Meet Drew Morgan, MA, CMPC | Mental Performance Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Drew Morgan, MA, CMPC and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Drew, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I was in grad school it was not even a question as to if I would start my own consulting business or not, I simply knew that was something I was going to do. In my field of sport psychology, there are not a ton of jobs available to apply to, so I think I knew early on that I would have to pave my own way.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I work in the field of sport psychology as a mental performance coach with the goal of helping athletes and other performers be more consistent and find more enjoyment in the process. While I am extensively trained in psychology I am not a therapist nor am I a psychologist – I am a coach, much like a strength and conditioning coach but for your mind.

While I specialize in working with golfers and baseball players, part of what sets me apart is my ability to work with a very wide range of individuals. I have worked with day traders, musicians, business executives, and athletes in sports that I had no idea about such as dressage, motocross, and archery. While the demands of any given performance are going to look different ultimately is always the same psychological factors at play -attention/focus, motivation, confidence, how to handle pressure/nervousness, and maintaining a positive/optimistic mindset. I think the experience to a wide range of clients makes me a better coach by being able to adapt on the fly and see how things are interrlated.

It has not been easy – sport psychology is a very niche field that many people are not aware of. I have had to rely on mentors and ultimately believe in myself (practice the skills that I teach my athletes) in order to make it work. It has been about three years now and while I have made great progress I am nowhere near where I think I am capable of being in this field.

When I graduated high school and was on my way to play college baseball I suffered an elbow injury that prevented me from playing for a year. Up until that point, I had never suffered a major injury and in looking back it affected me mentally just as much (possibly more) than it did physically. I had no idea back then about sport psychology or what a mental coach was and even if I did I think I would have felt too embarrassed or “weak” to go see one. I think there is a growing understanding now with top athletes like Naomi Asaka, Kevin Love, Simon Biles, and many others coming out unapologetically saying “Hey, I’m hurting and I need a rest. Just because you can’t see that injury doesn’t make it real”. I also want people to know that you don’t need to be “hurt” to benefit from a mental coach – it is all about learning how to manage the one thing that governs all your actions and behaviors – your brain.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is tough as I moved here right before the pandemic started. However, I would take them to Bishop Arts District and get a drink or lunch at Paradiso. Depending on if they played golf or not we would play a round at Stevens Park and then go find a good dinner in Deep Ellum.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shout-out to my mentor, colleague, former professor, and friend, Dr. Alison Pope-Rhodius. She has been instrumental in my career in so many different ways, from connecting me with potential employers, hiring me as an adjunct faculty member, and providing me with so many other incredible opportunities.

Website: www.mentalcoachmorgan.com

Instagram: @mentalcoachmorgan

Linkedin: @mentalcoachmorgan

Twitter: @mentalcoachmorg

Facebook: @mentalcoachmorgan