Greenepsych Blog
Nervous Island: Where Every Young Athlete Thinks They’re Alone
"I think I'm the only one out there who is nervous." That's a quote I hear from young athletes all the time. Even in practices, some kids believe they're the only one with butterflies in their stomach, a racing heart, or worries about making mistakes. From where...
Beyond the Highlight Reel: What Social Media Doesn’t Show
Social media has transformed the way athletes connect, learn, and share their journeys. It can be a powerful tool for finding inspiration, motivation, celebrating accomplishments, building community, and staying connected to the sports we love. At the same time, it's...
Why I’m Exploring a New Mental Performance Program for Athletes
After nearly 20 years of working with athletes across a wide variety of sports and competitive levels, I've seen many of the same challenges arise again and again: Overthinking Fear of mistakes Pressure and expectations Confidence struggles I've also seen that the...
You Asked, Greenepsych Answers
Greene Lights Newsletter · Issue #7 Our clinicians and coaches respond to your real questions about performance, parenting, and the mental side of sport. Spring Edition MK | Micheal Ketner | Music Therapist | michael@greenepsych.com Your Question: "I am...
Reflection for Sports Parents
At some point, every sports parent reaches the end of the road. The early morning practices, the long tournament weekends, the emotional highs and lows - they eventually give way to something quieter. Reflection. This past Saturday, my youngest son’s college lacrosse...
Part 2: Why Confidence, Burnout, and Belonging Are Skills, Not Personality Traits
In my last post, I shared my journey as a college athlete. This one is about the psychology behind it because nothing I experienced was random. It all started with imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is the belief that you don’t deserve to be in the room, despite...
The Athlete’s Paradox: Competition, Ego, and Presence
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics closed with a closing ceremony in a nearly 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater in Verona. But the most memorable moments hadn't happened in the ceremony. They'd happened on the slopes and the ice, in the spaces between preparation and...
Part 1: A Letter to My Younger Self
Why I belong... I’m an international student-athlete from the United Kingdom, born in Poland and raised in the small town of Redditch. When I arrived at the University of Delaware in Fall 2023, I showed up with more suitcases than confidence. I was excited, but I was...
How Great Coaches Get Athletes to Care, Not Just Comply
The best coaches don’t just build skill—they build thriving humans. When athletes’ basic psychological needs are supported, then motivation, confidence, and well-being naturally follow. Here’s Jill Ellis (U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team), describing her coaching...