Justine Vosloo, PhD., CMPC.I was born and raised in South Africa. An upbringing that taught me a lot about resilience, perseverance and mental toughness. I competed and participated in many sports (e.g. netball, cricket, track and field, rugby), but my strengths and passions were swimming and tennis. In both sports I competed at provincial (state) and national levels. I was nationally ranked (top 20s) as a junior tennis player, which got the attention of college tennis coaches in the United States.
I attended a NCAA Division I University on a full athletic scholarship and majored in Kinesiology/Sport Science. It was during my collegiate tennis playing experiences that I realized that coaches and athletes spent 100% of our practice time on technique, fitness and strategy, yet no time on the mental aspects of the game. Leaving important and usually outcome determining factors like dealing with pressure, energy management, focus, leadership and team cohesion, to chance. As many elite coaches from various sports have noted, "the game is 10% physical, 90% mental". I wouldn't put it this starkly, however when mental skills are left to chance, the game may as well be 90% mental, as we lose the opportunity to train one of a few things we have under our control. Receiving coaching on how to manage the mental aspects of performance would have greatly benefited my own performances. I realized that this was not unique to me, my team or even my sport. This started my educational journey towards mental performance coaching. I completed my graduate training at West Virginia University's world renowned and highly respected program, where I earned a Master's degree and a PhD in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Sport and Exercise Psychology. I am a Certified Mental Performance Coach (CMPC), with over 15 years of experience coaching and educating athletes, coaches, parents and organizations on the metal aspects of optimal and satisfying performance. I have been listed on the USOC's Mental Training Registry (2017-2021) and am a trained instructor of the Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MSPE) program. |
Please note: Performance Coaching sessions do not involve any form of mental health services, or psychological services targeting behavioral or mental health. Additionally, our services do not include diagnosis or treatment of psychological conditions.
My Training & Experience
"Justine is a great coach. She taught me a series of skills from her program that really helped me understand why I was struggling with my performances. " |
I have over 15 years of experience as researcher, educator and coach in the study of the mind's influence on the body (Mental Performance and Psychological Factors of Sport, Exercise and Performance). I am a scientist-practitioner and strongly believe in training the mind and body from an evidence-based perspective. I have been providing instruction and coaching to people who wish to achieve their performance goals as a Mental Performance Coach and as an Associate Professor in the Department of Exercise Science and Athletic Training at Ithaca College. As a professor, I have been teaching courses in this area of study (sport and exercise psychology) to undergraduate students majoring in exercise and sport sciences, and other health professions like physical therapy, athletic training, strength and conditioning, personal training and sport coaching. I educate my students so that they may implement effective performance strategies into their own lives and future professions. Additionally, I teach graduate students who are working in related sport and exercise fields on how to more effectively instruct their own athletes and clients on the mental side of their performance domains (e.g., Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists, Sport Coaches, Strength and Conditioning Coaches, and Exercise Physiologists).
I have also trained and mentored graduate students in their journey towards becoming performance coaches by serving as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) mentor. If you are interested in mentoring, please email me. As a Performance Coach and Consultant, I have worked with athletes, parents and coaches at the youth, high school, collegiate (all NCAA divisions), amateur, professional, Olympic and senior/master's level. My goal is first and foremost to help them develop skills so they can independently refine their mental game to achieve their goals. I have worked with performers and coaches from a wide variety of sports including: tennis, golf, soccer, swimming, diving, track and field, volleyball, cross-country, power-lifting, wrestling, football, judo, karate, figure skating, down-hill skiing, snowboarding, baseball, lacrosse, marathon running, triathlon, gymnastics, rugby, field hockey, ice-hockey and many more). I have also had the opportunity to help adults and children with non-competitive, and recreational aspirations. Some of my exercise/health clients were recreational marathon runners, or played in recreational sports leagues, while others just wanted to be more physically active, lose weight, and improve their health and well-being. Other performer clients include dancers, actors, classical and non-classically trained musicians, business leaders, corporate and workplace teams, and doctoral students conquering their dissertation/thesis challenges. I also support high schoolers on their recruitment journey to college, and college students in their transition to college life. I have researched the optimal performance mindset for more than a decade. I have published numerous book chapters and my research has been published in respected peer-reviewed journals within the exercise and sport sciences, including professional outlets such as The Journal of Sport Behavior, the Journal for Applied Sport Psychology, The Sport Psychologist, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, The Journal for Sport Psychology in Action, The International Journal of Sport Psychology, British Journal of Music Education, The International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, Journal of Athletic Development and Experience, Sport Exercise and Performance Psychology, and Science and Medicine in Football. Additionally, I have presented my research at national and international conferences such as the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, the American College of Sport Medicine, European Congress of Sport & Exercise Psychology (FEPSAC). I have been invited to speak at coaching conferences, given talks to collegiate and high school administrators, coaches, counseling centers and sport medicine facilities. I have delivered workshops to diverse populations from veterinary medicine students/faculty, public health students, school nurses, physical education teachers, city planners and community agencies on a variety of skill development topics geared towards achieving optimal performance. I have been a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), through AASP since 2010, and I have been listed in the US Olympic Committee (USOC) Mental Training Registry (2017-2021), and have completed training to become a trained instructor in the Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement (MPSE) program. I also provide advice and mentoring to students and young professionals who are training to become CMPCs. |
What is a Protea?
A Protea is a South African Flower. It grows in very arid, dry environments and is known for its resilience. It is among the oldest flower families on earth, dating back 300 million years. The Protea flower's name came from Greek mythology, and was named after Proteus, the son of Poseidon. The Greek mythology refer to the Protea flowers remarkable characteristics: the ability to change, transform, and survive the most challenging environments...in other words, to be resilient and thrive under pressure.
I chose the Protea flower for my business name as it represents the ultimate goal of my approach to performance coaching: developing resilient and consistent performers who achieve at their highest level regardless of the changes in the environment they may encounter. |