Mental Performance Coaching Colorado

Peak performance isn't just about physical training—it's about  mastering the mental game that separates good performers from great  ones. Whether you're an athlete stepping onto the field or a performing  artist taking the stage, your mind is either your greatest asset or your  biggest limitation.

Mental performance coaching focuses specifically on optimization.  This is about building systems that elevate your natural abilities,  helping you compete from love instead of fear, and creating the  psychological flexibility needed to thrive under pressure.

The foundation of effective mental performance coaching lies in  understanding psychological flexibility—your ability to stay present  with your thoughts and emotions while staying committed to your values  and goals. When performers develop this flexibility, they stop fighting  against anxiety, doubt, or pressure and instead learn to use these  experiences as fuel for better performance. 

Rather than just teaching individual skills like visualization or  breathing techniques, I focus on building complete mental training  systems. As James Clear writes in Atomic Habits: "We don't rise to the  level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems." Mental performance coaching creates those systems—structured, personalized  approaches that turn good intentions into consistent competitive  advantages. 

The athletes and performing artists I work with typically struggle  with similar mental barriers that prevent them from expressing their  full potential. Performance anxiety shows up as that tight feeling in  your chest before a big moment, the racing thoughts that pull focus away  from execution, or the physical tension that disrupts your natural  rhythm and flow.

Lack of confidence manifests as second-guessing decisions,  holding back effort to avoid failure, or constantly comparing  performance to others instead of focusing on personal excellence.  Perfectionism creates rigid expectations that leave no room for the  natural variability of human performance, leading to devastating  self-criticism when things don't go exactly as planned.

Mental blocks appear as sudden inability to perform skills  that were once automatic, overthinking that disrupts natural movement  patterns, or fear-based hesitation that prevents full commitment to  performance. These challenges aren't character flaws—they're patterns  that can be understood, addressed, and transformed through systematic  mental training.

A mental training system is like developing a structured workout plan  for your mind. It goes far beyond learning standalone techniques by  creating an integrated approach that weaves together assessment, daily  routines, personalized skills, and ongoing feedback loops.

The Four-Phase Mental Training System 

1. Preparation

Focus: Awareness & readiness / Tools: Mindfulness, journaling, goal setting

2. Practice Integration

Focus: Skill rehearsal / Tools: Visualization, pressure drills

3. Competition

Focus: Performance execution / Tools: Reset cues, breathing, routines

4. Recovery/Review

Focus: Reflection & growth / Tools: Debrief, gratitude, mental recovery

This systematic approach ensures that mental skills become automatic  under pressure, just like physical techniques that have been practiced  thousands of times. The system creates consistency, provides built-in  feedback mechanisms, and integrates all skills together rather than  using them in isolation.

A mental training system is like developing a structured workout plan  for your mind. It goes far beyond learning standalone techniques by  creating an integrated approach that weaves together assessment, daily  routines, personalized skills, and ongoing feedback loops.

1. Psychological Flexibility: Learn to stay present with difficult thoughts and emotions while remaining committed to your performance goals.

2. Emotional Mastery: Understand how to relate to and use your emotions as information and energy rather than obstacles.

3. Focus Training: Develop the ability to focus on what matters in each moment and let go of what doesn't.

4. Purpose Connection: Connect with your deepest sense of why you perform, creating intrinsic motivation that sustains through challenges.

Over the past eight years, Dr. Claypool has been hugely instrumental in our team's development into a consistent top-10 nationally ranked team. Our athletes have gained the mental tools to handle and excel in high-pressure environments while maintaining  a genuine love for the sport and their collegiate experience. As a team, we are more confident and grounded, appreciating the challenges as they come. I believe this mental fortitude has carried over into the challenges our student-athletes face outside of  practice and competition as well, creating stronger students and individuals overall. As a coach, I always look forward to working with Dr. Claypool each year because I know it will lead to positive growth within the team. 

Corey Kubatzky

Head Women's Cross Country & Distance Track Coach
University of Colorado - Colorado Springs

Our work together begins with a comprehensive intake session that  includes an interview, assessment, goal setting, system building, and  personalized recommendations. This isn't a one-size-fits-all  approach—every mental training system is designed specifically for your  sport, your challenges, and your performance goals.

Follow-up sessions focus on implementing and refining the  recommendations from your intake, building skills progressively, and  adapting your system based on real-world performance feedback. We track  both subjective measures (how you feel about your mental game) and  objective measures (performance outcomes) to ensure the system is  working.

The goal is to create sustainable changes that don't require  constant maintenance or coaching dependency. You're building internal  systems and capabilities that will serve you throughout your competitive  career and beyond.

Mental performance coaching is specifically focused on optimization and peak performance enhancement. This is sub-clinical work, meaning  we're not addressing mental health concerns or deeper psychological  issues that might require therapy. If you're looking for help with  clinical anxiety, depression, trauma, or other mental health challenges,  sport psychology services would be more appropriate.

Performance coaching is ideal when you're mentally healthy  but want to optimize your competitive mindset, develop better focus and  confidence, overcome performance plateaus, or build systematic  approaches to mental training. It's about maximizing strengths and  building skills rather than healing or treating psychological issues.

While I work primarily with athletes across all sports and  competitive levels, mental performance coaching also serves performing  artists and executives who face similar pressures and performance demands. The  psychological skills that help a gymnast nail a routine under pressure  are remarkably similar to those that help a musician deliver a flawless  recital or an actor perform confidently on opening night.

I also work with families of high-achieving young performers,  helping parents understand how to best support their children's mental  development without creating additional pressure or anxiety. This family  systems approach recognizes that peak performance happens within a  broader context of relationships and support.

 Based in Colorado but serving performers worldwide through secure  video sessions, I understand that peak performance knows no geographic  boundaries. Whether you're training in Colorado Springs, competing  internationally, or performing anywhere in between, effective mental  performance coaching can be delivered remotely with the same quality and  impact as in-person sessions.

The beauty of mental performance work is that it translates  across sports, artistic disciplines, and cultures. The fundamental  principles of psychological flexibility, emotional mastery, and  systematic mental training apply whether you're a professional athlete,  collegiate competitor, or dedicated amateur pursuing excellence in your  chosen field.