We Get Athletes

We Get Mental Fitness

You Get Results

Your goals Realized through Mental Fitness

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Just PLAY!

Ever feel like you don't the have the confidence to Just Play?


In BIG moments do you struggle to Just Play?


Does it feel like it's impossible to Just Play?

You hear it from your coaches, teammates, and parents. Just Play. We get it. Easy to say. Way harder to do. It takes courage to admit you don’t have all the answers. You are in the right place. We know athletes have strength and resilience. We have the experience and know how to help you figure out your obstacles and adjustments you need to build and train mental fitness that lasts.

Athletes use personal trainers and skill specialists to improve our physical skills. Athletes rarely get detailed information on how to train their mind. You will get what you need with us. We know mental fitness is essential to becoming a complete athlete. Let us help you build the confidence you need to excel in sports and in life. We’ve done it over and over again. 1000's of athletes have trained with us. Be the next. Take action. Start your journey to beoming the complete athlete who can Just Play.

The Key – Just Start.

Speak up. Learn how to maximize the power of your mind.

Let's work together to teach you the must have skills and tools you need to play through the adversity that comes with being an athlete. We will build a personalized system to help you be the athlete you want to be!

As athletes ourselves, we get it. And with over 20 years of experience, we know how to help you achieve your goals.

We don't use a cookie cutter approach. We use a framework to guide our sessions, but tailor them to address your unique challenges and your sport. We'll teach you how to play through difficult emotions like a pro and problem-solve so you can stay mentally fit for big moments. Our program improves your mental game, enhances your physical skills and gives you the ability to self coach in sports and life.

It's time to take everything to a whole new level! Join us and let's have some fun while we work to help you just play and be you when you need it most.

Take Action

Contact us and get to work now.

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Contact

Taking the first step is the hardest part but our team is here to help.

Meet Our Team

Our mission for the Center for Sports and The Mind is…to advance and strengthen athletic mental performance.

To accomplish our mission we follow these guiding principles:
1. Learning. Sports teach valuable lessons and we are dedicated to helping you learn.
2. Character. Athletic competition develops character and we will help you build yours.
3. Professionalism. We are professional, and love what we do, and you will see it in all we do.
4. Fun – Sports are the best when we have fun. You will have fun when you learn with us.

Hans C Skulstad, MA LMFT

Enjoys working with athletes and their families in all sports and at all levels in order to help them achieve their athletic and life goals.

Jennie Gorres, MS LMFT

Jennie has a powerful interest in sports and competition, dating back to the day when she was a leader of her high school sports team.

“The Center For Sports and the Mind has helped our team to face the challenges of our season. With the help of their staff, our players and coaches have benefited from their knowledge of the mental side of the game and their ability to put that knowledge into practice.”

- Les Larson

The Breck School Boys Head Hockey Coach 2009 and 2010 Boys 1A State Champions

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve never asked for help for my mental game. I thought I should do it alone. Aren’t athletes who need mental fitness training considered weak or even crazy??

Simply NO. That’s a common myth of mental toughness. Athletes who committ to mental fitness know that no one builds success alone. It takes courage and strength to reach out. No one was born in a log cabin they build themselves. In our work together, we’ll help you use your strengths, find areas for growth, and develop and apply the skills you need to be a consistently great performer.

How can you help me when my friends, coaches, and family know me better and can talk me through things?

Although it’s true that your coaches, family, and friends know you well and can talk through things, talking with someone who has professional knowledge and experience have an outside perspective that helps athletes gain different perspectives and insights.  Our athletes tell us it’s easy to talk with us because what we talk about stays with us and won't be shared.  Your business stays that way. And they know that our outside view is not influenced by a selfish agenda. Our own experience is that when you talk out loud about whats going on in your own head and your life helps you to see things more clearly.  Sometimes privacy may be exactly what we need to explore difficult emotions and find adjustments.  Other times our friends, family, and coaches may not be equipped emotionally to help us especially if we need them to make adjustments in how they handle their relationships with you.  When your work with us is done you will have put old experiences and emotions that go with them aside. Instead you will be able to respond to situations with the energy, effort and attitude you need to own the moment. 

How does it work? What expectaions do you have of your athletes?

It depends on your needs and how deep you want to dig in.  Our personal coaching sessions dig the deepest and require the most time.  We meet one on one in person or over zoom.  Before our meetings begin our athletes are fill out a series of questionnaires about yourself, your struggles, and your goals.  The information serves a starting point to inform our direction.  Some of the questions will be personal and ask you to disclose information that’s crucial to uncovering what you need to change.  In the first meeting, we get to know each other, open our relationship, and educate you about the process.  If there is time, we jump into the foundational concepts and skills that all athletes need to build mental fitness. We use power points and experiential activities.  We ask questions of each other as we open to new possiblities. Our expectations of you are simple.  Show up. Be ready to learn. Be open and honest.  Have a growth mindset.  Be engaged and prepared to talk about difficult topics.  That's how you do the work.  If you need to change your meeting time, give us a heads up so we can offer the time to another athlete.

How long will it take?

Unfortunately, we can't give you a simple answer. Everyone’s circumstances are unique to them and the length of time it can take to allow you to accomplish your goals depends on your desire for personal development, your commitment, and the factors that are driving you to change.As we move forward we add more concepts and skills.  Homework will be assigned.  You will be asked about your most stressful experiences in sports and life within the first 1 to 3 sessions.  We will start applying the skills and concepts almost immediately.  Typically by session 4 or 5 we have a better idea of how much more time we will need together but it's important to remember that the timeline for mental fitness training varies by an individual’s circumstances. Most of the time, we have found the best results come in 9-12 sessions.  But don’t worry.  You don’t have to commit to that many and have found that even one session can help you.  It’s like weight training.  If you meet with a trainer one time, you may learn a few new things but sustained consistent effort leads to consistent results.Many of our athletes complete their training, but come back as the move through their career.  Sometimes things pop up in their lives that require them to come back for a refresher.  

I want to get the most out of coaching. What can I do to help?

I am so glad you are dedicated to getting the most out of your sessions. Your active participation and dedication will be crucial to your success.Our best athletes have notes filled with questions, and observations about what they have learned or what's happened since we last met. They also seek new knowldege by reading books, watching documentaries, and teaching others what they have learned. 

Get In Touch

Email: hans@centerforsportsandmind.com

Office Address

4900 Hwy 169, Ste 300

New Hope, MN 55428

Office Hours

Monday - Friday

9:00am – 8:00pm

Phone Number:
763-546-8175

4900 US-169 ste 300, Minneapolis, MN 55428, USA

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