I have developed educational programs to provide information on mental skills training to athletes, coaches, and parents.  This information is communicated through interactive sessions that can be offered either individually or as part of a longer educational program.  Sessions have been developed specifically for athletes, parents, and coaches but could also be provided to combinations of these groups.  See below for more information.

Educational Programs for Athletes

Dr. Etnier has developed educational programs to help athletes understand the mental side of sport performance, improve their mental skills, and increase their mental toughness.  The topics listed below are examples of sessions that could be offered to sport teams or groups of youth athletes interested in improving the mental aspects of their performance.  If you are interested in these interactive sessions for your group, please contact Dr. Etnier at agamebook [at] gmail [dot] com.  These sessions can be provided individually or as part of a long-term educational program designed specifically for your group.  Each session includes an interactive presentation followed by a question and answer session and can be individually tailored to suit your needs. Topics that can be incorporated into a presentation include the following:

• What do you have to do to become an elite athlete?
• How do elite athletes deal with losing?
• What do elite athletes say to themselves when they win and when they lose?
• How should I prepare for a big game?
• Is there a way to improve the consistency of my performance?
• Why is it important to have balance?
• What do I need to do to play at the “next level”?
• Why did I win? Why did I lose?
• How do I deal with people who aren’t helping me?
• How can I be more competitive?
• Why do I lose my focus?
• How do I cope with fear?

Educational Programs for Parents

Dr. Etnier has developed educational programs to help parents understand the experiences of their child in sport, to enable parents to be supportive, positive influences on their child’s sport experience, and to help parents work with their child(ren) to develop mental toughness and to reach their goals in sport.  The topics listed below are examples of sessions that could be offered to parents interested in improving their ability to have a positive impact on their child’s ability to pursue his or her goals in sport.  If you are interested in these interactive sessions for a parent group, please contact Dr. Etnier at agamebook [at] hotmail [dot] com.  These sessions can be provided individually or as part of a long-term educational program developed specifically for your group.  Each session includes an interactive presentation followed by a question and answer session and can be tailored to suit your individual needs.

• Awareness– does your child have “what it takes”?
• Developmental issues with children in sport ages 5-18 years
• Winning vs. improving
• Being a positive influence
• Motivating your child
• Dealing with pressure
• Understanding and preventing burnout

Educational Programs for Coaches

Dr. Etnier has developed educational programs to help coaches to understand the experiences of youth athletes, to recognize the keys to developing mental toughness in athletes, and to provide instruction in a variety of mental skills to their athletes.  The topics listed below represent examples of sessions that could be offered to coaches to help improve their ability to foster mental toughness in their athletes.  If you are interested in these interactive sessions for a group of coaches, please contact Dr. Etnier at agamebook [at] hotmail [dot] com.  These sessions can be provided individually or as part of a long-term educational program developed specifically for your coaches. Each session includes an interactive presentation followed by followed by a question and answer session and can be tailored to suit your individual needs. 

• Why are you coaching? Why are they playing?
• Developmental issues with youth sport – physical, motor, social, and psychological development ages 5-18years
• Winning vs. improving – what should you focus on?
• Goal setting — Developing a plan with your team
• Mental imagery to improve performance
• Increasing the consistency of performance – the use of pre-performance routines
• The importance of knowing your athletes – why do individual differences matter?
• Team building
• Understanding the importance of balance in sport and in life
• Energy management – should they be psyched up or calmed down?
• Understanding and preventing burnout
• Dealing with fear
• Self-handicapping behaviors – when athletes don’t live up to their own expectations
• Girls in sport – are there important differences between coaching girls and coaching boys?

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