In my 5 years with the UBC Thunderbirds, the discourse surrounding mental health as a high performance athlete has changed so much. I have learned that being mentally tough on the ice is inextricably linked with being mentally well in the other areas of your life. I learned that this idea of a strong, mentally unbreakable athlete just isn’t possible. We all need support at times, and it’s ok to ask for it. When I started actively working on my mental wellbeing just like I actively worked on my hockey skills is when I began to really feel mentally tough in other areas of my life.
Empowering Athletes in their Mental Health and Mental Game
Areas of Expertise
- Professional experience as an athlete, coach, and counsellor.
- Personal experience as a National Champion and NCAA D1 goaltender and coach
- Family experience of professional athletes
- Someone who has been there as an athlete, coach, and now mental health professional specializing in working with athletes, coaches, and teams to enhance their competition performance.
- Unique personal and professional experience to support athlete’s in their unique stressors for a strong mental health and mental game.
- From personal experience as an elite athlete (back to back National Championships, USA Olympic Development Program, NCAA Division 1 athlete at Ohio State) and elite coach (Ohio State, University of British Columbia, Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy, & Elite Goalies)
- to professional experience with athletes across sports from recreational, High Performance, Junior/Major Junior, University NCAA and USport, Professional, National and Olympic team levels.
- Partner with Canadian Sport Institute, Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, Pacific Sport Okanagan, UBCO, UBC, Okanagan College, Kelowna Minor Hockey, Thompson Okanagan Football Club, Thompson Okanagan Lakers Hockey Club, WHL Academy, events with NHL players Jordin Tootoo, Quintin Laing, Wade Redden, & Josh Gorges.
- Studies show that athletes who use these sports psychology techniques are 9-10x more successful than those who do not. Why not get a leg up–or mind up– on your competition and become the best you? These mental skills do not just improve your game, but they are life skills you have long after the season is over.
- Who wouldn’t want to be more confident? More consistent? Manage stress better? Set and stick to goals? Increase your ability to problem solve? Develop character, integrity, and leadership skills? Become mentally tougher and more resilient? Theses skills can help you lead well in your sport, school, work, relationships, and life.
- Sport is in my DNA: my grandfather was a professional baseball player, my father was an elite dual-sport athlete and Sports Medicine Specialist/Orthopaedic Surgeon for professional sports teams. I even met my hockey-player husband while working a hockey camp, which was started by his hockey-playing father. My son was even born on the day the Chicago Cubs –one of my grandfather’s teams–ended their 108-year World Series drought.
- I believe sport is a microcosm of life. We learn to manage stresses and time, work together, stay motivated, communicate, perform under pressure, and build resilience.
