.
“Finally”, I thought, “This is my chance to prove myself”.
We hit, and pain shot through my hand like fire. I tried to gut it out for a few games, but every snap felt worse. The X-rays confirmed it – broken hand, badly.
I missed nearly the whole season. By the time I returned, my aggression was gone and my confidence had vanished. Instead of diving back in, I played it safe, haunted by the fear of re-injury.
Another dream shelved. Another “What if?” added to the pile.
High-school ended, and I was off to university shortly – but football was still tugging at me.
The regret that I felt motivated me to take another shot.
I trained through the summer, hit the weights, and walked onto campus ready to prove myself. This was supposed to be the rewrite.
Then it happened again.
A torn pectoral muscle – a sharp pain that shot through my whole body. A feeling I’ll never forget.
One second I was driving the bar up, the next I couldn’t even lift my arm.
While everyone else was chasing glory, I was chasing range of motion.
Maybe bobsleigh could be my shot.
I had the size, power, and speed to earn an invite to Canada’s development program. For the first time, it felt like a door opening.
But when the day finally came, the same doubts crept in.
I stood on the sidelines, telling the coaches I wasn’t at 100% yet (even though I was cleared).
Every trial felt like a reminder that the world was moving on without me. My potential teammates laced up, ready to go to war together – while I hovered around convincing myself I wasn’t “ready”.
The truth? I was terrified. Terrified my chest would snap again. Terrified I’d collapse in front of everyone. Terrified the coaches wouldn’t see what I had to offer, and I was wasting their time.
Each time the coaches reached out – You good to go? You ready to come back? – their voices carried hope.
And each time, I turned away.
I told myself I needed “more time,” but deep down I knew I was running from the very thing I said I wanted.
Every ignored call felt like another grain of sand slipping through the hourglass of my career.
By the time I picked up tennis, the pattern was already familiar: bold in practice, hesitant in matches.
The difference this time? I had a coach who understood me.
For years I tried to figure it out alone, hiding behind teammates, injuries, and excuses. But now I had someone in my corner who saw the fear I couldn’t name.
After one timid performance, he told me:
“I give you permission to lose. Stop playing scared. Take the risks. Losing is where you learn. And those lessons will turn into wins.”
It felt like a door unlocked. Mistakes weren’t proof I was failing – they were proof I was growing. Losing wasn’t the end – it was part of the process.
That was the shift I’d been missing all along.
It wasn’t tennis by itself that changed me. It was realizing that with the right coach, the right guidance, and the right mindset, I didn’t have to figure it all out alone.
And for the first time, I started playing free.
I finally understood my biggest opponent wasn’t across from me – it was inside of me. Fear had dictated my choices for too long.
But once I learned to embrace risk, welcome mistakes, and play without fear – sport became fun again.
That’s what pulled me into Mental Performance Coaching. I knew other athletes were carrying the same fears and doubts. And I wanted to help them break free sooner than I did.
Because the same skills that help you take risks in sport are the ones that carry you through life.
My passion now is simple: to make sure athletes don’t let fear dictate their story. To help them play free, bold, and without regret.
I know what it’s like to sit on the sidelines wondering “What if?” – and I know the freedom that comes when you stop asking and start living the answer.
You can learn more about Coach Adam by clicking the video below:
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.
As an Mental Performance Coach with CEP Mindset, Blair is able to personally understand the pressure her athletes are dealing with leading into competitions & being judged, the fear that comes with learning new skills & tricks, and the confidence issues associated with physical appearance.
Blair’s mission in connecting with other performing artists is fueled by her passion for dance and helping them see that when you prioritize having a healthy and strong mind over results, you will be able to fully enjoy being an artist & achieving consistent elite performance.
Core Clients: Dancing, Performing, Figure Skating, Gymnastics
Dr. Steve LaFay is a practicing chiropractor, teacher, and published author who has studied psychology and human performance for 30 years. He brings a career full of experience helping patients, clients and businesses excel and express their unique potential with an inside – out approach.
Dr. Steve’s love of sports began early playing hockey for St. Andrew’s College before going on to study psychology at the University of Western Ontario where he began coaching minor hockey as a student and continued for many years. He discovered his passion for coaching hockey players in a one on one setting by helping his nephew excel in the OHL/AHL/ECHL and in Europe.
His inspiration to help athletes unleash their inner greatness, live fulfilling lives and love the journey to achieving consistent elite performance is his driving force.
Education: D.C., Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College
Core Clients: Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Business Executives
Bio Highlights:
Education: MSc., Educational & Sport Psychology, Florida State University
Sport Background: 10+ years of competitive volleyball, former Division II athlete at UCCS, awarded student-athlete of the year (2018) and RMAC Summit Award (highest overall GPA in final competition, 2018) – still holds the program’s career dig record.
Core Clients: Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Golf, Basketball, Soccer, Swimming, Gymnastics, Hockey
I like to say I was born competitive—probably because I had a twin brother beside me from day one.
Growing up, we were close but completely different. He was the chill, go-with-the-flow type, the kind of person things seemed to come naturally to. I was the emotional one. The stubborn one. The one who wanted to push. While he found music and fell in love with playing guitar, I found volleyball—and quickly, I was all in.
Even though our interests couldn’t have been more different, I still felt like everything between us was a competition.
Board games turned into feuds. Bowling nights felt more like competitions than just fun outings. Grades were always something I tracked, even if he wasn’t. I wasn’t just trying to keep up, I wanted to be better. I had to win.
Looking back, it wasn’t just about beating my brother—it was about proving something to myself.
And while that kind of drive led to a lot of success, it also built unhealthy habits that I didn’t recognize at the time.
I was constantly striving. Constantly working harder. Pushing limits. Over time, that drive turned into a growing obsession with being “the best.”
By high school, volleyball had become more than just a sport. It was an identity. Every practice, every drill, every rep—I gave it everything. That work ethic earned me a spot on a college team, and I even became a starter my freshman year.
On paper, I was doing everything right. But the pressure I put on myself kept rising.
After games, while others celebrated, I’d fixate on the mistakes. A missed serve. A moment I hesitated. Even when people told me I played great, I couldn’t hear it over the reel of “should have’s” playing in my head.
Despite things going well for me, I didn’t feel successful. I felt stuck in a loop of “not good enough.”
All in all, my obsession with being “perfect” was killing my love for the game. It felt like a dark cloud of mistakes would overshadow even the brightest moments—mine and my team’s.
The love I had for volleyball started slipping away, the mistakes always took center stage.
In my 10 years of being a highly competitive volleyball player, I had the pleasure of playing at the collegiate level, being a four-year starter, earning the RMAC Summit Award (highest overall GPA in final competition), and even setting a school record for most career digs.
Any logical person would say—that’s A LOT to be proud of.
But the truth was, I couldn’t fully feel that pride at the time. I was too caught up in the pressure I put on myself. I was getting in my own way.
During my college volleyball career, I realized how much I wished I had more tools to handle what I was going through mentally—not just physically or technically.
That’s what drew me to sport psychology. I wanted to understand the mental side of performance.
One of the main learnings was around untangling perfectionism and competitiveness. The key is swapping out perfectionism with a healthy dose of perspective.
Highly Competitive + Perfectionism = Fear of failure → which leads to downward spirals, getting stuck in your own head, and losing touch with the love of the game.
Highly Competitive + Perspective = Healthy ambition → fueled by the mental tools to zoom out, the self-compassion to reset, and the ability to stay connected to the love of the game.
It took me a while to come to these realizations.
After I finished my collegiate career, I went on to earn my Master’s in Sport Psychology from Florida State University and began a career as a Mental Performance Coach.
Since then I’ve dedicated my life to supporting athletes of all ages, levels, and sports. Just like my twin brother and I, every athlete is different. That’s what makes this work so meaningful. Everyone’s story is unique, and their challenges are personal.
Now, as a Mental Performance Coach at CEP I get to help athletes strengthen their mindset, build self-awareness, and develop tools that not only help them perform—but thrive.
It pains me to see how many athletes get caught in the perfectionism trap—robbing them of confidence, joy, and fulfillment in their sport. Just like it did for me.
But that’s why I love to help athletes understand themselves better, untangle perfectionism and competitiveness, and build the tools they need to perform with freedom, perspective, and confidence.
You can learn more about Coach Natasha by clicking the video below:
Bio Highlights:
Education: MC., Master of Counselling, City University of Seattle
Sport Background: 10 years of competitive hockey at the junior, college, & professional levels
Core Clients: Hockey, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Football
Have you ever loved something so much that — while you’re in it — the rest of the world ceases to exist. It’s an experience of being fully immersed, also known as the flow state. This was my experience growing up playing hockey in a rural town where there wasn’t much else to do.
I started playing from a very young age and hockey quickly became my first love. It felt like my safe space — full of peace and joy where nothing bad could happen.
Like every young Canadian hockey player, I had dreams that were going to take me far. The only thing that could hold me back was fear.
This fantasy quickly turned into my nightmare. Starting with the seeds of doubt that were planted at the age of 11.
“I’m not good enough.”
This was the message that perpetually swirled around in my head. The voice significantly overpowered anything and everything.
But how was it created? Where did it come from?
Only one season prior, I had all the confidence in the world. What changed?
It started with authority figures that I looked up to in my life. As a kid, I was very impressionable, and learned abundantly and quickly from those around me.
Being a student of the game, I needed help reflecting on what was going well and what I could work on to get better. Instead, those who were most influential to me continuously highlighted all the things I did wrong, as well as everything I wasn’t doing or doing well enough. This wore on me.
This inadvertently created a standard or expectation that was unrealistic — a perfectionist mindset.
Eventually, the “I’m not good enough” became my default self-talk — my inner voice. So in addition to the consistent external criticism of my performances, I became my own worst critic.
Everything I did, good or bad, that voice in my head found a way to criticize me and find something insufficient about my performance. I could do hundreds of things right but my focus was only on the things I did wrong, even if it was only one.
Perfection became the expectation, which is ironic because perfection doesn’t exist in sport. So when perfection wasn’t achieved and my performance wasn’t up to the standards I expected of myself, I would pick apart my performance. I was ruthless with myself and wouldn’t stop until I was demoralized and left feeling ashamed and humiliated with my performance.
Not a very good model for success, is it?
It’s very clear to see now that my confidence was completely shattered. Given that my entire identity was being a hockey player, I suffered outside of hockey as well. Well-being and performance have a bi-directional relationship with one another. This means that mental health and mindset both have significant influence on each other.
I was stuck in a never-ending feedback loop: self-deprecating thoughts, feeling inadequate, unworthy, and scared, performing poorly, leading to more self-doubt and fear, all of which confirmed that the voice in my head was right — I wasn’t good enough.
I was afraid of being trapped in the loop through shortcomings and mistakes, so inevitably I played timid, scared, and in constant fear of making mistakes. This didn’t do me any favours, and made things even worse because I wasn’t performing even close to my potential.
Cue the feedback loop once again. The more it happened, the further stuck I became in the cycle — this is a classic negative reinforcement loop — which I had no clue I was in at the time.
The hockey rink became something that crippled me inside. A place where I felt most vulnerable to the exposure of the weakest parts of myself. A terror I had never experienced before. It was like walking into the spotlight on a stage by myself, knowing that thousands of people watching were about to watch me make a fool of myself, and that horrible sense of not feeling like I was enough. This dynamic and fear ruled my experience of playing the game I loved for the next 7 years.
When you sustain the experience I described over a number of years, it’s more than enough to wear you down to the point where you no longer enjoy it. My love for the game had been completely taken away from me, and I blamed the game for it instead of all the things and people that contributed to the place I was in mentally, including myself. But how are you supposed to understand that as a kid when your only job should be to love the game and enjoy the experience.
Mixing in adversity, setbacks, and disappointment in myself, and the dreams that I felt the game had robbed me of, I decided to part ways with it after my 18-year-old season, only my second in junior with two years left of eligibility to play. From my perspective, the game had given me everything and then took it all away, and I was done with it.
In a way, it was freeing. I was no longer prisoner to my own critical self-talk, at least in the rink anyways. The voice had grown enough that it infected all other parts of my life, but on the ice it was the worst.
Finally, I felt like I could do what I wanted to do and make my own choices — for me. I felt liberated. I decided to move out and go to University, and then I found out the University had a hockey team.
I reflected on my journey and whether it was something I was even slightly interested in — of course, I was. So I decided to try out, but with no expectations, no pressure, no overthinking.
As you can probably guess, it felt different. It felt like I had autonomy and freedom to make my own choices. I didn’t choose to play for anyone else but myself, and that was empowering.
Once I realized it was my choice to play and that I didn’t need to, nor did I have any expectations of myself or from others, it freed me from all the voices of doubt, perfectionism, and fear.
I felt like I did when I was a kid, reconnecting with the love and joy for the game, and that made all the difference. I was a new me — the rebirth of a new player.
After walking on to the University of Victoria Vikes men’s hockey team, I refound my passion. My love for the game was reignited and everything came rushing back to me — my skills, my emotion, my desire, all of it.
I played there for 5 years before playing two seasons of professional hockey in Sweden, something both myself and others had written me off for. I never could have imagined after that last year of junior that I would one day be playing pro in Europe. I had fulfilled my dreams just in a different way than I pictured, and that was okay.
Don’t get me wrong, it was nothing to brag about but I was proud. I had been through so much adversity and learned so much through all of it, including how much strength and resilience I had. The challenges I went through helped me grow in ways I never thought possible. I can only imagine what my experience would have been like if I had someone to help me through those tough times.
My experiences have led me to believe that while winning and success are great, we learn the most about ourselves, and about life in general, through our suffering. It is only through suffering that we can begin to truly appreciate our life, have gratitude, and find our purpose.
This brings me to where I am now, where I can provide a space for athletes to talk about and work through their struggles and setbacks. I am so extremely passionate about this work because I know what it is like to suffer alone and in silence, and having someone there to connect and empathize with you is so powerful.
With my educational background and training, as well as my personal experiences in sport, I found myself able to bring both of my passions together to give others the support I never had. It was then that I found a new purpose.
My job now is to empower others to reach their goals and dreams by acknowledging their challenges, embracing their strengths, and finding their own inner resilience. I guide them to develop and utilize strategies, tools, and techniques that can enhance their performance and overall well-being. The transformative nature of this work is not only beneficial for sport, but also for navigating the challenges of life.
You can learn more about Coach Luciano by clicking the video below:
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.
From a young age Alexis showcased natural talent, but it was soon as a female in hockey that her determination and mental resilience would set her apart. After excelling in youth leagues and representing both Canada and her province, Alexis earned a scholarship to play college hockey at Boston University. On paper she won 3 Hockey East Championships. However most notably, it was during her collegiate years when she dealt with injury, pressure and the uncontrollable she began to delve deeper into the psychological aspects of the game, recognizing the pivotal role mental strength played in achieving success.
Upon graduating with honors at Boston University, Alexis wasted no time in pursuing her dream of playing pro hockey. She has faced ample challenge but through trial and tribulation has learned the skills to remain at the top. While playing pro, she has successfully launched a wellness app called TheLineUp and made a significant impact in communities mentoring athletes and helping them build their mental toolbox. Her approach is refreshingly relatable, often sharing personal anecdotes of overcoming adversity.
Alexis instills a sense of confidence and self-belief, empowering athletes to unlock their full potential. Alexis’ expertise lies in her ability to connect athlete to athlete. While her experience as an athlete lies in hockey, she has worked with athletes in almost all team and individual sports. Her emphasis on embracing individuality and blocking out noise resonates with athletes of all levels. Furthermore, Alexis champions the idea that one’s greatest competition is oneself. By shifting the focus inward and mastering the mental game, athletes can transcend limitations and achieve greatness beyond measure.
Education: B.Sc., Health Science, Boston University
Core Clients: Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, Tumbler/Cheer, Track, Lacrosse
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.
Sean’s sport career began at a young age, but changed course after he suffered serious neck injury just before his senior year of high school. The injury caused him to retire from sport and set him on course for a long journey of injury recovery. This experience led him to realize the importance of the mental aspect of injury recovery, and ultimately the mental aspects of performance in general. Sean‘s unique life experiences have fuelled him with passion and drive to help others think, feel, and perform to the highest range of their capabilities as consistently as possible.
Sean has worked with youth, amateur, and professional athletes from a wide range of sports. Sean has worked with both teams and individuals and has experience working with adaptive sports and athletes with disabilities.
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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.
Through her current research in confidence, self-efficacy, and mental skills training, her extensive athletic background, overcoming an uncontrollable switch in sport, and her knowledge of the post-collegiate sport identity process, Savannah is genuinely motivated by the notion of helping others consistently optimize their performance. She believes it is her responsibility to hold space for those who need it. Savannah’s goal is to earn her PhD in clinical psychology with a focus in sport psychology. She is dedicated to helping her clients achieve true greatness by breaking through their perceived barriers and embracing their challenges head on.
Education: M.A., Kinesiology – Sport Psychology Option, California State University, Fresno (Currently enrolled)
Core Clients: Aquatics, Tennis, Golf, Basketball, Track, Soccer, Hockey
Bio Highlights:
Education: MA., Counselling Psychology, University of Victoria (Currently enrolled)
Core Clients: Hockey, Baseball, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball
Being an athlete has always been a part of my identity. Whether it was hockey, baseball, soccer, track & field, golf—you name a sport, I’ve probably played it. I never once considered myself anything but an athlete.
I always thought my natural athletic abilities would take me far, but as I got older, it became apparent that I needed to put in the work. Throughout high school, the effort I invested helped me play on some of the top hockey and baseball teams in British Columbia. I was on a path for success.
But one thing held me back…
My goals had always been to become a college/university athlete in either hockey or baseball and hopefully turn pro. However, I often found myself caught up in comparing my progress to others.
I had teammates who were committing to Junior hockey teams, earning NCAA Div 1 scholarships, and even getting their shot at going pro. Instead of focusing on how I could improve, I constantly felt like the system was unfair and I played the victim. I felt I was working just as hard as everyone else, but not getting the same opportunities.
This way of thinking sent me into a downward spiral. The more opportunities my teammates got, the more I became frustrated as I felt like I deserved better.
Comparing myself to others affected my performance and I constantly felt like I was falling behind others. I let the noise affect me in a negative way and I started to fall out of love with being an athlete.
Despite all this, my abilities on the ice still provided me with multiple chances to prove that I belonged at the highest level of hockey.
With my teammates being called up to play for junior hockey teams, my goal was also to get called up to play for a British Columbia Hockey League team. In my 11th-grade year, I got my shot to play junior.
I remember the excitement of going to the rink that day, stepping on the ice for warm-up, and thinking about the opportunity I had to prove myself in the BCHL.
But this opportunity didn’t go as planned. I ended up playing only 3 shifts. It wasn’t the end of the world for me, but it was definitely disappointing.
They promised me another chance, and they delivered on that promise when I got into my second BCHL game. Surely, I couldn’t get fewer than 3 shifts, right?
Nope, I played just 1 shift that game. Even the backup goalie saw more ice than I did.
My mind spiraled after that game. I questioned whether I belonged and if I was given a fair opportunity to prove myself. This self-doubt affected my performance for the rest of the season with my own team.
Feeling hopeless, I believed my chances of playing college hockey, let alone junior hockey, were slipping away.
That summer after the season, I let the feeling of how unfair hockey was, lead me to practically giving up on my hockey goals. I didn’t train as hard or skate as much as usual; it was everything but a normal summer for me as an athlete.
However, opportunity came knocking at my door again. I received an invite to an Alberta Junior Hockey League camp and I was ready to take advantage of the chance.
The only problem was, I had barely trained all summer. I scrambled to skate, work out, and get myself prepared, but it was too little, too late.
I hadn’t prepared myself physically and mentally for my moment.
I was cut early in the camp and sent home, wondering what my next move would be. Once again, I felt like I had squandered an opportunity to play junior hockey.
That year, the Covid-19 pandemic arrived. With lots of time at home, I slowed down and reflected on my hockey career thus far.
While also taking psychology courses at that time, I realized that I needed to work on my mindset. My reflections helped me come to the conclusion that my energy in the past was spent being focused on others, instead of preparing for my moment.
From this realization, I learned how to focus on my own process. I built my own personal scorecard to reflect daily with, rediscovered my “why” for playing hockey, and put my enjoyment of the journey ahead of all else.
My love for hockey began to return, especially my love for training to become a great hockey player.
While my hockey plans didn’t unfold exactly as I had hoped, I ended up playing 4 years of junior hockey and loved every moment of it. Though it was challenging to be a full-time university student while playing junior hockey, I always looked forward to my time at the rink.
The journey of hockey had brought me to this point and thankfully, I came across an opportunity to learn more about the mental game.
Once I connected with CEP Mindset, I knew this was a role that would be perfect for me. As someone who was unsure of what to study at the University of British Columbia as an undergraduate, reconnecting with sports through mental performance and psychology has been immensely rewarding.
One thing I always share with my athletes today is how I wish I had the mental toolbox to handle those big moments, as I know it would’ve given me a different perspective and a better way to handle adversity.
Being a Mental Performance Coach has allowed me to help athletes embrace the journey, immerse themselves in the process, and ultimately achieve Consistent Elite Performance.
You can learn more about Coach Gabe by clicking the video below:
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.
Louie’s journey to success on the ice was not without its challenges. Throughout his career, he navigated the hurdles of difficult coaches, bad teammates, injuries, and fluctuations in confidence and consistency. These challenges fuelled him to find solutions by working with Dr. Jerry Lynch, a sport psychologist whose philosophies are rooted on texts such as ‘The Art of War’ and ‘Tao Te Ching’. This work resonated deeply with Louie and gave him the best mindset to squeeze the most out of his capabilities and reach elite levels of performance.
Louie’s coaching philosophy revolves around the concept of self-assessment and strategic positioning, leveraging tools such as journaling and visualization to optimize performance outcomes. By equipping athletes with the skills to effectively market themselves as premium products in the competitive landscape of sports, Louie empowers them to transcend limitations and achieve unparalleled success.
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Erin has been a professional track and field athlete since 2016 and had the honour of representing Canada as part of the 2016 Olympic Track & Field Team. Throughout her professional career, Erin struggled mentally to disconnect from results and allow herself to properly rest and recover. This resulted in chronic fatigue, energy deficiency, and anxiety around training and racing. Eager to reignite her passion for elite athletics, Erin decided it was time to work 1-on-1 with a mental performance coach. Since then, Erin has competed for Canada in the 5000m, 1500m and Cross Country, owing her recent success to her ability to cultivate strong mental performance practices.
Now, as a mental performance coach herself, Erin strives to utilize her elite experience and professional knowledge in sport psychology to help athletes optimize their performance and enhance their overall health and lifestyle in and out of sport. Although she specializes in individual and endurance sports, she still loves working with athletes of all sports and competitive backgrounds. Erin firmly believes that the most successful athletes are healthy, happy, and adaptable. She aims to instill this belief in every athlete she works with.
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Core Clients: Track, Triathlon, Cycling, Figure Skating, Gymnastics
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Education: MSc., Sport & Performance Psychology, Brock University
Sport Backhroung: 15 years of hockey experience: U22 Jr and USPORT Varsity hockey at Brock University. Head Coach Girls U15AA
Core Clients: 11-17 year old athletes, hockey, lacrosse, soccer
I grew up in the typical hockey family, with two older brothers that were incredibly talented, a forward and a defenseman to learn from. I was also fortunate enough to have a “hockey-dad” who coached me and my friends for years before moving to the U22 league at the age of fifteen. This is when I started to take my training to the next level and I started to believe I could make it to the university level.
The summer before playing U22, I attended Brian O’Riellys summer hockey camp, as one of two females, alongside my brother and other OHL / Major Junior prospects.
Intimidated, I tried my hardest to keep up with the boys.
After long hard training days, Coach “Bri”, who was a performance life coach, gave speeches on sport perseverance, mental toughness and being a good athlete and person.
These talks altered my life indefinitely, it gave me insight into what mental performance training is and could do for me as a young athlete moving towards a university career.
From that camp forward, not only did I decide to fully dedicate myself to my sport and make it to the next level, it made me want to pursue a career in sports psychology. I too had a passion for helping people, especially athletes, believe that they could get anywhere they wanted in their lives and achieve their greatest sport goals.
However, in my last year of high school, I was involved in an accident that took me out of sport for the majority of the season. This accident gave me many mental struggles when trying to get back into playing shape. I then committed to a newly appointed NCAA Division 1 league university team, not fully knowing exactly what the year ahead of me would entail.
Unfortunately, fresh off of months leave from the ice, I found myself on an underdeveloped and unorganized team. My gameplay took a major downhill turn. I went from a confident blue-liner that could see the ice well and move the puck fast, to a nervous, unsure defender, often making unconfident plays. My skating and puck skills also took a hit and I was at the lowest point of my career, on the verge of quitting all together.
The Covid pandemic inevitably sent me home and made my transition to move back to Canada a lot simpler. From there, I then had to commit to a comeback journey.
Through self-directed training during lockdown, I took the year of 2020 to recover my hockey career. Despite the major adversities, I embraced the physical and mental training necessary to make Brock U. After a tough summer of catchup and a tough tryout process, I made the Brock team as a “walk-on”.
I thought I was back in business! Believing that my career was “saved”, I realized that my game play was still a little behind my peers after being away from the rink for close to a year at that point.
For the next three years, I battled physically and mentally, trying to improve and outperform my teammates to earn a spot on the game day roster. I was a healthy scratch for the majority of my university career at Brock, never a regular but always prepared to go when put into games.
I continuously struggled with my sense of worth as an athlete and in my ability to play consistently and confidently when thrown into the lineup, while also being a positive teammate when in the stands.
The anxiety and insecurity I felt during practices when trying to earn my spot for the weekend’s games was beyond overwhelming. I lacked confidence and a sense of belonging, something I was searching for externally instead of internally.
It was a struggle for me day in and day out, so I leaned on teammates and family for support, but someone that made the world of difference for me was my mental performance coach.
I felt relief about myself as a hockey player and my gameplay when working with the sport psychologist for our team. It was through him that I felt heard and able to perform at the level I knew I was capable of. We would chat weekly, discussing tools to play more consistently, and simply let go of the unrealistic expectations I set for myself.
Near the end of my career, I can confidently say I transformed into the player I knew I always was. It left me with the confidence that I did everything in my power to complete this comeback journey I had set out for three years prior.
As a retired USPORT player, I truly have been on all ends of the spectrum when it comes to team dynamics. Now, it is my goal to help athletes not only achieve optimal performance and reach their goals, but to make them feel heard and seen on their sport journey, just as the Mental Performance Coach I had did for me.
My biggest takeaway is that you’re never alone no matter where you are in your sport and in life, somebody is always there to listen and offer guidance.
I firmly believe working with a Mental Performance Coach leads you to a much more fulfilling, rewarding, and enjoyable sport experience, and it’s my mission to be that person for my clients.
You can learn more about Coach Mia by clicking the video below:
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.
Through dedicated practice and guidance, Emilie learned to manage her mindset, overcome self-doubt, and channel her focus effectively, ultimately leading to a significant improvement in her game. This pivotal shift not only elevated her performance on the field, but also instilled in her a deep appreciation for the profound impact of mental training on athletic success and enjoyment.
Drawing from her academic and athletic journey, Emilie is driven by a deep passion to optimize athletes’ performance through principles of sport psychology, just as she once did. Her ultimate goal is to empower athletes to consistently unlock their full potential – ensuring they perform at their peak level day in and day out.
Education: M.Sc., Kinesiology – Sport Psychology, Dalhousie University (currently enrolled)
Core Clients: Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Baseball, Figure Skating, Dance
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.
Playing goalie since the age of five, Max has developed an enhanced perception of the stressors and pressures that athletes not only put on themselves, but those placed on them by others. Max has always tried his best to be a leader on and off the ice, which led him to becoming captain of his high school Varsity team his senior year. Playing junior hockey in the EHLP exposed Max to many different experiences in which he had to learn how to manage the pressures and expectations that came along with making it to the next level. His life experiences have inspired Max to pursue a career in Clinical Sports Psychology, as he believes no athlete should ever feel the way he did while trying to make their dreams a reality. Max’s overall goal is to help athletes perform at their fullest potential, enjoy the game they love, and feel good about themselves – not only as an athlete but as a person as well.
Disclaimer: Although Max is currently earning his PsyD in clinical psychology, he does not conduct clinical work within this setting. Instead, he uses his formal education to help expand his understanding and ability to work with athletes.
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James C Nellis is a Licensed Associate Counselor and High-Performance Coach who makes his home in Scottsdale Arizona. James’ expertise is in helping elite athletes, teams, and business professionals increase their performance, improve their understanding and relationship with self, and develop an overall sense of internal congruency and well-being.
James grew up as a highly successful athlete in the sports of hockey, golf, and baseball. Although James played all three sports at the highest levels in Canada, hockey became his main focus, but injuries ended his competitive playing career. James then turned his focus to business and launched a career in the financial services industry. He cofounded Regency Advisory Corporation in 2003, a financial services firm catering to high net worth business owners in Western Canada and sold the business in 2013 after a successful 10 years of serving clients. James’ focus since then has been personal development and working to help others. His ability to honestly self asses, to be open to feedback from others, make sound decisions, listen to an assess the needs of others, and communicate his intentions directly are his greatest strengths. James works with my clients to deliver key strategies and tactics helping them to develop in the areas of self-confidence, communication, process focus and growth mindsets, achieve their personal goals, understanding positive self-talk, develop visualization skills, accountability, and self-efficacy.
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Chris is a Senior High-Performance Coach and has spent the past 30+ years in the game of hockey as a player, Head Coach, General Manager, scout, mentor, consultant and most importantly as a parent. He has done so in the NHL, with Hockey Canada, in the OHL and the OHA, as well as European pro hockey. In addition, he has spent 15+ years as a classroom teacher as well as being in leadership positions as an administrator with a private high school in Toronto. All these experiences have allowed Chris to be able to work with, lead, coach, mentor, advise, and consult with various personalities, ultimately gleaning some championship habits along the way.
Chris has coached over 100 players who have played and/or been drafted into the NHL, and 100+ players who have gone on to play NCAA or USport hockey. His passion for working with athletes and his vast experiences have provided him with countless ‘real life’ examples of what High Performance looks like. He has won multiple championships as a Head Coach and GM, notably winning a Stanley Cup ring from being a member of the scouting staff of the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2012-2016.
Chris is a voracious reader who is often referring to the books he has read to aid those he works with, and is a lifelong student of coaching, leadership, high performance, human nature, and development, as well as anything that involves sports. His personal purpose is to provide athletes, coaches, executives, and organizations with the ability to be high performers and helping them grow into their peak potential.
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Core Clients: Hockey, Golf, Lacrosse, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Business Executives
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Education: MSc., Applied Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University
Core Clients: Endurance Sports, Basketball, Soccer, Individual Sports, Hockey, Football
For over a decade, I coached top high school, collegiate, and professional runners across Canada and the U.S.
I helped athletes step onto some of the sport’s biggest start lines—fit, focused, and ready to perform. I knew how to build a peak. I knew how to prepare the mind and body. And I thought I knew what pressure felt like.
So when I stepped away from high-performance coaching and decided to start racing again myself, I figured I had an edge.
I had the background. I had the science. I had the mileage. Surely I could jump back in and compete at a high level.
Then came the World Half Ironman Championships.
I had qualified on my very first attempt. It should’ve been a dream scenario.
But instead, I found myself staring at my computer screen, hovering over the “Cancel Registration” button—heart pounding, stomach twisted in dread.
Do I really deserve this? What if I embarrass myself?
The injuries that led me into triathlon had healed. My training was solid. But the pressure of competing on a world stage triggered something deeper—a fear I couldn’t outpace.
I clicked cancel.
And for a split second, I felt relief.
Then came the shame.
To prove it wasn’t fear that stopped me, I turned pro the next season. If I was a professional, I told myself, I’d have to show up. I’d have to race.
But I registered for four events that year… and started none of them.
The truth hit hard:
I wasn’t physically broken. I was mentally blocked.
I had spent my life chasing high performance.
As a coach. As a professional triathlete. As someone who completed graduate degrees in Coaching, Counselling Psychology, and Health Administration—all in pursuit of excellence.
But none of that prepared me for what I really needed: a roadmap for navigating pressure from the inside out.
That realization didn’t come all at once. It came in flashes—like sitting in the parking lot of another race I didn’t start, staring at my running shoes, willing myself to believe I still belonged.
Or lying awake the night before a race, knowing deep down I would find some reason not to show up.
It wasn’t just missed races—it was missed trust in myself.
It took time to rebuild. To stop tying my worth to results, and start tying it to how I showed up in the moments that mattered. When I mastered this and started getting back on the start lines I not only had more joy, and fun, but performed better, and fell in love with my sport again!
That rebuilding process became the foundation for everything I teach now.
What I learned the hard way is what eventually led me to CEP.
At CEP, we believe mindset isn’t about thinking harder or hyping yourself up—it’s about training your mind with the same intention and structure you use to train your body.
That belief is what led me to create the IGNITE Method—a six-step process built to help athletes and high performers move from stuck to steady, from inconsistent to elite:
I: Identify Your Mental Barriers
G: Generate Your Best Traits
N: Nurture Your Pre-Performance Routine
I: Instill Focus Under Pressure
T: Train Your Mental Skills Daily
E: Evaluate and Grow After Every Performance
IGNITE is practical, repeatable, and transformational—and it reflects the exact journey I wish I had when I needed it most.
Today, through my work at CEP, I have the privilege of supporting Olympians, NCAA athletes, executives, and emerging stars as they strengthen their mindset like they strengthen their physical powers so they can achieve Consistent Elite Performance.
I understand what it feels like to be stuck, to doubt, to wonder if you’ll ever break through.
And I also know what’s on the other side of doing the work: freedom, clarity, and the ability to compete with full confidence.
This is why I feel so privileged and lucky to be able to wake up every day and help the next generation of athletes think bigger, strive for greatness, and reach for goals they once thought impossible. It’s an honor to support so many high-performers as they break through mental barriers, unlock their potential, and show up with full confidence, on and off the field.
In the end, the greatest victories aren’t the medals or the times or the records.
They’re the moments you choose to show up—fully.
You can learn more about Coach Brant by clicking the video below:
Michael is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and often utilizes Cognitive Behavioural, Schema, EMDR, and Solution-Focused Therapies in his clinical practice. Michael has a keen interest in the relationship between mental health and sport, with a particular focus in understanding how maladaptive coping responses appear during times of stress.
Michael looks to help transform these barriers to offer the athletes greater psychological flexibility and maximize their performance potential. With special attention devoted to enhancing assertiveness and competence during instances of self-doubt, Michael aims to help develop personal assessment skills that promote healthy decision-making and confidence. Michael’s objective is to help the athlete channel resiliency in competition while relating how these concepts can be applied to navigating the unique challenges in life.
Michael grew up a sports enthusiast and continues to immerse himself in the competitive domain of athletics and fitness. Michael’s passion is to help athletes integrate self-leadership practices that will help manage their mindset barriers with authentic personal confidence.
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Education: M.Ed., Sport Psychology, Boston University
Core Clients: Tennis, Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Golf, Hockey
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I still remember the match that broke me.
I was in middle school and playing in a semi-final tournament match against a friend of mine. He was ranked lower than me. I was “supposed” to win. After all, I was ranked #1 in the state.
I started off hot and wasn’t missing. I cruised to a first set victory.
As I sat on the bench waiting for the second set to begin, I started thinking to myself:
“What if I let this guy come back? What if he beats me? What if I let my parents and my coach down?”
This pressure was very familiar to me since earning the top rank in the state. I constantly felt like I had a target on my back. I felt anxious both on and off the court. I had a lot to lose all of a sudden.
Tennis used to be fun, but now it felt heavy.
As I stepped back on the court for the 2nd set, my thoughts continued to race. My legs felt rigid and my whole upper body was tight and tense.
I was panicking.
My opponent broke my serve in the first game of that set. Every unforced error I made suddenly felt like a spotlight exposing me. I couldn’t shake the tightness and turn the match around.
Meanwhile, my opponent never looked back.
I lost the match. I remember shaking my opponent’s hand and walking off the court. In that moment, my coach grabbed me. He reassured me that losing is unavoidable, that it’s part of the sport. But I didn’t listen.
I was defeated. The experience of that match was dreadful. And as I reflected, that was just how losing felt to me since earning the #1 rank.
Part of me wanted to continue playing – I felt like I had come so far. But another part of me wanted to just leave it all behind. Tennis no longer felt healthy for me. Why would I keep doing something I wasn’t enjoying?
Within a number of weeks, I decided that it was time for me to put down the tennis racket.
So, I stepped away from tennis. Not in flames, just in silence. I didn’t really open up to anyone about why I was quitting. I just told my parents and coach that I wanted to focus on other sports.
And that’s how it was for years. As my rackets collected dust in my closet, I played other sports: baseball, soccer, golf, and basketball.
It felt comfortable to leave my rackets tucked away. It was easier to just avoid the tennis court. It was convenient.
But somewhere beneath all of that, I felt like I had unfinished business on the court.
Whenever I walked by a tennis court or saw Federer and Djokovic highlights on TV, there was a part of me that wanted to pick up the racket again. In these moments, I regretted quitting. I would have a pit in my stomach. I felt an internal shame for putting the racket down. I had gotten complacent when things got hard and had given up too soon.
It wasn’t until college that I decided to fully commit to tennis again.
I was living in a new state, surrounded by new faces, and trying really hard to find community. I viewed college as a great opportunity for me to redefine myself. Growing up, I was shy and quiet, and I wanted to try my hand at breaking out of that shell. Furthermore, I had hardly played tennis in years. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t a quitter. So I did something my younger self wouldn’t have believed:
I tried out for the USC Club Tennis Team.
I made the team by the skin of my teeth. I was the last player selected from the tryout. I wasn’t the smoothest hitter or the best mover, and it didn’t help that my topspin backhand was practically useless.
But I was hungry. I wanted to grow. And I showed that grit during the tryout.
As I stepped on the court for the team’s first practice that fall, I quickly found out that I was far from making the starting lineup at tournaments. Anxious to improve, I started searching for anything that could help me get better.
Late nights in my dorm, I found it:
Sport psychology. Mental training.
I read books about mindset training. I followed Mental Performance Coaches on Twitter. I watched TED talks delivered by sport psychologists. This became a nightly routine for me.
The more I studied and personalized my mental game, the more things began to click.
I learned the mind is a muscle and that I’d never trained mine. I learned that confidence doesn’t have to be fixed in place – it can be built. I learned that you can play free and focused even when under pressure.
For the first time in years, tennis felt light again. Fun again. Possible again.
Suddenly, I had a new outlook on tennis. As a kid, I felt like the tennis court was a proving ground. When I stepped on the court, I felt the need to prove to myself and others that I was a good player.
Now, in college, the experience was totally different. Tennis became an opportunity. It gave me the chance to make friends, compete, and get better. And I became obsessed with that process of getting better. I loved it.
The transformation wasn’t overnight. But slowly, tournament by tournament, I made progress. My first serve got faster, my backhand got more consistent, and my volleys became respectable.
By the next year, I became a consistent starter on the team. Teammates looked to me not because I was the most talented, but because I was steady. I was always at practice, always present, and always locked in.
The team elected me to be Captain in both of my last two years of college.
Tennis was no longer the thing that broke me. It became the thing that rebuilt me.
My club tennis career continued through graduate school as I earned my Master’s in Sport Psychology at Boston University. And I still compete in leagues and tournaments to this day.
But the biggest shift has happened off the court.
I realized I wasn’t alone. So many athletes – talented and driven — are held back not by their ability but by their minds. By pressure, fear of failure, and by trying to prove instead of play.
I know that story too well. I lived it.
That’s what led me to become a Mental Performance Coach. It pains me to see others underperform and let their love of the game slip away.
My goal is simple: to help players escape the mental trap of trying to prove themselves. To help them show up with confidence, be present, and play free.
You can learn more about Coach Thomas by clicking the video below:
Hayley has always had a strong passion for organization, efficiency and supporting teams to reach their full potential. Her success as an Administrative Assistant is driven by her diverse experiences, both in the office and beyond, which have given her a deep understanding of the importance of overcoming challenges and staying focused.
Hayley has also competed in competitive art shows throughout her youth. In these competitions, Hayley faced many of the same stressors and mental blocks that athletes often encounter, like self-doubt, pressure, and the challenge of maintaining focus under stress.
Her personal & professional experience make Hayley an extremely valuable first contact at CEP. In your intake call, Hayley will do her best to utilize all of her experiences to connect and empathize with you, and ensure you are matched with the best CEP Coach for you.
Education: Honours Diploma – Office Administration, Durham College
Alana’s background in Psychology, as well as Child & Youth Work has allowed her to dedicate her career to connecting with people and providing services that truly make a difference in their lives. Her approach as an Administrative Assistant is fueled by not only education, but personal experiences as well.
Alana was a competitive gymnast for 10 years, eventually becoming a gymnastics coach for 5 years. She has learned firsthand the value of discipline, dedication, and resilience. As a coach, she had the privilege of fostering growth and helping young athletes realize their potential—lessons that extend far beyond the gym.
Being the first point of contact at CEP, Alana speaks with full understanding of the tremendous value of developing mental skills and being mentally tough. Alana is committed to optimizing your intake call to ensure you are matched with the best CEP coach for you.
Education: B.A., Psychology, Brock University
Baylie began her academic journey at Western University in 2021, where she was a member of the Women’s Rugby Team during their undefeated season before transferring to Trent University in 2022. At Trent, Baylie earned both academic and athletic scholarships and was recognized as Rookie of the Year. While her athletic career has been marked by both personal and team successes, she understands firsthand the challenges of transitioning between teams, adapting to new environments, as well as managing pre-game nerves and fear of failure.
Early success in her sport made it difficult for Baylie to focus on anything beyond outcomes. This pressure caused her to struggle with her love for Rugby, even turning down opportunities she had once dreamed of due to fear of failure. She noticed that in games when the stakes “didn’t matter”, whether it was because the outcome wouldn’t impact standings or the game was purely for fun, she played better than ever. Recognizing that this wasn’t just a coincidence, Baylie began to truly understand how large of a role mindset plays in performance.
Through her work as a Mental Performance Coach and Administrative Assistant at CEP Mindset, Baylie is dedicated to guiding athletes in overcoming mental barriers, rediscovering their passion, and building the resilience needed to succeed both on & off the field of play.
Education: B.Sc., Psychology – Health & Wellbeing Specialization, Trent University (currently enrolled)
Core Clients: Rugby, Basketball, Flag Football, Football, Track, Wrestling
Austin is a mental performance coach and an accomplished professional hockey player. After a five-year career in the Western Hockey League, he went on to play for the University of British Columbia’s varsity team, earning degrees in Psychology and Commerce. He then went on to play 3 years of professional hockey in Europe.
High-level sport had provided Austin with extensive insights and invaluable experiences. Overcoming serious injuries, navigating unfamiliar environments, dealing with performance fluctuations, and managing various personalities and pressures have all shaped Austin’s understanding and perception of both hockey and sport in general – including the essential role of sports psychology in relation to performance. Each challenge Austin has experienced over the past 15 years has contributed to his ever growing repertoire of tools and strategies to help overcome the many adversities faced by athletes.
Academically, Austin further developed his skills and interests, applying various psychological and behavioural theories and linking such concepts to his experiences on the ice. Recognizing the importance of mental toughness in sport, he became passionate about helping other athletes overcome personal obstacles, foster individual growth, and in turn reach levels of performance otherwise unattainable without mental performance coaching.
Austin’s coaching philosophy emphasizes training the brain as one would train the body. Specifically, Austin’s approach focuses on the incorporation of acceptance, self-perception, and cognitive control as key components to effectively support athletes in reaching their full potential.
Education: B.A., Psychology, Commerce – University of British Columbia
Core Clients: Hockey, Golf, Soccer, Lacrosse
Hayley Williams is a former Professional Ice Hockey Player turned CEP Mental Performance Coach. Dedicated to helping athletes achieve their highest goals, Hayley prides herself on teaching, training, and inspiring athletes to become the strong, skilled, and confident person they know they can be, both on and off the ‘field of play.’
With a decade-long professional ice hockey career that spanned multiple countries and included representing the Hungarian National Team in multiple IIHF World Championships and two near-Olympic qualification runs. She knows firsthand the mental toughness, sacrifice, and resilience required to compete at the highest level. Her journey from rising the ranks and navigating setbacks, to international moves and chasing Olympic dreams has fueled Hayley’s passion for athletic development and mental performance.
Through her work with CEP Mindset, Hayley works 1-on-1 with athletes looking to optimize their mindset to reach their full potential. Her coaching approach blends elite-level experience with evidence-based mental performance strategies to help athletes own their capabilities by breaking through mental barriers, building consistent confidence, and thriving under pressure.
Whether it’s overcoming performance anxiety, bouncing back from injury, or staying focused in high-stakes moments, Hayley equips athletes with the tools they need to turn adversity into opportunity, and dreams into reality!
Education: MBA, Business Administration, University of the People (currently enrolled)
Core Clients: Hockey, Softball, Basketball, Golf, Business Executives
Bio Highlights:
Education:
Sport Background:
Core Clients: Track and field, endurance sports, triathlon, dance, figure skating, gymnastics, individual sports.
“You deserve to find out how good you could be.”
These words quite literally changed the trajectory of my life.
But first, let’s rewind a few years.
Growing up, I was a competitive dancer. You could find me at the studio four or five hours a day, four to five times a week. Multiply that by 12 or so years.
Dance introduced me to the idea of performing under pressure. Unlike points-based sports where outcomes are determined by clear metrics (e.g. either the shot goes in or it doesn’t), my routines were judged subjectively—every movement open to scrutiny. Were my toes pointed enough? How high did I jump? Did I stay composed from start to finish?
At the time, I was focused entirely on the physical —cleaner turns, higher jumps, sharper lines— trying to refine my technique to make every movement as strong as possible. While I was training my body to be strong and resilient, it wasn’t until I transitioned into adulthood that I began learning how to train my mind.
After graduating from university I started running casually — a 5k here, a 10k there — but without any real direction or goals. That’s when I began working with a run coach.
One of the first things he said to me was, “You deserve to find out how good you could be.” Those words stopped me in my tracks. It was the first time someone had voiced such clear belief in my potential.
Just a few months into working with this coach, I ran my first marathon in 3 hours and 33 minutes. To some, that might seem impressive—but it was far from the goal I had set for myself.
I had spent months training to run a sub-three hour marathon, so falling more than 30 minutes short of my goal was a disappointment to say the least. I didn’t just feel like I had let myself down—I felt like I had let my coach down, too. And honestly? I was embarrassed.
When the race started to unravel, so did my mindset. I could see my goal slipping through my fingers as the minutes ticked by. And the longer the race went on, the louder the negative thoughts became.
I thought about the early morning alarms. The countless long runs and workouts I pushed through when I didn’t feel like it. All those sacrifices, made in pursuit of one singular goal. And here I was – on the day that mattered most – and it felt like my body didn’t show up for me. But not in the way you might expect. Physically, I largely felt fine. Mentally? That was another story.
That experience opened my eyes to a truth I couldn’t ignore: there was a gap between my physical preparation and my mental readiness. While I had trained my body for the demands of the 42.2 km distance, I hadn’t prepared my mind for the pressure that came with it. I realized then that mental fitness isn’t just an added bonus—it’s a requirement for high performance.
So, I got to work.
With the help of a Mental Performance Coach, I started building the mental resilience I needed to show up to start lines with not just a strong body—but a strong mind, too.
We worked on managing nerves in the lead-up to big workouts and races. I learned how to notice unhelpful thought patterns and replace them with more constructive ones. I practiced reframing failure—not as proof I wasn’t good enough, but as feedback I could learn from. I started approaching challenges with a mindset rooted in curiosity and self-belief, rather than fear and self-doubt.
The work I did with my Mental Performance Coach didn’t just change how I showed up – it changed my results.
Five weeks after racing my first marathon, I laced up my shoes again—this time finishing in 3 hours and 3 minutes. And while I won’t pretend that shaving 30 minutes off my time didn’t feel good (it absolutely did), the best part was how confident I felt from start to finish.
Fast forward a few years. I’ve raced the Boston Marathon twice, competed internationally at the elite level, and ran my most recent marathon in 2 hours and 46 minutes. While the most obvious difference is the 47 minutes I’ve been able to shave off my marathon PR, what’s less visible is the behind-the-scenes work it took to show up to workouts and starting lines with confidence.
The real growth didn’t come from simply running faster splits or longer runs—it came from changing what was happening inside my head. I began to ask myself questions like:
Oftentimes, performance breakthroughs come from what happens internally (e.g. mental), not just externally (e.g. physical). Today, I stand on starting lines with a calm mind, knowing that I’ve not only put in the physical work, but also the mental work, to succeed.
Mental strength isn’t something you either have or don’t—it’s built with intention and it lays the foundation for Consistent Elite Performance.
That belief, sparked by a simple statement from my coach years ago, still drives me—both in my own training and in the work I do with athletes.
As a Mental Performance Coach I help athletes and high performers build the same kind of mindset that helped transform my own running and help me close the gap between potential and performance. I’ve lived the pressure of competition, navigated setbacks, and come out the other side with a clearer understanding of what it really takes to perform at your best—day in and day out.
My background in high-performance sport, combined with my clinical training, allows me to understand the unique pressures athletes face—both on the surface and beneath it. Whether it’s managing nerves, bouncing back from failure, or trusting yourself when it counts, mental strength is the common thread behind Consistent Elite Performance.
Because you deserve to find out how good you can be—and have the mindset to make it happen.
You can learn more about Coach Elaina by clicking the video below:
As a former athlete, Sean played baseball at various competitive levels, including JUCO at County College of Morris, NCAA Division I at Central Michigan University, and NCAA Division II at Ferris State University, where he earned two GLIAC Championships and was a two-time All-Conference Team selection. His athletic journey also includes AAA hockey, Kung Fu, Judo, Crossfit, boxing, and semi-pro baseball in Intercounty Baseball with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Transitioning from player to coach, Sean has spent the past two decades coaching AAA and elite/travel baseball, as well as AAA hockey. His roles have ranged from assistant and head coach positions to skills coach, mentor, and player development specialist—all while being an active parent of three athletes.
Sean also has a professional background as a Network Systems Engineer and currently manages an award-winning real estate business. He mentors new team members and oversees real estate and construction operations, blending strategic leadership with hands-on experience.
Sean’s sport and business experiences naturally led him to mental performance coaching. Supporting athletes through the pressures of competition while fostering a love for their sport has become his greatest passion. Whether on the field, the ice, or in the ring – Sean empowers athletes to reach their full potential physically and mentally.
Education: B.Sc., Business Administration, Ferris State University
Core Clients: Baseball/Softball, Hockey, Golf, Combat Sports
Chris’s philosophy is rooted in his experience as a multi-sport athlete. From playing AAA baseball and hockey for over a decade, travelling across North America playing in elite tournaments, and learning from professional coaches – Chris has been taught how to succeed in elite-level environments. His journey also includes recovering from serious injuries and the emotional toll of toxic team cultures. These experiences instilled a deep appreciation for the complex landscapes athletes navigate and the importance of mental training in sport.
Chris has earned an Honours degree in Psychology, completing senior-level Counselling and Sport Psychology courses. Complementing his sport and academic foundation, Chris has also volunteered with the Canadian Mental Health Association to support individuals facing complex life challenges and mental health diagnoses. His work has always been grounded in empathetic listening, and solution-focused methods. Since then, he uses his skills to support the next generation in career planning as an Advisor at MacEwan University.
As a dedicated Mental Performance Coach, Chris draws from his diverse background to help clients shift from a results focus, to a process-oriented mindset. His approach encourages resilience, healthy habits, and intrinsic motivation. Chris’s ultimate goal is to help athletes reconnect with their purpose and become the best version of themselves in sport and life.
Education: B.A., Honours Psychology, MacEwan University
Core Clients: Baseball, Hockey, Boxing, Basketball, Volleyball
Bio Highlights:
Education: Ph.D., Sport & Performance Psychology, York University
Sport Background: Played 10 years of competitive hockey at the junior, collegiate, & pro ranks
Core Clients: Professional Athletes (all sports) & Business Executives
It is the opening night of my NHL draft year. I’m 17 years old and I’m in the starting lineup. I’m standing on the blue line for the national anthem reviewing the big goals I’ve set for this season — I can feel the adrenaline buzzing through my body. It’s a crucial year to perform, get drafted, and make it one step closer to achieving my childhood dream of playing in the NHL.
But the puck drops… and nothing goes the way I imagined.
You see, I had a history of wearing my emotions on my sleeve. As a kid, when things went wrong, I’d slam my stick, doubt myself, spiral into frustration, and overthink every mistake. There were nights I rode the emotional rollercoaster so high I thought I was unstoppable — and others where I crashed so low I questioned if I even belonged on the ice.
I was outcome-obsessed and this created a constant battle in my head. Every shift felt like I had to produce points, and every glance from a coach, a parent, a scout carried the weight of judgment. When I got a point early in a game, I played loose and confident. But when I didn’t — when the bounces didn’t go my way despite how well I was playing — the tension crept in. I’d grip my stick tighter, second guess my decisions, and fall into a downward spiral that I couldn’t pull myself out of.
I was Mr. Inconsistent.
I’d go from playing confident and free to looking like a completely different player performing well below my capabilities.
To say the least, my mindset in my NHL draft season could make or break me. In game 1 of the season, I play with confidence and excitement from being in the starting lineup.
But I don’t register a point. My confidence drops. Making me go into the next game a little more tense and tentative. Game after game this cycle continues. By the 15-game mark, I’m slouched in the dressing room with zero points and zero confidence. The coach calls me into his office. He doesn’t sugarcoat it: without points, my ice time was going to be cut.
And it was. I ended up being a healthy scratch — which means I wasn’t even on the bench, I was in the stands, eating popcorn.
At 17-years-old all I wanted was to be out on the ice chasing down my dream, but instead I was forced to sit in the stands and watch all my peers chase down their dreams.
That happened to me 48 times that season — that’s a lot of popcorn!
My confidence was shattered. I could barely make a pass in practice. When I did get into a game and get a measly few shifts I played safe, scared, and timid.
Not surprisingly, I finished the season with zero points. Zero. And in case it’s not clear, you don’t get drafted to the NHL with zero points.
But the worst part wasn’t failing miserably at my goals nor eating all the stale popcorn.
The worst part is when the season ends and I go back home to North Bay, Ontario. It’s a pretty small town, and I’m the only guy playing in the OHL at the time—so I’m not a big deal, but I am kind of a big deal in a small town.
And someone has the nerve to say, “Hey, if I played 34 games in the OHL, I would have at least put up 1 point.”
My stomach drops. I feel like I just took a knife to the heart. I can’t decide if I want to fight him on the spot or run home, crawl under the covers, and cry.
All I can muster back is “You think I didn’t try to put up a point… ?”
I stumble away, my mind goes blank and my body goes numb as my entire identity is brought into question. I start to wonder:
I have just wasted everything I worked for my whole life?
Can I even bounce back from this?
Should I just give up?
I wanted to quit so bad.
But I realized my entire mindset that year had been about putting up points, getting drafted, and rising the ranks. I was consumed with the external results. So much so, that I lost touch with the love of the game.
The only way for me to move forward with the game was to get back to why I played in the first place. I asked myself:
What would my 10 year old self say to do?
What did I enjoy so much about the game back then?
Could I find and experience that same joy again in this new context?
The answers became clear. I was able to reconnect to the love of the game and it helped me break free from the weight of all the the external results and expectations.
By focusing on my passion and what I loved about the game in the first place it fueled the grit I needed to pick myself up and move forward. It ensured I did not let this failure define me.
I went on to play 8 more seasons of competitive hockey including a cup of coffee in the pro’s. I made great friends and memories – including winning a championship in junior hockey and I still love competing against my friends on the outdoor rink today.
This moment also started me on the path to finding a new approach to the mental game – one where my confidence could withstand the pressures, adversities, and distractions that come with elite sport.
I faced many more challenges in my career — a broken jaw, being sent down, and the constant battle of confidence. It took me nearly a decade of trial and error to piece together a mental game that worked.
It wasn’t easy. The sports world is full of cliché advice: “Stay positive.” “Don’t worry about it.” “Be confident.” None of that helped me. I needed real strategies — personalized and practical — that could keep me connected to the love of the game and help me play my best consistently, no matter what the scoreboard said.
That search became an obsession. I studied, tested, and refined everything I could about the mental game. Eventually, it drove me into academia, where I earned my Ph.D. in Sport Psychology from York University. Along the way, I’ve read 100’s of books and learned from world leaders in human performance like Dr. John Demartini and Todd Herman.
Through that blend of lived experience and science, I built what has now become the CEP Mindset System — a proven framework that has helped tens of thousands of athletes and high-performers play with reliable confidence, achieve Consistent Elite Performance, and, most importantly, stay connected to the love of the game.
I’ve dedicated my career to making sure athletes don’t have to fight the same battles I did. They don’t need to spend years riding the rollercoaster of inconsistency, gripping their stick too tight, or figuring it all out the hard way.
Because at the end of the day, sport should be fun. It’s an opportunity to develop life skills, build relationships, and fully express yourself — but it’s a shame when the joy of sport gets stripped away.
The good news? Mental performance is no longer dismissed as “soft.” It’s now recognized as a cornerstone of success and well-being — helping athletes thrive not only in sport, but in life.
That shift, combined with our proven system, has propelled CEP into one of the largest Mental Performance Coaching firms in North America. With a team of 20+ coaches and growing, our mission at CEP Mindset is clear: to change the culture of sport by helping athletes build healthier, stronger mindsets — one athlete at a time.
Danielle Hanus, MAAs a former competitive swimmer for over 20+ years at the international level competing for Canada both on the Junior and Senior National Teams, Danielle is no stranger to the struggles of sport on mental health. Danielle struggled with performance anxiety, nerves, plateau, the results trap and less than ideal coaches. These aspects led her on her journey to rediscover herself and her athletic identity – personally working with Sport Psychologists and Mental Performance Coaches. Throughout the work with coaches she learned to move away from being her own harshest critic, to remembering why she loves competing in the first place – having fun and enjoying the journey!
Danielle is currently enrolled in a Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology program, where she holds a Registered Psychotherapist Qualifying status. She works to create a bond between coach and athlete in a collaborative manner that invites experiences, mental health, and psycho-education into Counselling and Mental Performance. Working with athletes of all ages, Danielle believes there is a lot of knowledge that can be learned and shared across cohorts – and that mental health is foundational in any athlete’s career. Danielle’s coaching objective is to help athletes develop collaborative alliances where evidence-based practices and interventions can be adapted to every athlete’s individual needs and goals.
Education:
Core Clients: Swimming, Hockey, Gymnastics, Track & Field, Individual Sports
Monica Russell, MAFor Monica, being an athlete has always been a central part of her life, providing both purpose and joy. Having played high-level soccer for over 17 years, she understands firsthand the dedication, discipline, and resilience it takes to perform at a high level. Along her journey, she faced challenges with injuries, performance anxiety, pressure, fear of failure, and transitioning out of competitive sport. Monica also recognizes how rewarding and enjoyable sport can be when approached with the right mindset.
Monica is currently completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, building on her academic background with an Honours degree in Psychology and a minor in Kinesiology. Her path into counselling is rooted in empathy for athletes who discover their purpose and identity within sport. She believes that integrating psychological principles and tools in an athlete’s training not only yields enormous advantages, but also supports athletes in becoming the best version of themselves – both on and off the field.
Monica is dedicated to helping athletes overcome mental barriers, reach their goals, and reconnect with the joy that inspired them to play in the first place!
Education:
Core Clients: Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Hockey, Running, Golf
Stephen was forged by sports. A hockey player all through high school and a AAA basketball Provincial Champion, his father was part-owner of The Winnipeg Warriors of the WHL, and his brother was a scout for the Seattle Thunderbirds. Then, after being jumped by a group of boys as a teenager, he set his focus solely on Martial Arts and meditation, a lifelong journey of self-mastery that continues to this day.
Stephen has also spent the past 20 years as an acting and mindset coach for Emmy, Oscar, and Grammy-winning artists. As an acting coach, communication consultant, and mental performance coach, he draws on decades in sports, acting, and martial arts training to help his clients stay present, in their bodies, and emotionally connected.
Originally from Winnipeg, Stephen graduated from the University of Toronto with a degree in Philosophy. He was a working actor for 15 years, starring in 19 films and 11 TV shows over his career. In 2012, he co-founded The BGB Studio, one of LA’s top acting studios. His coaching and teaching clients include lead and recurring actors from THE PITT, DAREDEVIL, BLUEY, among many others. Stephen also spent two years on Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign, teaching staff and volunteers how to craft their personal narrative and express their emotional truth of the campaign.
His wide range of experience, along with his passion for sport and the values it instills, makes him an asset to anyone he works with.
Education: BA., Philosophy, University of Toronto
Core Clients: Actors, Executives, Basketball, Hockey, Martial Aarts
Bo has developed a deep understanding of the mental and physical demands of elite performance through extensive experience as both a hockey and rugby player. During his time as a varsity rugby player at Trent University, Bo experienced performance anxiety and fear of failure firsthand, leading him to discover the transformative power of Sport Psychology.
While playing rugby, Bo sustained multiple concussions, forcing him to transition from player to coach, where he began integrating mental performance strategies as a foundation for individual and team success. His firsthand experience as both an athlete and coach is what allows Bo to connect deeply with athletes at all levels, and what led him to formally pursue a Master of Science in Sport Psychology.
As a mental performance coach, Bo has worked with amateur and university hockey, rugby, lacrosse, volleyball, and track and field teams – where he partners with players, coaching staff, and management to improve performance and well-being across the entire organization. Bo’s approach is grounded in building resilience while staying present and process-focused. Ultimately, Bo is driven by the simple belief that athletes should strive for excellence while truly enjoying their sport.
Education: MSc., Kinesiology – Sport Psychology Specialization, Brock University (Currently Enrolled)
Core Clients: Hockey, Rugby, Lacrosse, Volleyball, Track & Field, Soccer