Sport psychology

all the titles or everybody yes tell us a little bit about yourself

well I've been doing this I think 24 years now it goes fast but I kind of accidentally got into the world of working with high performers and athletes I originally set out when I went to grad school I went to grad school and got my doctorate in clinical psychology in Chicago and I thought at that time that I was going to change the world by being a world-renowned marriage therapist And then anybody with experience in marriage or in adult life knows how that would turn out, right? And so midway through my program, I came across a book on sports psychology.

And I wondered, where was this stuff when I was an athlete, right? When I was playing basketball and doing sports, you know, the idea of how to relax under pressure, the idea of how to really set goals, the idea of how to manage your energy, right? And so it just fascinated me.

And so then at that point, I totally veered off to the other direction.

And so I did that.

And then they said, well, let's try to make this more permanent.

And so I accidentally, literally accidentally kind of created a career doing sports psychology.

And so that position lasted about 14 years.

He's a former professional hockey player in Europe, and has spent 25 years coaching NHL, NFL and elite athletes alongside hundreds of executives.

He holds a doctorate in sports and performance psychology.

His vision is to unify excellence in the marketplace.

He lives in Raleigh with his wife, Laura, and their two children.

Welcome to the Behind the Shield podcast.

As always, my name is James Gearing, and this week it is my absolute honor to welcome on the show, sports and performance psychology consultant and special operations cognitive performance specialist, Chris Copeland.

Now, in this conversation, we discuss a host of topics from sports psychology in the sporting world, concussion, TBI, sleep, stress and performance and so much more.

Now, before we get to this incredible conversation, as I say every week, please just take a moment.

We got married and graduated.

Went to grad school.

I studied kinesiology with an emphasis in sport and performance psychology at the University of North Texas.

all meanwhile having kids so from grad school I actually was I was about to get hired on by the Mets I was interviewing with them and I was going to go do mental performance work for the Mets and that was March of 2020 and then April of 2020 came around came along and they Said, hey, baseball's canceled for the foreseeable future and we can't hire anybody.

Between travel schedules, recruiting pressure, and watching your kid's mood rise and fall with a scoreboard, it's easy to feel like you're along for a ride you didn't sign up for and to wonder where is the line between supporting your athlete and adding to their stress.

Today, I'm talking with Dr. Megan Cannon, a licensed sport and performance psychologist and founder of MVP Mindset Sport and Performance Psychology, who works with teen, college, and professional athletes across the country.

Dr. Megan was a competitive swimmer, softball player, and dancer herself before becoming a psychologist, and she's brought that mental performance and clinical background to work with Olympic athletes, professional teams, and hundreds of high schoolers navigating one of the most pressure-filled stretches of their lives.

In this episode, we get into what happens when a teen's identity becomes fused with being the athlete, how to spot real burnout versus a rough week, what the recruiting process is actually doing to kids' mental health right now, and how parents can stay involved and supportive without slipping into the role of agent.

the difference may be psychological.

This is the world of sports psychology, where pressure, fear, confidence, and focus can decide championships.

Every athlete experiences pressure.

It may come from spectators, coaches, national expectations, financial consequences, or fear of disappointing oneself.

Rebuilding confidence therefore becomes part of training.

Athletes may focus on achievable goals, study successful performances and gradually restore trust in their abilities.

One of the best-known techniques in sports psychology is visualization or mental rehearsal.

Before competing, athletes imagine themselves performing successfully.

Love sports.

I love sports psychology, and of course, I've been teaching it oh so many years now.

I'm in my third decade of teaching sports psychology-

Wow

... at University of Texas at Dallas.

[laughs]

[laughs] Well, good for you.

But sports owner- ownership surely is a fascinating sports psychology subtopic.