Approach

Sport and Performance Psychology is an opportunity to build on your existing mental fortitude while also developing new skills to optimize your performance. My purpose is to educate and train coaches and athletes on mental skills training (MST) to help position their minds to excel in the most critical moments of their performance and in the everyday grind. 

 

What is MST? MST is a mental conditioning program that introduces an array of cognitive-behavioral techniques and strategies to improve performance. The goal is to help you better understand how your mind works in relation to your performance while also training your mind to reach your full potential. Performance areas can include motivation, confidence, performance anxiety, and focus/concentration to name a few. It is my belief that life is the ultimate performance and therefore we can all benefit from MST. 

 

I am a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) via the Association for Applied Sport Psychology - the leading organization for sport psychology consultants and professionals. I have experience working with high school, collegiate, and professional athletes. My work focuses on providing a tailored experience to meet your needs. If you would like to learn more, feel free to contact me to get started. 

 

 

Background

I am originally from South Florida by way of Puerto Rico. I studied Psychology with a special interest in coaching at the University of Central Florida where I earned my bachelor’s degree. I moved to California to study Sport Psychology and obtained my master’s degree at John F. Kennedy University. While earning my degree, I worked with several high performing athletes and completed two internships at Stanford University. In addition, I completed my thesis that focused on aggression among professional Mixed Martial Artists, which was later published in 2014 in the Journal of International Sport Psychology.

 

In addition to my coaching/consulting experience, I have experience in designing and teaching graduate level courses, along with supervising future practitioners in the field. 

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Publications and Presentations:

Rosario, D. (February, 2011).  An exploration of aggression in mixed martial arts, a qualitative study. Presented at the National University Center for Performance Psychology Conference, San Diego, CA.

Rosario, D., Jurica, B., Bartlett, M., & Abrams, M. (October, 2012). Aggression, violence, and moral behavior. An exploration of aggression in MMA, a qualitative study.  Symposium conducted at the Association of Applied Sport Psychology Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Rosario, D., Kerr, J., & Pope-Rhodius, A. (2014). The experience of aggression among mixed martial arts athletes interpreted through reversal theory. International Journal of Sport Psychology 45(2), 79-99.

Rosario, D. & Holt, T. (2018) Collaborating: are you a team player?. A. Pope-Rhodius, S. Robinson & S.J. Fitzpatrick (Eds.). Excelling in sport psychology planning, preparing, and executing applied work (pp. 94-104).Routledge.

 

Qualifications and Education

Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC #908)
John F. Kennedy University, Masters in Sport Psychology (M.A.)
University of Central Florida, Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (B.A.)