5 Signs Your Athlete Might Benefit from Sport Performance Counseling
Physical training gets all the attention. Strength coaches, film sessions, nutrition plans — athletes and their families invest enormously in the physical side of the game. But when performance suffers and the cause isn’t physical, most people don’t know where to turn.
Here are five signs it might be time to bring in a sport performance counselor.
1. Their performance doesn’t match their practice.
They look great in practice. Drills, workouts, scrimmages — everything clicks. But when the lights come on, they fall apart. This is one of the clearest signals that something mental is getting in the way. Performance anxiety is real, specific, and highly treatable with the right support.
2. They’ve lost their love for the sport.
If the athlete who used to live for their sport suddenly seems to dread practice, drag their feet, or talk about quitting — don’t dismiss it as laziness. Burnout is a genuine mental health concern for athletes, and it often develops quietly over time. Catching it early matters.
3. They’re stuck in a slump they can’t explain.
A hitting slump. A free throw that won’t fall. A serve that’s gone sideways for weeks. When athletes get locked into a mental block, technical adjustments rarely fix it — because the problem isn’t technical. Sport performance counseling is specifically designed to address exactly this.
4. They’re struggling with an injury — mentally, not just physically.
Coming back from injury is as much a psychological process as a physical one. Fear of re-injury, loss of identity, and frustration with recovery timelines are all real barriers to a full return. Athletes who work through the mental side of recovery come back stronger and more resilient.
5. Everything outside sport is affecting their game.
Relationships, family stress, academic pressure, identity questions — athletes carry all of it into competition. A sport performance counselor helps athletes develop the emotional regulation and mental skills to compartmentalize, process, and perform regardless of what else is happening.
Working with Erin Harkey at Adapt Counseling
Erin Harkey is a Licensed Master Social Worker and former Division I athlete based in Columbus, GA. She offers sport performance counseling for athletes ages 15 and up, including in-person, telehealth, and walk/talk therapy options.