Ep. 39: Drs. Jen Schumacher & Kat Longshore - US Military Academy Center for Enhanced Performance

Mindful Sport Performance Podcast

In this episode, Drs. Jen Schumacher and Kat Longshore join the conversation.
Jen is the Assistant Director of the Performance Psychology Program at West Point where she works with cadets and Division I athletes on the psychological aspects of elite performance. She is a professional speaker and provides individual training for elite performers, ultra-endurance athletes, and Fortune 100 executives.
Kat joined the Center for Enhanced Performance in 2020 as a performance-enhancement specialist and lecturer. She works with cadets and core squad athletes on their mental game to perform at their best when it matters most. Prior to joining CEP, Kat worked in her private practice, MoniKat Coaching.
Kat begins the episode with a centering breath meditation, and then Jen and Kat talk with Keith and Tim about:
9:23 - What their day-to-day life is like as performance psychologists at West Point
12:57 - The challenges of offering performance psychology services to not only athletic teams, but also other groups of cadets on campus
16:38 - The Mental Training Paradox and managing the felt time constraints as a reason why athletes do not do more mental skills training
25:16 - The importance of collaboration in integrating mental skills training on a college campus
26:40 - How mindfulness, compassion, and gratitude training is received in a military environment
34:05 - What does compassion look like in real life?
35:07 - The benefits of Jen and Kat's embedded positions at West Point
38:57 - Assessment and effectiveness of their CEP programming
42:00 - Training cadets to respond versus react as a way of integrating mindfulness into military culture
Social Media Mentioned:

Twitter: @mindfulsportdoc
Instagram: @mindful_sport_podcast, @armywp_cep
YouTube: Mindful Sport Performance Podcast
CEP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armywp_cep/
Websites Mentioned:
www.westpoint.edu/centers-and-research/center-for-enhanced-performance
www.westpoint.edu

www.ceptutoring.com

www.jenschumacher.com
www.monikatcoaching.com
www.mindfulsportperformance.org

www.enduromind.com
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Very much appreciated,
Keith & Tim

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