Who is Hannah, and what led her to WHSP?
Hannah Asafo-Adjei is the newest member of the White House Sport Psychology team and is a lifelong lover of sports and anything competitive. As a player (4x state champion; 2012 NCAA Champion) and later a coach and administrator, she started to notice a pattern in athletics; physical performance was supported in a number of ways, but not mental performance.
Athletes attended strength and conditioning sessions to prepare and maintain their bodies. Athletic trainers facilitated stability exercises to prevent injury and recovery exercises to help athletes return to play. However, no programming provided preventative, maintenance, or recovery exercises for an athlete’s mental game.
Hannah knows athletes face constant challenges, such as:
- Perfectionism
- Stress management
- Inability to focus on the right things
- Emotional regulation/management
- Handling pressure
- Navigating challenges with coaches or teammates
- Worrying about making it to the “next level”
- Injury recovery/return to play
Throughout her life in sports, Hannah has not only noticed these challenges, but has also recognized how significantly they impact an athlete’s performance. To summarize her observations, she says, “We can all think of an athlete who had the talent and ability to do great things, but ultimately fell short of expectations because these types of challenges plagued their career.”
Hannah decided to pursue her Master’s in Sport Psychology because she wanted to understand the “why” and “how” of the mental game and help athletes overcome these types of challenges. For example, when an athlete is struggling with a mental skill like handling pressure, Hannah wanted to learn why this happens and how an athlete can mitigate negative outcomes.
Having completed her degree and now working as a Mental Performance Consultant, Hannah helps athletes understand why certain situations are so hard for them. Then, she uses specific lessons and activities to train them how to lower their stress and manage those situations more effectively. This leads them to maximize their performance as well as discover a more enjoyable playing experience.
We are excited that Hannah is a part of White House Sport Psychology. She has already begun helping athletes achieve their mental performance goals and would love to work with you, too! Visit whitehousesportpsychology.com and book a free consultation to get started.