Sara works with teams, individuals, and small groups. She will design a mental skills training program specifically for each individual or group. Coaches and parents can contact her directly for information on schedule and pricing.

1. You may be fast and strong, but if you doubt your abilities, then you won't be as fast or as strong as you could be if you believed in yourself.
2. Everyone has off days; minimize yours by consistent preparation.
3. See it, believe it, do it. Learning how to use imagery can help your confidence and your sport performance.
4. Ever made a mistake? They're not the end of the world and you can learn how to bounce back more quickly.
5. Great athletes have strong minds and strong bodies. W're not always born with both but Velocity has the services to help get you as strong in body and mind.

Meet with Sports Pscyhology Consultant Sara Robinson, MA today!

“Hula Hoop Pass”- A game about communication, teamwork, and strategizing

Purpose: To give the team a chance to work together to get through a small challenge. There are chances to vary the game and increase the level of challenge/

Set up: You will need one or two hula hoops; if you use two, one must be smaller than the other. Have the group stand in a circle, holding hands. You will ask two people to let go briefly, put the hoop in between them, and re-clasp hands. The hoop will be hooked on the team members.

Directions: The team’s job is to get the hoop around the circle in a certain direction until it gets back to the starting point, without letting go of hands, and without getting hurt. You can time the team, and after doing it once, allow them to strategize to improve on their time. Notice who takes the lead and who steps back. You can also introduce a second hoop- send this one the opposite direction.

Debrief: Talk with the group about what helped them be successful in this activity, and what got in the way. Discuss what helped them communicate effectively (clear directions, positive feedback, encouragement, etc.) and how they can use these characteristics on the field.

Q: My son might be playing up an age group this year, and it seems like things are getting more competitive. Any thoughts on how to help him manage this transition to a tougher team?

A: That’s a great question. As kids get older, and continue on in sport, chances are, they will experience a number of changes, and some of those might feel like challenges. Not only might they have a new coach and new teammates, but they may be playing with kids who are more skilled than they are, they may spend more time in practice, and those practices may be tougher than they are used to. One thing that has been shown to help is to work on creating a mastery-oriented environment as opposed to just a task-oriented environment. What this means is helping to emphasize the importance of learning, and personal growth as opposed to only looking at winning and being better than others. There is lots of information available on the topics- email me if you’d like resources. Also, check in to see if they are having fun. If not, often times, small adjustments can be made (like adding in more free time on the weekends) to help the transition happen smoothly.

Email Sara with your questions about Sports Psychology. All questions will be answered, but you may see your question posted here!

Email: Sara_SportPsych@hotmail.com