“I don’t want people to think I’m crazy… or that I have issues… or that I need ‘mental’ help.”

“Does something have to be wrong with me to work with a sport psychology professional?”

I hear statements like this, both implicit and explicit, in the athletes, parents, and coaches I speak to.

They are whispered to me over the phone.

They are sent to me in quiet DMs.

Brought up to me awkwardly in my psychological skills consultations.

‘Oh my gosh, something must really be wrong with me (or my son/daughter) if we’re speaking to someone like this guy.’

And they convey a total misunderstanding of the field of applied sport psychology. I have already ranted and raved on here regarding how poorly this field communicates to athletes, performers, and businesses about what the services entail and what applied sport and performance psychology and mental performance is.

But this seems to be a consistent misunderstanding; that something needs to be wrong with the person who needs help.

This is incorrect and untrue.

Mental performance is about performance enhancement.

If we were to visualize it on a spectrum, sport and performance psychology would fall clearly on the side of non-clinical performance enhancement. (Yes, some sport psychology professionals are dual-trained, meaning that they can help to diagnose and treat actual mental health concerns.)

But that’s not the case for many professionals! At the time of writing, I am not dual trained. In fact, I have no interest in helping people navigate the challenges of schizophrenia, bipolar, personality disorders, etc.

What I am interested in, though, is helping athletes and tennis players improve their mental performance so they find a match level that is consistently closer to their practice level.

And herein lies the problem for so many players, parents, and coaches of athletes. They equate having a diagnosable mental health condition, like major depressive disorder, with working with someone in mental performance.

That’s just plain wrong.

And that’s not how this field works.

Again, I will state what the field is built on: decades of research in sport psychology, motor behavior, counseling, and psychology, all mixed together to help athletes, performers, and executives improve their daily functioning and performance.

And here’s something that isn’t asked enough to players:

Would you wait until your forehand is completely falling apart to hire a tennis coach?

Would you wait until your fitness was completely pathetic to start working with a strength and conditioning specialist?

You work on all these skills… because you understand that they help you to get better.

Why should mental performance be treated any differently? Some sport psychology professionals actually prefer the term, “Mental Skills Coach,” just to get around this bias.

Just so people don’t think “something must be wrong.”

(In my opinion, though, this isn’t the right move, because there are hundreds of unqualified and uneducated individuals who say things like, “I’m a mental performance coach” or “I’m a mental coach.”)

I’ll make it personal and open up a little bit. Back when I was trying to play competitively, one of the reasons I waited to work with someone was because I fell into this trap of thinking that “something was wrong with me.”

I was stubborn… and I was arrogant.

I thought just by training more, or spending more time in the gym, or by fiddling around with my racket setup, I could finally, consistently bring my practice level to matches.

All of that does nothing for the somatic and cognitive anxiety that I used to experience.

So I get it. It’s difficult to get help. And accept that you need help on the mental side of competitions.

I wish someone had explained it to me in this way: that you as a tennis player are comprised of several different skillsets:

And if all the other skills are great, but you’re struggling on the mental side, why wouldn’t you seek help?

P.S.: I know it’s been a while since you’ve heard from me and The Short Set. Work, life, research has been hectic. But let’s see if we can get this ball rolling again. There are a few changes coming in the few months as I look forward to graduating and launching a private practice or finding work in the mental performance/applied sport psychology space, too. Are you a tennis academy or director of tennis that needs mental performance support? Let’s talk.

Disclaimer: I am not a licensed psychologist, mental health counselor, PsyD, or clinical PhD. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology and am a sport psychology practitioner-in-training, working toward the Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC®) credential provided by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). My work focuses on applied, non-clinical mental performance consulting, using evidence-based techniques grounded in psychology, sport science, and applied sport psychology to help athletes enhance focus, manage pressure, build confidence, and improve performance. I do not provide mental health counseling or clinical therapy. When needed, I will always refer clients to licensed mental health professionals for concerns beyond the scope of performance consulting. I have over 20 years of experience in tennis, including as a player, collegiate and professional coach, and director of programs. I am certified by the Professional Tennis Registry and am a member of Tennis Australia. My goal is to bring athletes the best research-backed insights to support long-term development and performance. If you are a researcher or practitioner and feel I’ve misunderstood or misrepresented any concept, I welcome you to reach out, and I will gladly review and issue corrections if appropriate.