Staff

Dr. Kays’ mission is to bring the principles of sport and performance psychology to life for anyone with whom he works. It is one thing to read books about sport psychology and a completely different story to know how to apply and “practice and train the mind.” Dr. Kays creates practice drills and plans for all of his athletes, coaches, and anyone who is or wants to be a high performer. He simply wants to help people improve performance and not let their minds get in the way anymore. These are skills that can be practiced and learned, not something a person is born with into this world. He wants the mind to help them, not hinder them. So many times, athletes have incredible skill, but they do not translate these skills when it counts – in competition. Whether a MLB pitcher trying to close out the ninth inning or a junior tennis player wanting to play at the college level, the mind is critical to these endeavors.

Athletic performance is like a three-legged stool. The three legs include skill, body and mind. The skill is the part athletes practice most, such as learning to swing the club on plane, throwing a change-up, or efficiently mastering the breaststroke. The body includes strength, speed, flexibility, posture, balance, power, nutrition and sleep. These two legs of the stool tend to be most practiced and understood. The third leg of the stool is the mind. This is the least practiced, and therefore, the weakest leg most of the time. If all three legs are not solid, the stool will collapse. Athletes and coaches know the importance of the mind, but have never learned to train it. This is where Dr. Kays comes into the picture. He makes mental training real and easy to understand with daily and weekly practice drills. He makes athletes and coaches practice “mind and skill” at the same time in fact. Whether it be from Dr. Kays’ podcasts, books, videos, live observation at games and practices or teaching mental drills right on the field of play, Dr. Kays make mental drilling and training come to life. No uncertainty and no doubts.

Dr. Kays is a leader in the field of Sport and Performance Psychology. The co-author of Sport Psychology for Dummies (2010), Dr. Kays’ training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes eliminate the most common mental errors and breakdowns in sport. For five years, he was the sport psychologist for the Columbus Crew, the major league soccer team in Columbus, Ohio and has worked with numerous soccer players and coaches throughout the country. Dr. Kays has consulted with athletes and coaches from all different levels of sport, including National Football League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, United States Tennis Association, Professional Golf Association, and Ladies Professional Golf Association. He consults regularly with teams at The Ohio State University. He is an adjunct faculty member at The Ohio State University and teaches sport psychology and positive psychology in the department of psychology. In addition to Sport Psychology for Dummies, he has co-authored four additional books: Athlete’s Journal (2016), Golfer’s Journal (2017), Positive Transitions for Student Athletes: Life Skills for Transitions in Sport, College, and Career (2000), The Parent’s Playbook: Developing a Gameplan for Maximizing Your Child’s Athletic Experience (2001). Dr. Kays has appeared on radio, television, and newspaper, including ESPN, New York Times, FOX Sports, and the Golf Channel. He is and has been a consultant to top businesses, including NAPA Auto Parts, Huntington Bank, and Ohio Health.