About Peak Performance Sports
Mental performance coaching is a skills-based training approach that helps athletes compete with confidence, maintain focus under pressure, and recover from setbacks without losing momentum. It is not therapy. It builds specific competencies: confidence, concentration, emotional control, commitment, and resilience.
Dr. Patrick Cohn founded Peak Performance Sports in 1995 to fill a gap that no one else was addressing: athletes were physically prepared for competition but mentally unprepared for it. Peak Performance Sports has since trained athletes across 30+ sports, coaches, sports parents, and aspiring mental coaches through programs built on 30 years of sports psychology research.
About Dr. Patrick Cohn
Patrick J. Cohn, Ph.D. is the founder of Peak Performance Sports and one of the most cited mental performance coaches in competitive sports. He holds a Ph.D. in sport psychology, has authored the Athlete’s Mental Edge Workbook Series, and has been featured in USA Today and other national media. He has worked with athletes across the full competitive spectrum, from youth sports to NASCAR.
- Mental performance coach with 40+ years of experience
- Author of the Athlete’s Mental Edge Workbook Series
- Certified Mental Game Coach trainer and MGCP program founder
- Featured in USA Today and other national media
“Dr. Cohn’s mental coaching has taught me what to focus on in and out of the racecar. Staying calm and focused have been key skills that helped me become a more confident driver.”
~AJ Allmendinger, NASCAR Driver
What Is Mental Performance Coaching?
Mental performance coaching builds the mental skills that separate athletes who perform in practice from athletes who perform in competition. Unlike clinical sports psychology, which addresses mental health conditions, mental performance coaching trains specific skills: confidence under pressure, concentration, emotional control, pre-competition routines, and recovery from mistakes.
Athletes who work with a mental performance coach learn to manage pre-competition anxiety, stay focused during critical moments, and sustain peak performance across a full season of high-stakes competition.
Supporting research: A randomized controlled trial published in BMC Psychology with 95 athletes found that psychological skills training and mindfulness interventions equally improved emotional handling and attention control in just four weeks. Among Division I female athletes, 77.7% completed mental skills training programs with a median satisfaction rating of 9/10.
Who Peak Performance Sports Serves
| Who You Are | Your Challenge | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Athlete | Competition anxiety, confidence loss, focus problems | The Confident Athlete series, one-on-one coaching |
| Coach | Athletes underperforming mentally | Team seminars, coaching frameworks |
| Sports Parent | How to support a young athlete under pressure | Confident Sports Kid program, parent workshops |
| Mental Coach | Get certified and build a practice | MGCP 12-week certification |
| Trader | Impulsive decisions, revenge trading, discipline | Mental Edge for Traders coaching |
Core Programs
For Athletes
The Athlete’s Mental Edge Framework develops confidence, concentration, trust, commitment, resilience, and emotional control through one-on-one coaching, digital courses, and sport-specific workbooks. Programs are available for baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, gymnastics, hockey, football, and 25+ other sports.
For Coaches and Teams
Mental toughness seminars and team-based coaching programs give coaches the tools to teach mental skills to entire rosters. Team programs are available for 10+ sports.
For Mental Coaches
The MGCP (Mental Game Coaching Professional) certification trains aspiring coaches in client frameworks, performance systems, and business development. The program runs 12 weeks and has produced certified mental coaches worldwide.
For Sports Parents
The Confident Sports Kid program and parent-focused workshops help families manage competitive pressure, communication, and athlete support strategies for young athletes. Learn more about kids sports psychology at our website for sports parents.
The History of Peak Performance Sports
Dr. Cohn started Peak Performance Consultants in 1993 in Naples, Florida. He moved to Orlando in 1994 and renamed the company Peak Performance Sports to focus exclusively on helping athletes and teams reach peak performance. In 1996, he launched Peaksports.com, one of the first websites dedicated to sport psychology and mental training in sports. Over 30 years, the site has grown into a resource used by thousands of athletes, coaches, and sports parents worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between sports psychology and mental coaching?
Sports psychology is a licensed clinical field. Mental performance coaching uses psychology principles to train specific performance skills: confidence, concentration, and resilience. Mental coaching is not mental health treatment.
How long does mental training take to work?
Most athletes see measurable improvement in 4 to 8 weeks with consistent practice. One-on-one coaching produces the fastest results. The Confident Athlete programs and sport-specific workbooks are structured for self-study at your own pace.
Does mental coaching help with sports anxiety?
Yes. The Mental Edge Framework directly addresses competition anxiety through concentration techniques and emotional control methods used by competitive athletes at every level.
What sports does Peak Performance Sports serve?
Programs cover 30+ sports including baseball, golf, soccer, tennis, gymnastics, hockey, football, and more. Sport-specific programs are available for the highest-demand sports.
Dr. Cohn in the News | What Athletes Say | Success Stories
Contact Peak Performance Sports to find the right program for your situation.
Last Updated on June 7, 2026