“I think Minnesotan’s are very, very gun-shy about any type of expectations for winning. So, when you talk about superstitions, I think it’s more about ‘Geez, they don’t want to jinx this expectation and they don’t want to get their expectations too high,” said Dr. Justin Anderson, the founder of Premier Sport Psychology in Minneapolis. Dr. Anderson says, since the Vikings have never won a Super Bowl, fans point back to the heartbreaking history. And, when something bad happens, it’s here we go again. “There is this collective energy that does tend to happen between humans when we start to feel the momentum shift, things can shift because our realities […]

“I think that people think it’s innate,” Anderson said. “I think people say that a guy either has it or he doesn’t. We know that’s just not true.” Clutch would be better defined as the ability to block out outside noise and focus on tasks at hand. Maybe Derek Jeter didn’t change as a player, but he was able to continue being great during the World Series because he didn’t let nerves, criticism, worldwide viewership etc. get in his way. Anderson likes the example of forward TJ Oshie winning a shootout against the Russians in the Olympics. Following the game, Oshie admitted to his legs shaking while skating toward the […]

Dr. Justin Anderson; Simon Almaer, MA MBA; and Dr. Troy Moles presenting at the 2017 MN Wild Development Camp. Premier Sport Psychology Seminar with the MN Wild from Premier Sport Psychology on Vimeo.  

The following is an excerpt from “Cut From the Team? Here’s how to deal with it.” For the full article, click here. The sun is shining, the weather warming up, pools are being open, and the shorts and sandals are being taken out of the closet. But before we dive into three months of swimming, golfing, cottage getaways, and beach vacations, young hockey players will find out what team they’ll be playing for come September. Yes, it’s tryout season. Tryout season brings many ups and downs, as athletes celebrate making a team, or deal with getting cut. Many athletes struggle with the devastating blow of being cut from a team. […]

Below, see Dr. Justin Anderson working with quarterback Cole Jaeschke on NFL Network’s Undrafted.  

The following is an excerpt from “Make 2017 the year you strike gold.” For the full article, click here. In fact, new research shows the goal-setting strategies experts have been suggesting for years have unexpected downsides, and doing the opposite may be key to success. One reason old tactics fail: “Our culture is very achievement-oriented,” says Carly Anderson, Ph.D., a psychologist at Premier Sport Psychology in Edina, Minnesota. “We do not often reward or pay salaries for effort and persistence, so we’re conditioned to only put value on results.” And when they don’t come soon enough, we give up. For example, setting firm intentions for a 30-pound weight loss focuses […]