Sports psychologists are becoming more and more popular among athletes seeking to improve their athletic performance as well as their lives. Sports psychologists do this by teaching the athlete how to maximize the mental/emotional aspect of sports performance as well as cope with challenges off the court such as injuries, money, and fame. Various skills are taught to athletes in sports psychology including visualization, relaxation, setting goals, awareness, self-talk, concentration, control, and confidence.
Dr. Whitman’s experience as a Sports Psychology Instructor at UCLA and extensive development of treatment programs has allowed him to help athletes enhance their focus, correct mechanics and habits, nurture dedication and self-discipline, eliminate negative thoughts, and overcome mistakes. His experience has helped rebuild athletes’ confidence as well as increase their enjoyment and success.
Dr. Whitman has much experience with sport psychology. It began when he was junior tennis player and achieved national junior rankings. He experienced firsthand the ups and downs of competition. He went on to be a tennis coach in both Cincinnati, Ohio and northern California in a variety of junior and adult programs. Dr. Whitman’s doctoral dissertation focused on applying sport psychology to junior tennis players. He has helped numerous athletes from a variety of sports as a sports psychologist, including professional, college, junior, and social players. He has taught athletes how to enjoy competing more, perform better and apply sports performance to other areas of life. He explains many principles of sports psychology in his book: A Psychological Analysis of Tennis which is found on amazon.com. His book A Psychological Analysis of Tennis explains these topics as he draws upon his experience as a psychologist, coach and former nationally ranked athlete.
Dr. Michael J. Whitman
Los Angeles Sports Psychologist
310-910-9809