This is your central hub for mental performance skills backed by science, and built for athletes, coaches, and the high-performance community. Learn about evidence-based mental performance skills, assessment tools, and mental performance resources available for Team USA.
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Mental skills aren’t purely innate — they’re trainable. Just like physical strength or technique, athletes can:
Learn why each skill matters (e.g., how mindfulness impacts recovery)
Practice consistently with feedback so mental skills show up when needed (under pressure)
Adapt skills to match personal and sport-specific needs
Focus, shift, and toggle attention efficiently in dynamic environments. Scharfen & Memmert, 2019
Develop confidence through mastery, consistency, and awareness of your strengths. Jekauc et al., 2023Lochbaum et al., 2023
Recognize, label, and modulate emotion before, during, and after competition. Wagstaff, 2014, Lane et al., 2012
Use breathwork, muscle relaxation, biofeedback, music, or movement to modulate intensity. Sammy et al., 2017
Set and track outcome, performance, and process goals. Williamson et al., 2022,Bird et al., 2023
Rehearse movements, skills, competitive scenarios, and coping strategies through mental practice. Lindsay et al., 2021
Strengthen team cohesion, communication, and emotional intelligence. Davis et al., 2018, Laborde et al., 2016
Cultivate non-reactivity, present-moment awareness, and meta-cognition. Bühlmayer et al., 2017, Gardner & Moore, 2017
Align goals with values to drive sustained effort. Henriksen, 2019, Lemyre et al., 2007
Shift internal dialogue to enhance focus and confidence and let go of self-defeating narratives. Hatzigeorgiadis et al., 2013, Walter et al., 2019
Develop consistent rituals around training and competition. Rupprecht et al., 2021
Cultivate self-kindness to support resilience and recovery. Kuchar et al., 2023,Cormier et al., 2023
Improve Performance Under Pressure
Mental performance training enhances performance under pressure by systematically training athletes to manage stress, focus attention, and build confidence in high-stakes situations. Pressure training and related psychological interventions work by exposing performers to controlled stressors, helping them develop adaptive coping skills and mental resilience that transfer to real competition (Lowe, et al. 2021; Kegelaers & Oudejans, 2022).
Manage Competitive Anxiety
Techniques such as goal setting, visualization, self-talk, and relaxation training reduce competitive anxiety and boost confidence before and during competition (Ong & Chua, 2020). Mental performance training programs focused on imagery and mental rehearsal may be particularly useful for helping athletes manage nerves, perform with composure, and deliver their best when it matters most (Niering et al., 2023).
Increase Resilience
Mental performance training supports resilience by helping athletes build protective mental skills, like motivation, confidence, flexible attention, and mindfulness – helping them withstand unique and sometimes significant stressors in competitive, organizational, and personal domains (Jha et al., 2017; Sarkar & Fletcher, 2014).
Reduce Risk of Burnout
Mental performance training can help athletes avoid or reduce symptoms of burnout and sustain optimal functioning through effective self-regulation skills
Speed Up Skill Acquisition
Mental performance training can accelerate skill acquisition by combining physical drills with mental techniques like imagery (e.g., motor imagery) to improve coordination, accuracy, and motor learning (Gaggioli et al., 2013). Motor imagery specifically can help athletes strengthen neural planning and execution systems, thereby enhancing performance gains beyond physical training alone
Improve Mental Health
Mental-performance training can improve athlete mental health even when not targeting directly. Mindfulness programs reduce anxiety and boost well-being in elite performers (BJSM, 2023). Core psychological skills—goal-setting, imagery, self-talk—also enhance well-being (BMC Psychology, 2025). These interventions often draw on CBT and ACT, both well-validated for reducing mental-health symptoms. Their impact is strongest within systems that follow IOC consensus guidelines emphasizing psychologically safe, supportive sport environments (IOC, 2025).
Explore a suite of evidence-based tools to evaluate mental skills and traits that facilitate sport performance.
Reports We Offer:
We provide detailed feedback for the following assessments:
Full List of Tools by Category:
| Category | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Imagery | Motor Imagery Questionnaire-3 (MIQ-3) |
| Mindfulness | |
| Emotion Regulation | Difficulties in Emotion Regulation-16 (DERS-16) |
| Self-Talk | Automatic Self-Talk Questionnaire for Sports (ASTQS) |
| Confidence | Trait Robustness of Sport Confidence Inventory (TRSCI) |
| Motivation | Sport Motivation Scale-II (SMS-II) Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire (BRSQ) |
| Self-Compassion | Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF) Fears of Compassion in Sport Scale (FCSS) |
| Team Dynamics | Coach-Athlete Relationship Questionnaire (CART-Q) Interpersonal Behaviors Questionnaire (IBQ) |
| Performance Anxiety | Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2-Revised (CSAI-2R) |
| Personality | Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) |
Optimize Mental Performance (OMP) App
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✔ Mental Skills Overview
✔ Focus & Attention
✔ Imagery & Rehearsal
✔ Goal-Setting
✔ Team Culture
✔ Communicating Deselection (for coaches)
✔ Sleep & Performance
✔ Virtual Reality Training
Are you a Team USA athlete, coach, or NGB staff? Find mental performance resources here.
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