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.”
Becoming a Collegiate Volleyball Player
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.
Untangling Perfectionism & Competitiveness
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.
Turning my Struggles into my Purpose
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.
Nicholas is a Senior High-Performance Coach and holds a doctorate in Sport & Exercise Psychology. 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 performance 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.
