Performance Psychology

Everything starts with a thought, and the quality of that thought has a lot to do with what comes next; excellence, therefore, begins in the mind. Yet even the best performers in the world may face doubt, fear, distraction, failure, or other setbacks, so they work on the mental aspects of their craft just as they work on the physical and tactical aspects. Working on your mental skills is a sign of strength, and these skills can always improve. Pursuing this "Championship Thinking" approach necessitates intentional emphasis on preparation, execution, and review in all endeavors, and all within a culture of excellence.

PSU's Sport Performance Team offers the following Performance Psychology Services:

Primary Services
Needs analyses
Coach mentorship on performance psychology to shape immediate team impact
Resource/sounding board for coaches, teams, and support staff for mental skills concepts and techniques

Supporting/Reinforcing Services
Education for team culture development, sustainment (and reset, if needed)
Mental skills education for coaches, teams, and support staff
Mental skills integration with coaching and support services

Supplemental Services
Individualized mental skills coaching for responding to adversity or breaking through to new heights
Methods for transferring skills to life outside of athletics

Staff

Name: Carl J. Ohlson, Ph.D.

Position: Assistant Athletic Director for Performance Psychology Services

Certifications:
CPMC - Certified Mental Performance Consultant
PSIA - Professional Ski Instructors of America

Contact details:
Email - cjo129@psu.edu
Phone - (814) 865-4396