Category Archives: Psychology of Sport

What is the difference between being desperate to win versus determined to win?  The difference is losing or winning in the ring. Yes, it is THAT key. I sent a...

Christi Israel was so focused, she tuned the roar of the crowd and the beat of the music out of her mind. On cruise control, she believed in her “clear...

Question: “I'm a lifelong rider and have been competing since I was a child. I've always struggled with paralyzing nerves on show day — even after decades of competing. It's so...

If you are an equestrian athlete, you know that confidence is your secret weapon. There is no sweeter feeling than knowing that, no matter what the situation or degree of...

I was recently at a summer show and talking to a very experienced coach who asked me if I could do a session at the barn for her riders. “The...

I was recently working with a C-suite professional on developing a number of performance and leadership pieces and made the comment to her that these ideas could be directly transferable...

Last Wednesday, two-time Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward (USA) opted out of his first championship in over a decade when he withdrew his mount Contagious from the Pan American...

To err is human. So is stopping out in the triple and ploughing past the halt at X. If you ride horses (or participate in any sport, for that matter),...

As the minutes spent in the saddle tick by, we all get trapped in repeating habits. What equestrians may not know about these repeating habits is that 1) they often don’t...

No, this article isn’t about riding a small pony or a big bay, it’s about helping you see how you have a choice in choosing how you will ride and...

I had a wonderful opportunity to visit the Wellington circuit this winter to work with our Grand Prix clients, up and comers, and riders just trying to better enjoy their...

Overthinking in equestrian competition causes problems. Too many thoughts demonstrate a lack of trust and lead to hesitation, confusion and uncertainty in your abilities in the show ring. I’d like...

When was the last time you slowed down enough to think about what you accomplished in the previous year, how you did, what might need to be changed for next...

“Named must your fear be before banish it you can.” — Yoda The wisdom of that master Jedi also applies to riding—identifying your fears is the first step toward conquering...

Focus! How many times have you heard that from someone at the side of the ring while you are competing? I know I hear it often as parents and coaches...

Knowledge is power! Myth #1: There is something wrong with me if I need to work on mental/emotional skills in my sport. Fact: Mental and emotional high performance development in sport...

High performance sport is a complex construct of many individual parts. Understanding and describing the holistic picture of an athlete’s performance requires: science, intuition and experience. Only when we optimize...