SPORT PSYCHOLOGY IN THE MEDIA

Below you'll find links and resources that provide examples of how mental skills are being applied in
today's world, across many sport and non-sport endeavors. Take a look!

Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Rise Above It or Drown:  How Elite NBA Athletes Handle Pressure   
Jackie MacMullen
Feb. 26, 2020

Can elite athletes train to be impervious to pressure? Steph Curry thinks they can.
Read More...

tolgart/Getty Images

Don't Just Put On A Happy Face At Work
Allison S. Gabriel, Joel Koopman, Christopher C. Rosen, John D. Arnold, and Wayne Hochwarter  Feb. 19, 2020

It's likely that you experience a variety of negative emotions every day.
Read More...

Bryan Christie Design

Why Your Brain Needs Exercise
          David A. Raichen and          Gene E. Alexander
Jan. 1, 2020

The evolutionary history of humans explains why physical activity is important for brain health.
Read More...

Dylan Nolte/Unsplash

How 1% Performance Improvements Led To Olympic Gold
Eben Harrell
Oct. 30, 2015

When Sir Dave Brailsford became head of British Cycling in 2002, the team had almost no record of success: British cycling had only won a single gold medal in its 76-year history.
Read More...

Courtesy of Daniel Mogg

Mental Conditioning Driving Force Behind Russell Wilson's Succes
Brady Henderson, ESPN
Oct. 3, 2019

Wilson works with Trevor Moawad, an mental coach who, in his words, oversees the psychological architecture of Wilson's career.
Read More...

Jose Morales/Unsplash

Mind Over Matter:  Cubs Starter Jon Lester's Secret to Getting Better With Age
Gordon Wittenmyer
March 27, 2019

The older he gets, the more the game changes around him....what makes him better in his 30s than he was in his 20s.
Read More...

Getty Images

How Elite Athletes Keep Their Heads In The Game
Dyani Sabin
Nov. 7, 2018

A professional athlete's mental game is just as important, if not more so, as their physical one. Read More...

"Woman With Mirror" Frederick Carl Frieseke/Wikimedia

The Running Conversation in Your Head
Julie Beck
Nov. 23, 2016

What a close study of "inner speech" reveals about why humans talk to themselves.
Read More...

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

The Crisis of Confidence That Nearly Ended Des Linden's Running Career
Shira Springer
April 5, 2019

For more than three decades, no American woman had won the Boston Marathon. Heading into last year's race, Des Linden was one of three runners with a good chance to break that drought. Read More...

Photo by Mitchell Quiring

Toyko Knocked Deena Kastor Down. Here's How She Keeps Getting Back Up
Hailey Middlebrook
 March 13, 2019

After a disappointing finish at the marathon, the American record holder remains a master at staying positive when things go south.        Read More....

Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post

In Baseball, Mental Coaches Were Once Seen for the 'Weak-Minded.' Now They're Essential.
Chelsea Janes
Dec. 26, 2018

These days, mental coaches are the norm in baseball. The collective bargaining agreement negotiated between the league and the Major League Baseball Players’ Union requires all teams provide access to one. Read More...

Adrian Moorhouse

Applying Sport Psychology to Business 
Adrian Moorhouse
Dec. 3, 2012

Illustration by Jordan Awan

3 Mental Blocks That Keep You From Doing What You Say You Want To Do
Daniella Balarezo
May 3, 2019

The Bad News: We all face powerful mental blocks that stop us when we're trying to achieve our goals. The Good News: We can outwit them. Here's how, according to cognitive psychologist Amanda Crowell.
Read More....  

JamesClear.com

This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing By 1% And Here's What Happened
James Clear

The fate of British Cycling changed one day in 2003.
Read More...

Michael Dodge/AAP

Playing Without Fear of the Outcome; A Psychologist Tells Us What We Can Learn From The Success of the Richmond Tigers
Amy Dawel
September 25, 2019

It was through focusing on the love of the game - rather than on winning - that led  Richmond to succeed.
Read More...

Courtesy Pactimo

Laura Van Gilder Won't Stop Winning
Graham Averill
August 19, 2019

She's one of the most successful cyclists in U.S. history. And she's done it her way.
Read More...

Sandro Shuh Unsplash

Kliff Kingsbury Will Give Players "Cell Phone Breaks" In Meetings
Darren Urban
March 27, 2019

Kliff Kingsbury believes he'll have to make some adjustments coaching in the NFL compared to what he did in college...
Read More...

Nik Shuliahin via Unsplash

Burnout Is An Official Medical Diagnosis, World Health Organization Says
Ryan Prior, CNN
May 27, 2019

It's a feeling of extreme work stress that's long been embedded in the cultural lexicon, and now it might be codified in your medical records as well.
Read More...

Simon Migaj/Unsplash

Yes, Mindfulness Makes You A Better Athlete
Alex Hutchinson
July 20, 2018

You've heard the hype about meditation and other "non-judgemental awareness" practices. Now check out the data. Read More...

Giancarlo Colombo/Photorun

The Mental Strategy Courtney Frerichs Uses to Stop Stressing About Her Competition
Taylor Dutch 
Jan. 14, 2019

When disappointment became overwhelming, the steeplechase star sought out a sports psychologist to help her through.
Read More...

Photo by Sean Andrew Murray

Using Sport Psychology for Childbirth
Serena Solomon
Jan. 15, 2019

I wanted to face childbirth with an athlete's strength, confidence, and determination. So I turned to Sport Psychology for advice. Read More...

Check me out on the Behind the Podium Podcast:

Episode 11: Katie McKee of Elite Mind and Performance

Episode 26: Katie McKee and Goal Setting for Success

TheLeapTV/YouTube

A Sport Psychologist Shares the Visualization Technique That's Helped Super Bowl Champions and Olympic Gold Medalists
Richard Feloni
Aug. 21, 2017

You may associate visualization techniques with feel-good self-help, but some of the world's greatest athletes take the practice very seriously.
Read More...

Sport is, and always will be, a powerful metaphor for business. But beyond metaphors, principles from the world of sport psychology can be applied to organizations to enable them to perform better.
Read More...

Boston Globe/Getty Images

The Science Behind How Sportsmanship Helped Desiree Linden Win Boston
Kiera Carter
April 19, 2018

Here's what the research and experts say about how helping others can help you achieve your goals.
Read More...

Photo by Graham Betchart

Meet the Sport Psychologist Training The Minds of the NBA's Top Prospects
Matthew Giles
June 23, 2016

Graham Betchart built a career as a "mental skills" coach for top NBA draft prospects like Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns. Now he's trying to build a brand.
Read More...

Tim Goedhart/Unsplash

Why Some People Get Burned Out And Others Don't
Kandi Wiens and Annie McKee
Nov. 23, 2016

Stress and burnout are not the same thing. And while we know that stress often leads to burnout...
Read More...

Toni L. Sandys/Washington Post

A Sport of Their Own
Liz Clarke
Nov. 8, 2019

A high school wrestler from Kansas spent four years fighting to give girls the OPPORTUNITY to compete in an official state sport.
Read More...

Waldo Jaquith, Flickr

The Clutch Gene:  Can You Teach Performance Under Pressure   
Darren Fenster
September 30, 2019

Spend enough time in sports, and you'll discover that some players just have a knack for making the big play at just the right moment.
Read More...

Eli Meri Kaplan/Gallery Stock

How to Talk Yourself Into Better Endurance
Alex Hutchinson
July 15, 2019

A new study looks at the effect of subtle wording changes on performance -boosting power of motivational self talk.
Read More...

Enrico Calderoni/Getty Images

5 Reasons You Want Your Kid To Be A Multi-Sport Athlete
Michelle Smith
Oct. 19, 2016

As many kids got closer to high school, they begin to narrow the field of their sports participation, some by choice and the natural culling process. Others because someone else thinks it's best. 
Read More....

iStock

The Hidden Dangers of 'Shake It Off' Parenting
Katie Hurley
Jan. 20, 2016

'Shake It Off' parenting sends mixed messages to young children.     Read More...

Photo by EPA/EFE

Andy Murray:  Breaking Away From Sports 'No Pain, No Gain' Culture
January 14, 2019

Transition our of sport, no matter the cause, is difficult.  Andy Murray is the latest elite athlete to be 'forced' into retirement due to injuries and pain.      Read More....

Photo by Ashley Mateo

Pre-Marathon Nerves Are A Good Thing - Embrace Them
Ashley Mateo
Nov. 2, 2018

It's a BFD to run 26.2 miles, but a little healthy anxiety can help fuel your race.
Read More...

Andrew Synoweiz/USA Today Sports

Underrated
Stephen Curry
Jan. 9, 2019

Stephen Curry was and has been underrated and overlooked his whole career, dating back to AAU basketball as a youth. But he has a message for you...his life is no one's story to write but his own. And the same goes for you.  Read More....

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

The Easiest Part of the Olympics is the Race Itself, According to Sport Psychologist
Stefanie Lebowitz
Feb. 12, 2018

As athletes from all over the world converge on Pyeongchang this week for the Winter Olympics, the city will be abuzz with nervous energy. The only time the athletes will get a reprieve from their anxiety? During the race.
Read More...

Photo by Unknown

How Sport Psychology Benefits Musicians
 Cherie Yurco
Nov. 19, 2013

Between juggling rehearsals, performances, and a day job, you may feel you are under constant pressure as a recreational musician. Aside from the physical demands, your mental skills are put to the test.
Read More...

When Everything's on the Line
Allie Grasgreen
March 30, 2012

The athletes who compete in the final four have much more going on then just basketball. Sport psychologists help them rein it all in.
Read More...

Terry Scott/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Five Secrets of Mentally Tough Athletes
Natalie Gingerich
Oct, 2, 2018

Dr. Colleen Hacker, a renowned performance coach to the pros, shares insights about mental toughness and sports performance.
Read More...

Illustration by Maddy Price

Help Your Child Overcome Their Fears
Melinda Wenner Moyer
Nov. 18, 2019

Kids can have phobias about needles, dogs, darkness, and more. Here's how to help them cope. 
Read More...

WWPIS Blog

Understanding How Our Children Learn - A Dynamic and Messy Process
Gordon MacLelland
Oct. 9, 2019

Learning can be a really dynamic and sometimes messy process.            Read More...

Anthony Tori/Unsplash

Your Vocabulary Makes All the Difference
Joey Velez
August 2019

Fundamentally changing something ingrained into our DNA at a subconscious level is a difficult task. But starting the process of adjusting our vocabulary can help to reduce the amount of pressure we place on ourselves.
Read More
(pages 160-161)...

Brian Smith/ISIPhotos.com

The Curb
Carli Lloyd
U.S. Women's
National Team
June 6, 2019

Carli Lloyd discusses the hard work, sacrifice, and mindset it takes when you are truly committed to your craft.
Read More...

Photo By Rania Matar

Jackie MacMullan Is The Greatest Chronicler Of Basketball's Golden Age
Louisa Thomas
May 12, 2019

The acclaimed NBA writer on her days as the only woman in the locker room, and the evolving challenge of reporting on sports. Read More...

Photo by Alex Cohen

What Entrepreneurs Can Learn
From A Sport Psychologist For Olympians
Pierson and Pete Krass
Oct. 29, 2018

The unique emotional and mental challenges faced by entrepreneurs. Read More....

Photo by Jen Burdis

Ask a Thru-Hiker: How Can I Get Over My Self-Doubt?
Liz "Snorkel" Thomas
Jan. 7, 2019

Thru-hiking a long trail is hard enough without constantly second guessing yourself along the way. Our writer shares her strategies for banishing worries before and during your hike.
Read More...

iStock

Putting Mental Tricks From Running to Work in the Rest of Your Life
Jen A. Miller
Jan. 19, 2019

The strategies that get you through tough times in your running life can cross over to help with the tedious or painful aspects of daily life.
  Read More...

Reuters/Dominic Ebenbichler

What Sport Psychologists do for Olympic Athletes That Coaches Can't
Akshat Rathi
Aug. 9, 2016

An athlete may stand alone on the podium to collect their Olympic medal, but it takes a team to get there. One of the most critical additions to an athlete's support staff is a Sport Psychologist.
Read More...

Getty Images/Ringer Illustration

The NFL's Mindfulness Movement is Spreading
Robert Mays
Aug. 15, 2017

Pete Carroll isn't the only football decision maker obsessed with sport psychology anymore. The Falcons, Colts, and 49ers have also embraced mindfulness training...
Read More...

Brocreative/Shutterstock

The Psychology Behind New Approaches to Youth Sports
Laura M Miele, Ph.D.
July 10, 2018

Why to shift from a coach-centered approach to an athlete-centered approach.
Read More...

Photo by Dan Saelinger

Train Your Brain to Run Your Best
Michelle Hamilton
May 16, 2013

Science has confirmed that performance at the end of an endurance event has as much to do with psychology as physiology. Thinking is a behavior....
Read More...

Going for the Gold: Using Sport Psychology to Improve Teaching and Learning
Gabie Smith
March, 2007

Students are often willing to stay up late watching their favorite sports, they often feel less driven to focus on academics.
Read More...

---

AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS, TEAM SESSIONS,

PRESENTATIONS, AND WORKSHOPS

Katie McKee, M.A.           mindfitperformance@gmail.com          (925) 785-9564