How Meditation Can Improve High Pressure Performance

Meditation improves self-awareness, concentration, and self-control. Building these skills will help with performance consistency, particularly in extremely high pressure situations like the ones faced by first responders. When the pressure is on, or when you experience a threatening situation, you instinctively experience a stress response that prompts automatic reactions which tend to decrease your level … Continued

Our Process

When you contact SportStrata, you will first have an informational conversation with one of our performance coordinators. They will find out more about your performance goals and recommend a mental performance coach that best suits your needs. Our coordinators will assist you in arranging your first appointment to sharpen your goals and develop your personalized performance program. Initially, you … Continued

What Entrepreneurs Need to Know About Performance Coaching

Recently, the SportStrata Performance Coaching team had the opportunity to sit down with the Entrepreneurs Organization Brooklyn chapter, which is a group of entrepreneurs that have been involved in founding and/or owning a company grossing over one million dollars annually. One of the first things that jumped out at me was that this group was … Continued

What is Performance Anxiety?

“I’ve never been afraid of big moments. I get butterflies.. I get nervous and anxious, but I think those are all good signs that I’m ready for the moment.” –Stephen Curry Most people think of anxiety as something that happens automatically in response to a stressful event or in anticipation of something bad happening – … Continued

Examples of Mental Performance in Actors

Here are three examples of actors who have made it to the top because of their work on their mindset. Entourage star, Adrian Grenier. “Before I go to an event or a meeting, I’ll prepare for that experience as if it were a show,” says Adrian. “What kind of performance do I want to give … Continued

Improving Imagery Skills with the FDNY

During a recent mental performance workshop with a group of leaders in the FDNY, a critical discussion surfaced about teaching the mental skill of imagery to firefighters as part of the Leadership Under Fire program that the FDNY is implementing. As the discussion progressed, one of the experienced firefighters in the room stated, “We already … Continued

How Elite Firefighters Respond to Adversity

Jason Brezler, a FDNY rescue fireman assigned to a special operations company in Brooklyn, New York explains why it is important as a firefighter to have control over his breathing. “When responding to a fire there are only a few minutes from the time of the alarm in the firehouse to the time when the … Continued

Greatest Athlete Quotes of All-Time

Most elite athletes know that in order to succeed at the highest level, they need to develop mental toughness, much like they build strength and agility, and master fundamental skills. With the help of performance coaching, mental conditioning, and sports psychology, athletes are constantly working on their ability to be more present in the moment, … Continued

How to be “Objectively Optimistic”

Fundamentally, most performance psychologists and mental conditioning coaches like myself agree that one of the most important aspects of being successful in leadership, business and the rest of life is to be positive and optimistic. But positivity gets a bad rap these days. When we have negative results, optimism may not only seem misplaced, but … Continued