It’s the application of practical and usable psychological science to the athlete in the performance arena. Everyone understands that there are physical, technical and tactical components to sport performance. Duane helps athletes to develop better technique, explosive speed, strength and follow a nutrition plan that will allow them to improve their performance in their respective sports.

However, there is a mental and emotional side of competition as well, and that is where applied sport psychology with Duane can help. Practical sport psychology is the science of understanding and modifying how the athlete’s behavior is affected by his or her internal representations and self talk. Practical sports psychology deals specifically with the mental and emotional side of competition.

The idea is to get an accurate “big picture” of what is going on, and then break it down into chunks to find the small difference that can make the big difference.  Does the athlete complete training well but is nervous in competition, or visa versa? Are there coaching/parental issues and/or pressures? Does the athlete have lapses in concentration or decision-making and if yes, when do they occur? Is nutrition an issue? Are there emotional problems or lack of emotional control? Does the athlete have motivational or arousal problems? What are the team dynamics? What level of self-confidence does the athlete exhibit (etc.)?

The solutions are varied and unique to each individual, team and sport.   During the assessment phase with the athlete Duane will want an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of their psychological skill set. We may then want to evaluate the athlete’s strategies, such as pre-performance routines or during competition distractions. The solutions can sometimes emphasize developing individual strategies for each athlete leading up to competition, during competition or both.   Duane uses an educational approach whereby the athlete will write out their goals and plans so that they can refer to them, and then accelerate their progress using powerful tools from NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and cutting edge brain entrained music.

Although each sport has its own demands, the psychological skills for all sports used in mental toughness training are similar. Some examples are concentration (focusing on something specific), muscle relaxation (performance is negatively affected when muscles are tight), breath control (your breath differently when your calm and in control as opposed to when your in fear), visualization (to improve technical skills), mental rehearsal (to improve overall performance and confidence), goal setting (to direct motivated and purposeful behavior) and positive self-talk (to encourage yourself).

The good news is that these psychological skills and strategies can be learned and repeated at any time.

Beyond the training, physical conditioning and nutritional aspects, one of the most common challenges facing an athlete is self-confidence. When self-confidence is high, sport performance is optimal; however, when self-confidence is low, sport performance is directly affected. In contact sports, there can be problems in dealing with fear when there has been an injury and players have fears about returning to competition. In individual sports like golf, the long length of time between shots can be challenge for some golfers while others may not be quite sure on what specifically to focus on during their routine and begin to think too much and lose their focus as a result. And finally, one of the most common problems is an athlete who plays below their athletic potential or their ability under pressure.

Yes, for the team sport athlete, the awareness of group dynamics and the athletes understanding of their role on the team are critical to team performance. Here, Duane can work behind the scenes with the coach to ensure that team motivation is positively affected; while in other cases, the sport psychologist works with the individual athlete to ensure the athlete takes active steps to fulfill their role. In this way, the athlete, coach and Duane work in concert together towards their desired goals. In an individual sport, the communication between the coach, athlete and Duane can be very important towards improving performance. In sports like golf, tennis and skiing, there is no one else performing except the athlete. Consequently, there is no room for self-doubt as confidence in your abilities and execution of your competition plan can make the difference between finishing on the podium or fiftieth in the field. The margin for error is so small that an athlete’s attention to detail is critical for peak performance

Peak Performance Systems can make you a stronger individual and build an unstoppably "tight" team. Practice hones your physical skills. Peak Performance Coaching builds your mental skills by developing a winning attitude and skills.