why somatics in sport?

It’s common practice in sports to talk about the “mental game” and the importance of strengthening your mind to win. Athletes train with visualization and mindfulness practices, and benefit from sports psychologists to increase mental capacity. 

Simultaneously, athletes acutely know that when it’s gameday, it’s the body’s training and knowing that leads. Somatics takes the principles of sports psychology and deliberately integrates the mind and body through movement based practices to build that embodied knowing. Somatic coaching gives us the space to ask and learn:

“what is possible when I respond to my body’s signals mid-game?”

“Somatic coaching has me far greater awareness to how I'm holding myself in different situations throughout my life. I'm much more aware of the connection between my energetic output and my posture/physique. I now feel I have quick tools to adjust myself in times of challenges or discomfort.”

— Troy Bolton, Global Football

what are you common goals?

  • Increase performance and address pressured anxiety

  • Become a team leader and build trust with teammate

  • Build resiliency and improve performance off the bench

  • Improve coach-player dynamics and play with integrity 

  • Support overall well-being and injury healing process 

  • Transition and create new beginnings after sport

what is an example of a session?

Let’s imagine you have the goal of being a starter and a leader on the team. One of your challenges is whenever you’re in the game, you freeze up and perform lower than your known abilities. 

We would first ask, “what is your body’s response to being put in the game?” Through movement based practice, we’d simulate gameplay and learn your body’s “yes” “no” and “maybe” responses. Is your mind saying “yes” while your body is still holding onto a fearful “no” or “maybe”? And, how do you know?

We’d then imagine and practice your own centered “yes” to gameplay. What happens when you feel the ground as you move? How does widening your stance support your visual awareness? What happens when you say “yes”?

Somatic coaching is all about remembering and recreating signals in our body that move us towards what we really care about. So when the pressure is high, we can better trust ourselves and sustainably grow, win or lose.

ready to connect?