The field of applied sport psychology has a wide variety of titles associated with it – including Sport Psychologist, Mental Performance Consultant, Mental Skills Coach, Peak Performance Coach etc. The training and education of practitioners in this field can also drastically vary from PhDs to someone without an undergraduate degree.
But what makes someone great at this work is their ability to connect and guide their clients to achieve results. The more effective and efficient the practitioner is, the more in demand they will be.
Sport Psychology is Still Growing
The reality is the study and practice of sport psychology became popular in the 1960’s with the formation of International Society of Sport Psychology and many other governing bodies following. So the field has grown significantly in the past few decades – developing evidence-based approaches that deliver results.
As such sport psychology has become a more accepted practice within athlete development.
But many practitioners are still using fluffy and cookie cutter strategies. The key to effectively helping a client get results is getting to the root of the problem – then developing personalized and practical strategies that work for them.
Mental Health vs Mental Performance
One of the other challenges in the field has been the overlap between mental health and mental performance. The best way to think of these fields is that they are two similar and interrelated continuums.
For example, it is possible that someone is high on the Mental Performance continuum but low on the Mental Health continuum – however, the mental health struggles will eventually catch up and they won’t be able to sustain their mental performance.
The field of Mental Health has generally been about helping people that are struggling (eg. anxiety and depression) and getting them back to a good state.
While the field of Mental Performance is more about helping someone go from good to great.
Sport psychology is generally more focused on the mental performance side. However, there are clinical mental health professionals that are licensed to diagnose and treat mental health, that also work on mental performance.
My belief is that if you effectively work on your mental performance, then you are also proactively ensuring optimal mental health – although they are different, they are interrelated.
But to be clear, most Mental Performance Professionals are not clinical therapists and are not licensed to diagnose and treat mental health. This does not mean they are not effective at what they do, but it does mean if you are looking for someone to diagnose and treat a mental illness that you should work with a licensed mental health professional.
So what is the difference between a sport psychologist and a mental performance coach?
These labels are often used synonymously, from society’s perspective a mental performance coach could also be called a sport psychologist.
However, these labels do matter in different parts of the world. For example, the designation of Psychologist is a protected term in Ontario – so a practitioner based here would only be able to call themselves a Sport Psychologist if they were clinically licensed to diagnose and treat mental illness.
There are certainly advantages to seeing a practitioner clinically licensed to diagnose and treat mental health.
However, I believe there are also benefits to seeing a Mental Performance Coach that is not clinically licensed – foremost it can help create a different environment. It can make it feel more like going to a fitness coach or skills coach – they attend sessions where a coach provides feedback and guidance but the athlete has to do the work to get the benefits.
Versus feeling like they are there to be diagnosed, treated, and fixed – which can start the whole process off on the wrong foot.
Broken and Need to Be Fixed
To be clear people going to see clinical therapists should NOT use this tone as it is not true and not helpful.
Jumping to the conclusion that someone is ‘broken’ and needs to be fixed works well when treating a broken arm. But this creates a lot of problems when working on a person’s inner world.
If the story we tell ourselves is that we are mentally broken and the solution is outside of us – then your inner world will be dependent on the external world – and the journey will be a never-ending challenge with little sense of control.
However, the reality is we have the power to influence our thoughts, feelings and actions. Working with a coach is a great way to better understand our inner dialogue and learn strategies to create an inner narrative that works for us.
The coach is the third party that can help you objectively look at your current inner narrative and see your blind spots.
In summary the field of Sport Psychology is still in its infancy and the labels practitioners use are still evolving.
The tide is certainly shifting when it comes to the acceptance of Sport Psychologists, Mental Health Practitioners, and Mental Performance Coaching.
Athletes that are looking to get a 1-on-1 coach should find someone that meets their unique needs. Great coaches have the ability to connect and guide their clients.
Our team of coaches help athletes get results by getting to the root of the problem then developing personalized and practical strategies that work for them.
Click the button below to find out more if our team will be the best fit for you.
Nicholas Santino is a Senior High-Performance Coach, PhD Candidate, and the official Mental Performance Consultant for Elite Prospects. From his specialized psychology research program, to his PhD studies, Nicholas has gained a tremendous foundation of knowledge and appreciation for the human experience. His passion for psychology has accumulated to a commitment to studying and applying positive psychology and stoicism. This commitment has led Nicholas to conduct many research studies focusing on understanding why and how some people thrive and prosper while others do not. His admiration for evidence-based solutions has propelled Nicholas to produce studies revolving around mindfulness, grit (perseverance and passion), performance, quality participation, social relationships, and well-being.
A Native of Quebec, Sara was part of the St. Lawrence University Women’s Ice Hockey team that competed in the NCAA Division 1 hockey league ECAC. During this time, Sara helped her team appear in four ECAC Hockey Tournaments and two NCAA Frozen Fours, and was a four-time member of the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Squad. Following her career at St. Lawrence University, Sara played one year of professional hockey with Lugano, where she truly honed her skills in understanding the intricate connection between mindset and performance.
Blair has over 13 years of experience as a Professional Dancer, Assistant Dance Captain & Cast Manager, as well as an additional 17 years of training. Over the last 3 decades, she has lived and experienced first hand the highest of highs & lowest of lows that come with pursuing a career in the Performing Arts.
Natasha Habert draws from her training in sport and performance psychology, personal experiences as a competitive athlete, and deep passion for consistent high performance. She is a lifelong athlete and high performer, excelling in volleyball as both a player and coach.
Luciano’s hockey career is highlighted by his time playing college at the University of Victoria and two professional seasons in Europe. Throughout his career, he struggled with performance anxiety, a lack of consistency, fluctuations in confidence, and being caught in the results trap. This eventually led him to deviate from the main reason why anyone should play sports – for the enjoyment of the game. As a former athlete, Luciano has a unique understanding of the psychological pressures and struggles that athletes experience.
Alexis Woloschuk is a name synonymous with mental fortitude in the world of professional hockey. Throughout her career originating playing boys hockey, going to an academy away from home, playing her four years at Boston University and 7+ years in pro hockey she’s learned the importance of resilience, confidence, and dismissing both fear and other’s opinions. With a blend of relatability, confidence, and an acute understanding of playing to one’s potential, Alexis helps athletes reshape the way they perceive and harness the power of their minds.
Sean Mahoney is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and a Master’s candidate in the Sport and Performance Psychology program at the University of Denver. For as long as he can remember, Sean has been fascinated by human performance and how to gain an edge over the competition. For most of his athletic career, he focused on the physical aspect of performance but neglected the mental. Because of this, he struggled with performance anxiety, focus issues, and limiting beliefs pertaining to confidence and self-doubt. His lack of focus on optimizing his mental game prevented him from reaching his full potential.
Savannah Fitzgerald is earning her M.A. in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology Option at California State University, Fresno. Possessing an internal motor that fires her rage for success, Savannah forged this attribute over five years while competing as an NCAA D-I water polo player and swimmer. Combined with her opportunity to represent and compete for the United States, she feels that sport has significantly impacted her professional development. Due to her personal experience playing at all levels, Savannah’s passion for mental performance began when she struggled to overcome pre-competition nerves and post-competition processing. When she discovered a world out there that people were referring to as ‘sport psychology,’ she felt like a piece of her brain was unlocked. Reality shifted as she stumbled into a space consisting of the most beautiful blend of elite performance, mental well-being, and athletics.
Gabe is currently completing his Master’s in Counselling Psychology at the University of Victoria. Although Gabe played several years of high-level baseball, including a stint in the British Columbia Premier Baseball League (BCPBL), he chose hockey as his sport to pursue at the highest level possible. Gabe went on to play four years of junior hockey with the Richmond Sockeyes in the Pacific Junior Hockey League (PJHL) while also coaching minor hockey. Prior to junior hockey, Gabe played 3 years in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) where he experienced the pressures and expectations of moving on to the next level. During those three years, Gabe constantly compared himself to others and struggled with coping when things did not go his way. Over time, he learned how to focus on his own process and path to the next level, while also developing strategies to improve well-being.
Louie is a mental performance coach from Toronto, Canada with a professional hockey career spanning over 14 years. Being a standout player at the University of Michigan, Louie was a Hobey Baker finalist and a 1st team All-American, which led him to getting drafted by the Ottawa Senators and playing in renowned leagues across the globe, including the DEL, SHL, and AHL.
Mia Landry is a former varsity hockey player at Brock University, where she competed at the USPORT level and was part of the 2021-22 OUA gold medal team. Mia currently represents Canada on the Women’s National Ball Hockey team and is pursuing a Master of Kinesiology Sport Psychology at her alma mater. Her research focuses on areas such as team cohesion, group dynamics, leadership styles, and sports culture.
As a former member of McMaster University’s women’s soccer team, Emilie intimately understands the demands and challenges athletes face on and off the field. Although she encountered many challenges as a high-level athlete, particularly struggling with self-doubt and overthinking, Emilie was able to make a remarkable transformation when she began to embrace the principles of sports psychology.
Max is currently attending William James College, where he is earning a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Masters Degree in Professional Psychology. During his time as an undergraduate student, Max was inducted into the International Honor Society in Psychology (Psi Chi), and played on the Quinnipiac University men’s club ice hockey team.
