Sports
In 1983 Cliff Fletcher, then the GM of the Calgary Flames Hockey Club, invited me to join the organization as a sport psychologist. The early years, of a tenure that stretched to about 12-years, taught me how to observe and how to be quietly effective. In 1986 and in 1989 - when the Flames won the Stanley Cup, especially, I learned the toll that a championship run can take in the form of fatigue and injury – injuries both mental and physical. This experience permitted my research into mental toughness and psychological recovery. Additionally, it led me to the conviction that only licensed psychologists are competent to provide the full spectrum of service that elite athletes deserve – inclusive, for instance, of performance enhancement, treatment for depression, psychological abuses by coaches, and management of post-concussive syndrome.Since then, I have filled the role of lead psychologist with three Olympic teams having worked with Canadian Olympians in swimming, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, equestrian show jumping, speed skating, downhill skiing, snow boarding, and numerous other sports. This work continues.