Book Private Mental-performance Lessons with Coach Sylvia

As a mental performance athletic coach, I combine elite athletic experience with expertise in sports psychology to help athletes reach their peak performance.

Athletic Background: My journey in sports began as an elite athlete, culminating in my qualification for the 2000 Olympics in the 1500m event. I have competed at both the national and international levels. Additionally, I qualified three times for NCAA Division I Cross Country, demonstrating my consistent high-level performance in competitive athletics. I was also an eleven-time Nebraska High School State Champion in Track & Field, excelling in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m events.

Education and Expertise: I hold a Master's degree in Human Movement and Performance with a concentration in Sports Psychology from Western Washington University. This academic foundation, paired with my athletic experience, enables me to offer a comprehensive approach to mental performance coaching.

Coaching Experience: As a sports psychology consultant for Western Washington University's Cross Country Team, I have applied various principles to enhance athletic performance. My expertise includes goal setting, visualization, and stress management techniques. Furthermore, I collaborated with Dr. Ralph Vernacchia to establish the Center for Performance Excellence at Western Washington University, showcasing my ability to develop innovative programs in sports psychology.

Ongoing Professional Development: I am currently pursuing a Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification from UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. This training will enhance my ability to teach relaxation, focus, and concentration techniques to athletes, complementing my existing skills.

Personalized Mental Performance Strategies: I can create tailored strategies to enhance an athlete's mental game, focusing on their specific sport and individual needs.

Goal Setting and Visualization: I teach athletes how to set effective goals and employ visualization techniques to boost their performance in their sport.

Stress Management: I provide tools and techniques to help athletes manage stress and anxiety that are specific to their sporting discipline.

Performance Enhancement: By applying principles of sports psychology, I help athletes optimize their performance during training and competition.

Mindfulness and Focus Training: I instruct athletes in mindfulness and techniques to improve their concentration and overall performance in their sport.

Video Analysis and Feedback: Utilizing video analysis platforms, I offer in-depth feedback and guidance based on an athlete's performance in their discipline.

Flexible and Responsive Coaching: I maintain a flexible schedule and ensure prompt responses, allowing athletes to receive timely support when they need it most.

By combining my athletic experience, academic knowledge, and practical coaching skills, I provide comprehensive mental performance coaching to help athletes improve and excel in their specific sporting disciplines. The goal is to develop, individualize, and refine the mental skills so that it becomes an integral tool during training and competition.

Mental performance training sessions are tailored for each athlete based on their unique demands, dynamics, and aspirations. These sessions are customized to meet individual needs through the following approaches:

1. Personalized techniques are established through methods like mindfulness, visualization, concentration, positive self-talk, stress management and goal-setting to address specific challenges and goals unique to the athlete.

2. Sport-specific strategies are used to align with the demands of the athlete's sport by integrating mental skills into physical practice.

3. Progress monitoring is utilized for regular tracking of mental and emotional growth to ensure the approach evolves with the athlete's development and changing needs.

Thus, the key components of a mental performance training session typically includes:

*Assessment: Evaluating the athlete's current mental skills and identifying areas for improvement, often through discussions.

*Education: Teaching athletes about mental skills, such as focus, self-talk, and emotional regulation, and their impact on performance.

*Skill Acuqisition: Introducing techniques like visualization, goal-setting, and stress management tailored to the athlete's needs and sport.

*Practice and Integration: Engaging in exercises to apply these skills during training and competition.

*Feedback and Review: Monitoring progress and refining strategies based on performance outcomes.

I believe that developing mental skills for performance excellence is not a quick fix; it takes time and self-discipline. Therefore, I emphasize the importance of commitment to quality practice in mental training. Additionally, I consider my service to be more about building a relationship than about organizational structure. It’s essential for the athlete to feel comfortable and at ease. My role is to provide guidance and support in helping the athlete achieve their dreams and aspirations.

The most influential coaches I had were Richard Brown, an Olympic coach, and Ralph Vernacchia, my mentor in sport psychology. Both inspired and guided me in pursuing my Olympic dreams and academic goals. Through their care, empathy, and adaptability, they tailored their approaches to meet my individual needs and aspirations. They fostered a sense of trust, understanding, and collaboration, while also instilling important values such as discipline, integrity, commitment, and teamwork. These values significantly shaped my personal growth beyond running and academics.

As I look back on my journey, I am reminded of the incredible power of perseverance and the human spirit. My name is Sylvia, and I want to share my story with fellow athletes and parents to demonstrate my passion for mental performance coaching in athletics.

My Athletic Journey: From a young age, running was my passion. I devoted over a decade to elite distance running, competing at both national and international levels. During my high school years in Nebraska, I won 11 state championships in Track & Field. This success allowed me to join the University of Nebraska Track Team, where I qualified for the NCAA Nationals three times. After college, I continued to compete and qualified for the 2000 Olympic Trials in the 1500m event.

Academic Pursuits: While my feet were on the track, my mind was actively engaged in the classroom. I earned my B.A. in Psychology from the University of Nebraska, followed by an M.S. in Human Movement & Performance, with a focus on Sport Psychology and Exercise Science, from Western Washington University. This blend of athletic experience and academic knowledge forms the foundation of my approach to mental performance coaching.

Overcoming Adversity: My journey hasn’t been without its challenges. At 13, I developed a heart condition that would have sidelined many athletes. But I refused to let it define me. In 1996, while training for the Olympic trials, I underwent my first open-heart valve replacement surgery. Not only did I return to competitive running, but I also achieved personal best times. Four years later, I faced another setback with a second open-heart surgery. Once again, I fought my way back to competitive running. Although I eventually had to retire from competitive athletics due to my heart condition, these experiences taught me invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability, and the power of the mind in overcoming physical challenges.

My Coaching Philosophy: Today, I draw on over 30 years of experience in fitness conditioning and strength and endurance training to help athletes like you reach your full potential. My journey from competitive athletics to life beyond the sport has given me a unique perspective on the challenges you may face, both in your sport and in life. I am committed to sharing the mental strategies that enabled me to succeed against all odds. I understand the pressures you face, the doubts that may creep in, and the mental barriers that can sometimes seem insurmountable. My goal as your mental performance coach is to help you develop the resilience, focus, and mental toughness necessary to excel in both your sport and personal life. Having faced seemingly impossible odds myself, I know what it takes to come out stronger. Now, I want to help you achieve the same. Remember, your mind is your most powerful asset. With the right mental tools and strategies, you can push past your perceived limits and accomplish things you never thought possible. I am here to guide you on this journey, help you unlock your full potential, and show you that with the right mindset, anything is achievable. Let’s work together to turn your athletic dreams into reality, just as I did with mine. Your journey of growth and success starts here, and I am excited to be a part of it.