logo
Call 510-270-0311

Sport Psychology Coaching

Are You Ready for Sport Psychology Coaching?

Athletes, coaches and parents choose an expert sport psychology coach, or mental game coach, to help navigate the learning curve, pressures and pitfalls of a sport. This mental game advisor provides guidance in building a mentally tough, peak performance mind tool-kit that top-performing champions possess. In learning these mental lessons, the mental training coach acts as a teacher, motivator and mentor. The sport psychology training relationship is a collaborative, confidential, professional one that supports the client in reaching more of their sports performance potential.


  • Do you compete in:

    – Youth sports?

    – High school sports?

    – College sports?

    – Professional sports?

    – Olympic sports?

  • Do you coach at any of these levels seeking assistance in dealing with team issues or individual issues?

  • Are you a parent with a child in any of these levels wanting guidance, options and strategies to help your child?


Bill Cole has helped people succeed in each of these situations.

We do extensive coaching with amateur athletes at all levels: elementary level, junior high school, high school, college and adult. We also work closely with elite athletes, including those at the state, regional, national, professional and international level. Our clients also include many athletes on Team USA, Olympic Teams, Olympic Trials, Pan Am Games Teams, and of other international teams in the USA and across the world. Bill has been the mental game coach or consultant to Olympic athletes who have won Bronze, Silver and Gold medals. He's coached many world champion and world record-holding athletes.

Bill has been the mental game coach or sports psychology consultant with athletes or coaches of 25 world and national teams, 11 international and Olympic teams, 32 professional sports teams, associations or leagues, and of athletes who have won 40 world and national championships. He has been the mental game coach for thousands of athletes, coaches and parents in over 120 sports, at all ages and skill levels. He loves to work with kids, young adults and weekend warriors.

Video And Telephone Coaching: US, Internationally

We do coaching all over North America and globally via telephone and video conferencing using Zoom, Skype, and FaceTime.


One on One Coaching: Silicon Valley Bay Area, Globally

For over 20 years we maintained first-class offices in the heart of Silicon Valley, in Cupertino, and Palo Alto, California. However, with the 2020 COVID-19 phenomenon, we have decided to move our business to a virtual basis.

We've been doing distance coaching all over the world each week for decades and the quality of coaching using video is completely equal to coaching done in an office.

It's also possible that we could come to your location in the San Francisco Bay Area to see you practice, to compete or for coaching in your home or office. We've done that for years. Please contact us for details. Travel fees may apply. We are based in Palo Alto, California.

Quick Links for Sport Psychology Coaching

Free Sport Psychology Assessment Tool

Discover What's Holding You Back From Playing Your Best

We are making this valuable 65-question assessment tool available to you at no charge to assist you in determining what is getting in the way of your performing to your full potential in your sport. It will help you discover your strengths and weaknesses and provide you with a quick overview of where you stand with your mental game.

You can print this for your own use, or fill it out and then email it to us as a way to begin the sport psychology coaching process with us.


Score yourself on our free on-line sports psychology assessment  Login with password test222

The mental Game

Bill Cole, MS, MA is the host of the new television show pilot "The Mental Game". Watch the TV show trailer (at right) and visit The Mental Game TV Show website to learn more.

Specialized Sports Psychology Coaching And Books & Audiobooks

Mental Game of Sports

Bill Cole has been mental game coach in over 55 sports. His new mental training manual, The Mental Game of Sports, is perfect for all athletes and coaches. This manual is available now in ebook form for instant downloading and is provided free to everyone who signs up for sports psychology coaching.

Learn more
mental game of motor cycle racing

This 51-minute audio is for anyone who races or rides motorcycles. Mental game coach Bill Cole, MS, MA interviews one of the top motorcycle racers in the world, Sandra Stammova, about the mental game, and how she prepares herself mentally before a race and deals with mental challenges throughout a racing season.

Learn more
mental game of golf

Bill Cole's new book, The Mental Game of Golf, is scheduled for publication in 2024.

Learn more
free to fee

Bill Cole's new book, The Mental Game of Tennis, is scheduled for publication in 2024.

Learn more

Bill Cole Radio Interviews

Listen to a short excerpt of an hour interview of Bill Cole on 1460am radio as he discusses coaching, peak performance and achievement. The radio show reaches 3 million people on the 1460am dial in Philadelphia/Central NJ area.

Listen to Bill Cole being interviewed on 1460am radio as he discusses mental game topics including his books The Mental Game of Tennis and The Mental Game of Golf. The radio show reaches 3 million people on the 1460am dial in Philadelphia/Central NJ area.

Listen to Bill Cole, MS, MA being interviewed on SIRIUS radio on the Hardcore Sports Radio Channel from Toronto, Canada as he discusses mental game topics including his books The Mental Game of Tennis and The Mental Game of Golf.

Programs

Build hands-on tools, methods and insights from the Mental Game of Sports™ & the Mental Game of Tennis™, and then transfer that wisdom to the rest of your life. In learning the secrets of high-performance sports psychology, you'll improve your sport, your game, your business effectiveness, and your life.

Bill Cole was a guest expert, as the sport psychologist, in a Yahoo! Sports interview about the coaching styles of Head Coaches Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears for Super Bowl XLI. Other guest experts included three-time Super Bowl winner Bill Walsh, former Head Coach of the San Francisco 49ers; Harry Edwards, a professor at the University of California-Berkeley and one of the world's foremost experts in race and sport; and Dick Vermeil, former Head Coach of the Super Bowl champions St. Louis Rams. See the text of the discussion at Yahoo! Sports Coaching Change.

Sport psychology is one of those cutting-edge disciplines poised on the edge of art and science. The mind game is one of the most important, yet often most elusive and ineffable elements in all of sport.

Having a strong mental game is the Make-It-Or-Break-It skill that separates the winners from the You-Came-So-Close crowd.

William B. Cole Consultants CEO Bill Cole, an expert in the field of sport psychology, is also the Founder and President of the 
International Mental Game Coaching Association, the leading worldwide organization dedicated to advancing the research, development, professionalism and growth of mental game coaching.

Read a 
Personal Message from Bill Cole to learn about Sport Psychology Coaching and the results you can expect when you work with a Coach.

The Cole Mental Game of Sports Assessment Tool (CMGSAT)

The Assessment Only

We email you our proprietary 300-question Cole Mental Game of Sports Assessment Tool (CMGSAT) as a PDF. You take the assessment, and score it yourself. It is easy to simply add up the columns and to arrive at the sub-scores and then also the grand total. You can easily and quickly see your strengths and weaknesses in each column. You then know your CMGSAT score of strengths and weaknesses. After viewing the results, if you would like coaching to address your weak areas, please contact us to set that up. The test is yours to keep and to retake again and again to see your improvement over time as you progress in your sport.

Learn more about this Sport Psychology Coaching Assessment Package.

Buy the CMGSAT - Test Only $150USD

CMGSAT Assessment And Amateur Coaching Package

Your investment in yourself and your sport abilities for this assessment package is at a discounted fee of $250. We email you our proprietary 300-question Cole Mental Game of Sports Assessment Tool (CMGSAT) as a PDF. You take the assessment, score it and return it to us. We review the assessment and then contact you to arrange your 60-minute personal coaching conversation by phone or video with Bill Cole to review the assessment.

Buy the CMGSAT & Amateur Coaching Package $250USD

CMGSAT Assessment And Professional Coaching Package

If you are a professional athlete or coach, you may purchase the 300-question Cole Mental Game of Sports Assessment Tool (CMGSAT) for $150, or combine this assessment instrument with a one-hour sport psychology review and coaching session with Bill Cole, CEO of William B. Cole Consultants for $400.

Buy the CMGSAT & Professional Coaching Package $400USD

Career and Term Paper Advice In Sports Psychology: Interview An Internationally-Recognized Sports Psychology Expert


Each week we receive numerous requests about careers in sports psychology, internships, and for advice for term papers about the field. We have created valuable telephone consultation packages that can answer any of your questions about a career in the exciting field of sports psychology.

The print and electronic media call Bill Cole, MS, MA weekly about these issues. You can hire him as your personal guide to writing a top-notch term paper, or for personalized advice about how to go into the field of sports psychology.

Learn more about 
Career and Term Paper Advice, or place an order.

Speaking Programs For Camps, Schools, Academies and Non-Profits


What is it you'd like to stop letting get in your way of your athletes' sports success? What can you do for them that will take them closer to the winner's circle?

You can have an internationally-recognized mental game expert come to your location to deliver an exciting program for your athletes. Bill Cole does a limited number of sports camp and team trainings and speeches annually.

Learn more about
Speaking Programs for Camps, Schools, Academies and Non-Profits.

Order Sport Psychology Coaching Services

Organizations And Professional Athletes And Coaches

The standard hourly coaching rate for one person in professional sports, and in all organizational entities such as corporate, governmental, academic, and the military is $275, with some potential adjustments, based on a quote as part of a custom volume package, and for example, when we include speaking, training and consulting. This professional rate of $275 per hour applies to any pro athlete, whether they are on a team, in an association or are independent.
For coaching sessions outside our offices, for sessions with more than one person, and for coaching with organizations, whether in person, or by distance, additional coaching fees and travel fees apply. We also offer two discounted packages, one of five hours and one of ten hours.


Discounted packages are valid only if paid in full, in advance.


1 hr

Buy one hour of

Sport Psychology Coaching
$275/hour - one person rate

Buy Now at $275USD

5 hrs

Coaching Five-Pack: Buy 5 hours of coaching at $265/hour - one person rate

You SAVE $50.

Buy Now at $1350USD

10 hrs

Coaching Ten-Pack: Buy 10 hours of coaching at $260/hour - one person rate

You SAVE $150.

Buy Now at $2600USD

The Traction-To-Action™ Sport Psychology Coaching Starter Package


You want to build more confidence, make a positive impact in your sport, have more fun and satisfaction and unleash your full potential.

Bill's Sports Psychology Coaching Has 13 Key Helpful Features To Boost Your Confidence:


  1. Assessment of your current sport psychology skills.
  2. Review of and suggestions for upcoming competitions.
  3. A deep and extensive level of analysis and feedback about your sports performances.
  4. Proprietary, detailed checklists that help you become aware of yourself as an athlete.
  5. Worksheets and exercises that bring the concepts Bill teaches to life.
  6. Coaching for your upcoming competition.
  7. Help you overcome performance issues such as fear and low confidence.
  8. Show-You-How-To-Practice sessions.
  9. Advice on managing yourself under pressure.
  10. Dress rehearsals of competitions.
  11. Review of your past competitions.
  12. Create custom pre-game mental routines.
  13. Post-game reviews and follow-up.

New Client Coaching Package Offer - Traction-To-Action™ Amateur Atletes


Our standard coaching fees for amateur athletes are $125 an hour, but we want to give you a new client package rate. Choose this Traction-To-Action Starter Package and take off $75 over three hours of coaching. You pay only $300 for all the above 13 points over three valuable hours of coaching with Bill. Travel and associated expenses are extra, if we come to you.

Please note that this reduced-fee coaching structure is applicable only to amateur athletes who take telephone, Skype or FaceTime sessions, and for an amateur individual taking sessions in our offices in Palo Alto, California. Team and group rates are higher. The professional rate of $275 per hour applies to any pro athlete, whether they are on a team, in an association or are independent. Amateur coaching rates are not applicable to professional athletes or coaches. Professional athletes and coaches would pay the organizational rate, even if not connected with a team. For coaching sessions outside our offices, for sessions with more than one person, and for coaching with organizations, whether in person, or by distance, additional coaching fees and travel fees apply. The hourly coaching rate for one person in corporate, governmental, academic, military or other organizational entities is $275, with some potential adjustments, based on a quote as part of a custom volume package, and for example, when we include speaking, training and consulting.

We have coached individuals from San Francisco, San Jose, Saratoga, Los Gatos, Campbell, Cupertino, Palo Alto, Almaden Valley, Santa Cruz, Los Altos, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Alameda, Atherton, Berkeley, Burlingame, Campbell, Concord, Daly City, Danville, Dublin, Foster City, Fremont, Hillsborough, Livermore, Menlo Park, Millbrae, Milpitas, Moraga, Orinda, Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton, Portola Valley, Redwood City, San Leandro, San Mateo, San Ramon, San Rafael, Santa Clara, Union City, Woodside, and many other locations in the San Francisco Bay area, Silicon Valley, and around the United States. You can come to us, or we can come to you.


You can come to us, or we can come to you. We can also work virtually. We also regularly consult with clients by phone and email from countries around the world, such as England, Portugal, Australia, Mexico, China, Canada, Israel and South Africa.

To start your sport psychology coaching, simply email us, call us at 510-270-0311, or click on the button below to sign up now.
This new client discount package is for first-time clients only. If you are a continuing client, please choose one of the Sport Psychology Coaching Services packages below.

Traction-To-Action™ Sport Pschology Coaching Package

New Client Amateur Athletes Only

Buy the Interview Coaching New Client 3-Hour Package
($300USD)

Valid for one time use.

If your credit card transaction does not go through, try again and go through the PayPal pathway. You do not need a PayPal account to use your credit card with that system.

Buy the Traction-To-Action New Client Package $300USD

Amateur Athletes

Order Sport Psychology Coaching Services


Please note that this reduced-fee coaching structure is applicable only to amateur athletes who take telephone, Skype or FaceTime sessions, and for an amateur individual taking sessions in our offices in Palo Alto, California. Amateur athlete coaching rates are not applicable to professional athletes or coaches. Professional athletes and coaches would pay the $275 per hour professional or organizational rate, even if not connected with a team or association.

For coaching sessions outside our offices, for sessions with more than one person, and for coaching with organizations, whether in person, or by distance, additional coaching fees and travel fees apply. The standard hourly coaching rate for one person in professional sports, and in all organizational entities such as corporate, governmental, academic, and the military is $275, with some potential adjustments, based on a quote as part of a custom volume package, and for example, when we include speaking, training and consulting.


Our discounted coaching fees are $75 for one half hour (30 minutes) and $125 per hour, with additional price reductions offered for blocks of four, six and twelve hours.

.5 hr

Buy 30 minutes of

Amateur Sports Psychology coaching for $75


Buy Now at $75USD

1 hr

Buy one hour of coaching for $125/hour.

Please note that a one-hour purchase cannot be split into two half-hour coaching sessions. If you wish to book a 30-minute session you must buy the half-hour.

Buy Now at $125USD

4 hrs

Coaching Four-Pack: Buy four hours of coaching and instead of paying $125/hour, you pay only $117.50/hour. You SAVE $30.

Buy Now at $470USD

6 hrs

Coaching Six-Pack: Buy six hours of coaching and instead of paying $125/hour, you pay only $115/hour. You SAVE $60.

Buy Now at $690USD

12 hrs

Coaching Twelve-Pack: Buy twelve hours of coaching and instead of paying $125/hour, you pay only $110/hour. You SAVE $180.

Buy Now at $1320USD

Policies Quick Links

Variable Payments


Normally payments are made using the Credit Card or PayPal buttons in the blue boxes. However, you can make a custom payment to William B. Cole Consultants by going to the page for making payments of any amount.


Payment Policies


  • Payment for services is due on or before the first day of services rendered.

  • We accept cash, check, PayPal, electronic bank transfer and credit cards issued by American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

  • We don't invoice, extend credit or accept insurance.

  • Clients have the option of paying the standard hourly rate or availing themselves of various discount packages.

  • Package prices are based on payments made prior to, or at the time of the first session.

  • Purchase of a package is not valid retroactively, after a coaching session has been concluded.

  • Normally payments are made using the Credit Card or PayPal buttons on our web site. However, coaching services payments may be made in installments, by special arrangement. Please contact us for details. To make an installment payment or to make another payment to William B. Cole Consultants, go to the page for making payments of any amount.

  • Checks returned by the bank for insufficient funds will be subject to a $20.00 collection fee and a $20.00 insufficient funds fee.

  • To prevent fraud, refunds are not allowed by means other than the same credit card or PayPal account used to make the original charge.

  • To be eligible for any reduced-price discount package you must both pay for the package in one lump sum in advance and actually complete the full hours in the package. If you opt to stop the package prematurely for any reason this voids the discount rate in the package. We will refund your remaining unused time, and your refund will then be prorated based on our standard hourly rate, not on the package rate.

  • We do not offer family or group discounts. Each person in a family or a group is subject to the published payment schedules on this website.

  • Clients who purchase a coaching package have the option of allowing specified other people to be a guest within that package, with our advance notification. A guest can be a parent, a relative, a neighbor, a friend, or anyone who is new to one of our programs, or who has not completed their introductory package. Someone who has already completed their 3-hour introductory package (only applicable in exam anxiety, interview coaching and sport psychology) is not eligible to be a guest in someone else’s 3-hour package.

  • The introductory 3-hour new client package discount offer (only applicable in exam anxiety, interview coaching and sport psychology) is only valid for a one-time use. This package is only for brand new clients who have never had coaching with us before. Clients who have already completed this introductory package are no longer eligible to use it again. Their options are then to pay as they go at $125 per hour, or $75 per half hour, or to purchase a package of 4, 6 or 12 hours.


Scheduling Policies


Please read and be aware of these polices that help us all make the coaching and consulting program run more smoothly.


  • Actual Session Time Versus Scheduled Time
    The time we count off of the package you purchase is the actual time we do in a coaching session, not the scheduled time, because sometimes those two vary. Sometimes we go over, and that extra time is counted. If we go under, we accurately record that reduced time also.

  • 24-Hour Cancellation Policy
    Please note that we require a 24-hour cancellation notice should you need to cancel or reschedule a coaching session. Canceling or rescheduling a training session, seminar, workshop or keynote requires much earlier notice, with different policies. For those events, please consult our contract for that event. We prefer not to charge for late canceled or no-show appointments, but repeated or egregious late cancellations or no-show appointments will be charged the full hourly rate of that missed session. If you need to reschedule, that is never a problem as long as you give us this full day advance notice so we can offer your time to another client. We are usually booked out two weeks or more in advance for coaching sessions, so the earlier you know your schedule, the easier it is to schedule you in any future slots should you need to reschedule.

  • Potential Variable Coaching Session Lengths
    Our coaching time slots, once agreed to, are firm. We require 24-hour notice to change or cancel a session. However, for younger children who may have a hard time concentrating in longer coaching sessions, we may, from time to time, decide during the session to shorten the session to accommodate the child. Accordingly, we would simply note the shorter time in your package. You would then have a credit for the unused time.

    Coaching appointments are always made for a specific time length, and then both of us can predictably expect to begin the session and complete it at that specified time length. If just before or during a session a client announces that they want less time than we agreed to, and if this time reduction is rather minimal, that's fine. But if this is a large departure from the scheduled time that creates gaps in our schedule where we could have offered that time to other clients, this could be an issue. Please provide us with at least 24 hours advance notice if you want to change the time length of a coaching session.


Coaching Policies


Please read and be aware of these polices that help us all make the coaching and consulting program run more smoothly.


  • Recording Coaching Sessions
    I strongly suggest that clients make every attempt to audio record our coaching sessions. You can use an extra cell phone or other device to record if your computer is unable to record. If we use Zoom, and you are using a computer, you should be able to record. Please test this in advance. If you are using a tablet or phone, for some reason having to do with Zoom, recording rarely seems to work. In our office, you can use your cell phone to record. I will be giving you very precise, specific phrases and words, procedures and strategies you'll want to capture so you can complete your homework. I take my own notes in shorthand, but I don't send them out, so I suggest you take written notes as back up for yourself. If you record our sessions, parents will have an easy, reliable and archived way to know what we did in the session. This saves time for everyone. All homework assignments will be found in the audio recordings. I do not assign homework to students after class.

  • Updating Parents On Their Child's Progress
    We are happy to provide parents a brief update on a child's progress from time to time. This is best done at the start or end of a scheduled class, to save everyone time, and for efficiency. Any extended time spent speaking with parents outside of "officially scheduled class" is a consult, and this time also counts as part of the package you purchase. This is also true for coach consultations. Any time spent speaking to or emailing coaches (beyond brief replies) outside of "officially scheduled class" counts as part of the package you purchase.

    I do a large number of "parents only" and "coach only" consults and when you desire that sort of meeting, please let me know and we can arrange that. They are extremely helpful sessions where I give you strategies to help your child become more motivated, more compliant with their homework, practice and training, and to become more accountable and responsible for the success of their sport experience. I also help parents learn how to be better sport parents.

    Some parents or coaches ask for a detailed summary of sessions with their child by email. I can do that, but aside from a brief summary, any time past that of course takes time, and this extra time also would be counted as part of the package you purchase. Certainly, requests for detailed class summaries are better met by scheduling a dedicated parent or coach consult. Since I strongly encourage students to audio record our coaching sessions, a full accounting of session material, including homework, will be found there.

    I know that parents want their child to learn the skills of independent thought, accepting responsibility, and taking ownership of their sport. I strive to foster all of these in our coaching sessions. This also reduces pressure on parents to have to micromanage the child in their sport. I always update parents if there might be any potential issues parents would need to know. I do that immediately with a quick email or phone call.

  • Homework Policies
    I assign homework in all coaching sessions and expect students to complete the homework by the next class. In each class I ask students to show me their homework and I evaluate how well they performed on it. Before we end a class I make sure each student not only understands the homework to be done, but that they know how it is to be done, and the benefits from doing it. I have students write down their homework tasks as we go through the coaching session. If homework involves actual mental exercises I have the child demonstrate these before we conclude class. If students forget the homework tasks, they can easily consult the class audio recording.

    Homework is usually a combination of experiential activities, exploratory activities, reading and ongoing practice of mental skills. Mental skills should be practiced daily, and these procedures are outlined in the PDF included with the two books sent by email before our first class.

    I encourage all students to keep a dedicated mental training notebook and to write in it as we go through each class, as well as outside of class. They should keep a dedicated section with a running list of questions that come up through the week. Students can ask these questions in class. This is one way we customize each class to each student's curiosity. I always have a plan for each class, but I also always ask students what they want to cover at the start of each class.

    We will cover between 4-10 or more new mental techniques or action items in each class. As we do each one, I will name it, describe it, demonstrate it, and show you how to do it. You'll actually experience it. I'll show you how to practice it. You'll demonstrate it to me so I know you understand it. I'll show you how to use it in training, as well as in a competition, if appropriate. Your responsibility is to then take those techniques home and test them out, practice them, learn them and apply them in your practice sessions. Then when we next meet, I'll ask you how all that went. You'll give me a nice full report on each technique.

    I may or may not have a specific handout on each technique we cover (we cover so many), so it's each student's responsibility to capture all the pertinent details in their notes as we go. I frequently ask you if you understand what we're doing many, many times throughout class. That is your opportunity to seek clarification. I strongly encourage students to audio record our coaching sessions. The fastest learners then listen to these recordings and sharpen their notes from them. When you record, nothing is lost, and we don't need to repeat things from a given session.

  • How To Make Best Use Of Your Coaching Sessions: Client Responsibilities In This Mental Coaching Program
    I want my students to make the very best use of their coaching sessions. Over my four decades of coaching I've made a study of noticing what the most successful students do. These folks get the most out of their coaching sessions and make the fastest progress. I've captured what they do in this checklist. Please read this and utilize as many of their strategies as you can.

  1. Make a commitment to follow this mental training program for at least six months, regardless of how frequently we work together. That time frame gives the best results. Maintain realistic expectations about progress and results. Rarely do miracles happen overnight. You have to plant the seeds, do the hard work and then be patient. If your mental challenges have been long-standing, they'll generally take longer to resolve.

  2. Take responsibility for the results you achieve in this program. The coach is your guide, but you will be doing the actual work.

  3. Make a decision to explore both your inner world and outer world. Be prepared to get to know yourself better at these levels: mental, emotional, behavioral, somatic, interpersonal and spiritual. Be action-focused, and make significant changes in your emotions, mind and behaviors. Take the mental lessons you learn and turn them into wisdom and action steps.

  4. Review your notes and audio recording from the prior coaching session. Organize your thoughts before the session. Create some quiet time to begin focusing in before we meet. Visualize how you’d like the session to go in advance. Come to each coaching session with your own plans and ideas for what you want to accomplish. I suggest you have a list of action items you want for the coaching session. Have a list of questions you want to ask me. Turn in your coaching call prep form before each session on time, one full day ahead. Be able to give a full report on the action items you agreed to do since the last session.

  5. Take notes and record the session. It's very important to be engaged that way. Actively contribute during the sessions. Ask for clarifications on any material you don't understand. Between sessions, reflect on the issues and methods we discuss in class. Complete all written assignments in a timely manner. Write in your mental training journal on a regular, preferably daily, basis.

  6. Be honest with yourself and with me, your coach. Openness and genuine self-exploration will give you huge results. Don’t hold back on anything you’d like to say in the session. Disclose your hunches, intuitions and gut sensations. Anything you sense is fair game to discuss in the session. If there is something you don’t like about your coaching sessions, or something you’d like to change, please feel free to speak to me about that anytime. I'm here to help you grow as an athlete, and as a person.

  7. Our coaching sessions are frequently used as practice sessions, in addition to what else we do together. However, you should schedule regular daily and weekly mental practice times on your own, and/or with practice mates. That's the only way to master the skills you learn in class with me. A one-time introduction to the concepts and skills in our sessions will not provide you with the opportunity to lock these in to your brain. You must do this on your own. Set aside a specific amount of time each week for this training. Practice the techniques and training methods so they become natural and automatic.

  8. We will spend less time in our sessions describing and reliving negative situations and their effects, and more time devising solutions to change them into success. Do your best to answer questions I pose to you with thoughtfulness and completeness. Take constructive criticism in a positive manner, and engage in healthy, non-defensive conversations about that material. Increase your insight about yourself as a person, and as a learner and performer. Keep in mind that a coaching session is not a therapy session or a counseling session.

  9. Talking is great, reflection is wonderful, self-awareness is fabulous, but taking action on all this is what counts in the end. Be prepared to convert this insightful self-knowledge into usable action steps. I'll help you do this. Switch gears between seeing the big picture and taking a concrete approach. Being stuck in just one is not desirable.

  10. Be ready sometimes to speak, sometimes to listen, sometimes to analyze, sometimes to synthesize. You will take on many roles in the course of a session. Sometimes we'll talk, and other times you'll be doing mental exercises where you remain silent. Give a fair test in trying out the techniques I suggest and report honestly on how they worked for you.

  11. If you maintain an open mind, you will hear and learn things you probably never quite heard before. As far as is possible, drop any preconceptions you may have about the coaching process, the coach, or the topic and simply experience it anew. If you remain insightful, remain open to change, and make significant behavioral adjustments to your life, you will succeed in big ways.

  12. Secure a health screening from a physician, should you have any limiting medical issues.

  • Handouts And Copyright Policies
    The written content we provide you is proprietary and copyrighted. Please don't share any of it with others. Never post it on line. The PDF books we send you at the outset of our engagement are at no extra charge. We will also send you various other written checklists, articles and assessments as we progress with your coaching. These are also proprietary and copyrighted. If we were to charge for each item like this, the cost would be at least $5-$10 each. The assessments we sell on our website cost a minimum of $150. This is a valuable extra set of resources we provide you, at no extra cost

  • Taking Notes In Coaching Sessions
    I take limited notes in class, for myself, and they're in shorthand, so I don't send them to you or a parent or a coach after class. Therefore, I strongly suggest you take your own notes, even if you are recording the session. Sometimes recordings fail for technical reasons. I also suggest that parents not take notes in place of their child. A student who takes their own notes as they go is more engaged with the material and has better recall of the material. However, if you truly want me to send you my notes, I can do that. I would need to type them into email, and the cost for that would be whatever time the re-writing takes. We'd take that time off your package. I will only do this at your direction.

  • Note Taking And Coaching At Your Club Or School Training Sessions And Competitions
    When I observe you in action at a practice or a competition I take notes and prefer to go over them with you at that time, at the venue, while things are still fresh. If we are unable to do so then, we will review them in our next coaching session. Perhaps we can do this by phone or video.

    If we are unable to have a coaching session quickly, and you need these notes sooner, I can speak them into a text message and send them to you that way, if you have a phone that accepts texts. Alternatively, I can call your phone and read the notes into a voicemail so you have a recording of them you can play back whenever you want. My calling or texting like this is at no extra charge. However, it's impractical and time-consuming for me to type these notes, unless you want me to, but I can do that. The cost for re-typing the notes would be whatever time that this typing takes, unless it's a very brief time. If longer, we'd take that time off your package. I will only do this at your direction.



Coaching Policies When We Are Out Of Our Offices


Please read and be aware of our various policies for when we coach and consult with you when we are out of our offices. This makes everything more clear, easier and smoother for everyone.


  • Coaching You At Your Competition
    It can be quite valuable to see you under real-world competitive conditions. I've done this all over the world. However, here the actual real-time coaching would need to be limited, and I'd be operating in more of an observational role. That's because at an event, we don't want to introduce anything new, no matter how appropriate and helpful it is. New things cause mental disruption. You want to be on automatic pilot at a competition, not in thinking mode. There's no time to learn and install anything new in that environment. I can however, give you reminders of what we have already covered, and do things like visualization and relaxation skills, help you debrief matches and prepare mentally.

  • Coaching You In A Training Session At Your Club Or School
    This is a very valuable experience. I go to see people train in their sport all the time. Here I would actually make suggestions in real time, and take you through my mental training program, with a series of mental techniques. You'd have your training partner, team or coach drilling with you, and I'd observe, take notes and coach you in real time, or when you take breaks, or at the end of your session.

  • Securing Permission From Your Coach Or Club For My Attendance
    Please be aware that many clubs do not allow outside coaches and consultants who are not on their staff to conduct training sessions or to do coaching on their premises. So please inquire about such policies at your club and make the necessary advance arrangements with the club manager and your club coach. You may need direct permission for me to coach you, so please handle that on your end many days ahead of my coming to your club. Confirm with me in advance that you have done so.

  • Coaching Time Versus Travel Time At The Training Or Competitive Venue
    Please be aware that there are travel, incidental and coaching costs involved if I coach you outside of my offices.

    My arrival at the venue you designate is defined as my actually coming into the part of the venue where you are practicing or competing. Some facilities are so large, with multiple buildings and levels that it takes some time to find parking, and to walk to find out where you are. So travel time covers all that, and coaching time begins when we meet at the venue. If you are competing, it can be highly disruptive for me to give you much new material and techniques, so it's best at that time to observe you, take notes, and to provide simple adjustments to your mental game. Later, when the event is over, we can go into deeper content.

    If you are not sure if you will actually be competing that day, or if it is an outdoor event, subject to weather delays and cancellations, you are still expected to cover my coaching and travel time. Things beyond our control can make it a much shorter day than we expected, and under those circumstances you can have me leave as early as you want, so you can save money. If the event is canceled at the last minute due to weather, or if you become ill or injured, if an opponent defaults, or if other issues arise, there is no charge for anything if I've not started to travel. If I have started to travel, it depends on how far I've gone, and we can work that out on a case by case basis. Please call and or text me that day as soon as you know about the change in schedule so I don't travel needlessly. Please note that I do not have email on my phone.

    Coaching time starts from when we meet at the venue to when I leave for my car, and all time in between. Then travel time begins. During the course of a day at an event, you and I may be conversing, I may be observing and taking notes, or we may need to go get some food. We may go off site. Regardless, I'm still on the coaching clock since you and I may be discussing the event and your game at any time. I'm always observing how you interact at an event and I'm making notes in my mind about everything. When I'm away from my office I can't conduct any business other than yours at that time. I'm focused on you 100%. When a client hires me to travel to a practice or competitive event I've been "taken me off the market" and I'm unable to coach anyone else at that time. So no matter what I'm doing at the event, even if we're waiting on a delay, or you're warming up, or whatever, I'm still on your clock. Coaching time is not based just on match time length. Of course, if you become injured or ill, if the match is rained out (if outdoors), or if the opponent defaults or retires and there is no match, the clock would stop when you decide to call it a day, and I leave the venue.

    I can instead arrange a per diem (instead of an hourly rate) for you whereby you get my time for an entire day, regardless of time length, for one inclusive flat daily fee. This would include my travel time, any parking fees, transfer fees, club guest fees, my food and anything else, if known in advance. Please let me know and we can arrange that in advance.



Travel Expenses And Travel Fees For Coaching, Consulting And Speaking


We handle travel differently for speaking and training versus coaching and consulting. For speaking engagements, there is no separate per-hour travel fee in addition to the actual travel expenses incurred. You simply cover our actual travel expenses. For these speaking and training engagements we can build the travel, hotel and per diem and other expenses into a custom-quoted all-inclusive fee, or itemize these expenses separate from the speaking fee.

When you hire me as a consultant or coach, both hourly travel fees and out-of-pocket travel expenses apply. Travel fees are $100/hour, and travel expenses are based on actual out-of-pocket expenses incurred from renting cars and other aspects of travel, such as planes, taxis, shuttles, subways, trains, ferries, transfers, parking fees, tolls, and any other travel costs. Travel coaching fees apply whether I am a passenger or a driver of a vehicle.


Travel From Palo Alto, California


Travel time begins when I leave our offices in Palo Alto, California, and ends when I arrive at the door of the place you designate. I fly out of any of three nearby Bay area airports: San Francisco International Airport (SFO), San Jose International Airport (SJC) and Oakland International Airport (OAK). Travel time also applies to and from any airport to the hotel, and to and from the hotel to the location of your practice or performance, on a daily basis.

Travel time is not computed by distance via an online map service for driving. It's based on actual travel time, since once I get near your venue I may be searching and waiting for a parking spot, or taking another conveyance and walking to your offices. I also may be held up by heavy traffic, road work, detours or traffic accidents. All this time counts towards the total travel time. Travel time is also counted the same way when I return from your venue.


Travel Fees and Associated Expenses


Travel, hotel and per diem expenses and fees can be handled in any of these ways: You can book and pay for my travel expenses, I can invoice you, or I can take these expenses and fees off any coaching package you purchase. I suggest clients purchase refundable plane and hotel reservations. If a client purchases non-refundable plane and hotel reservations they do so at their own risk. I am not responsible for the cost of any pre-purchased plane or hotel reservation a client purchases if I am unable to attend any portion of the trip based on accident, illness or emergency, or termination of the coaching project.

Travel to your office, tournament, performance area, practice area or any other place means I am on your clock, and travel fees, as well as travel expenses apply. When I am delivering services to you I offer my expertise, experience, advice, guidance and methodology in increments of time. Travel fees are in consideration for my not being able to deliver services to other clients while I am on your clock. I never encourage you to keep me on the clock any longer than you believe I am needed on any given day. It is up to you as to when we disengage for the day.


I am Dedicated To Your Success


When I am on the clock for you, you have my full attention and full dedication. I never contact other clients or receive calls or emails from other clients while with you. During delays (such as rain delays or event schedule delays or changes, travel delays, etc.) when you are unable to practice or perform, if out of the hotel, I am still on your clock. Once we are back at the hotel the clock is turned off if we are not meeting, and we both can use our time as we choose. While on a delay waiting in the hotel, I will accommodate your schedule as much as is possible if we need to leave without much notice.


Minimum Coaching Charges On Some Trips


Certain longer trips may require a "minimum daily coaching hour package" as consideration for your asking me to leave our offices and to be unable to deliver services to other clients. Before booking that trip I will discuss this with you and get your approval. The travel fee of $100/hour does not apply to time waiting in airports, or to time in the air. Longer flights, however, may require a "minimum daily coaching hour package", which I will discuss with you before booking the trip.


Advance Payment Policies


All trips require advance payments, estimating the number of coaching hours and expenses over the course of the trip. Once on a trip, when coaching hours and expenses exceed prior payments, another payment is due at that time. Clients are responsible for making regular weekly payment installments on a trip as additional coaching hours arise. I will keep you apprised of the running totals. Reimbursements for the trip include, but may not be limited to, the plane, hotel, transfers and food. There is a food per diem of $100/day. The client can pay these food costs as we go, daily, or I can be reimbursed. In more expensive city areas, or countries, the per diem will be higher. I will get your approval on this level before booking the trip.



Additional Services


While we have multiple written and audio products, and we do consulting projects, the majority of our services are delivered primarily based on time. So it's important that everyone is clear about how that works.

We can assist you in many other ways in addition to coaching. We often do consulting, in a variety of forms. This is a menu of how you can utilize our expertise to create a robust program of improvement. If we perform these activities together in class itself, they are simply counted as part of your package hours. But if you ask us to engage in any activities in this list below, any time spent with these activities will be counted as hours in the package you purchased, or will be paid for separately. We will only proceed with any of these services at your advance direction.


  • There is no additional charge for reading and responding to reasonable length emails. For emails or attached documents that are longer, any time spent with these activities will be counted as hours in the package you purchased. If this time exceeds the package hours, they will be invoiced weekly. If you send us a lengthy email that is better suited to discussion in a coaching session, we'll advise you of that.

  • Reading, reacting to and editing documents.

  • Reviewing videos.

  • Reviewing audios.

  • Creating customized audios or videos.

  • Creating and editing documents.

  • Creating coaching plans, lesson plans, training plans, development plans and any course syllabus.

  • Writing reports or summaries about your coaching sessions, practice sessions or performances.

  • Writing and editing speeches and training materials.

  • Creating and conducting surveys and questionnaires.

  • Creating and conducting 360 degree reviews.

  • Speaking to people you designate, as part of your coaching program, such as teachers, tutors, coaches, school administrators, therapists, consultants, relatives, parents or any other people on your success team. We often consult with parents on how to maximize their involvement with their child's experience.

  • Having us conduct web research, or other research on your behalf.

  • Attending your performances or workplaces, or in the field, observing and debriefing you.

  • Speaking by phone or video to debrief you after your performances, while you are still on site, or soon thereafter.



Policies And Pricing On Urgent, Rush Service And After-Hours Project And Coaching Requests


Urgent, emergency, rush service and after-hours project and coaching requests count as double the normal, prevailing hourly rate in your package.

We have many interview clients, executives, business owners and others who often need immediate turn-around of resumes and cover letters, and other documents. We wish we could accommodate everyone instantly. We know that speed is of the essence in responding to job announcements and last-minute interviews. We do our best to accommodate you so you can be nimble on these, and so you can apply for these positions early.

Most of our clients are working full time and cannot properly respond to a job announcement during their workday. They come home and then ask us to respond with their written work, at the end of their day. We are happy to do so. We do have time constraints, but if we are able, we respond as quickly as possible, often the same day.

However, when you ask us to produce a work product on an urgent basis, or to work outside our normal working hours, we find it necessary to charge a premium for that. The premium we charge for this expedited service is time and a half. So, for example, if you have a coaching-consulting package of 3, 4, 6 or 12 hours and you engage us in rush work, each hour is counted as 90 minutes, and would be deducted from your package accordingly.

We will only designate your work "rush service", or as an "after-hours project" if you specifically tell us this, and if you agree to pay the time and a half rate. Only you can designate such a rush order. We will always ask you to confirm this before proceeding.

Alternatively, instead of engaging us in a rush order, you can simply make your project normal priority. We'll get it done as fast as we can, in our normal business hours, and you won't get charged a premium. Your non-priority work may not get done immediately. In fact, we can't guarantee it will be done quickly if there are other folks ahead of you who have paid for priority rush jobs. And if your request comes in on a Thursday, Friday or weekend, the following week may be the first we can get to it.



Our Coaching Sessions Are Guaranteed


I guarantee the quality of our coaching sessions. I guarantee to you that each coaching session will be of the highest quality, and will give you the best cutting-edge content and success strategies. However, I cannot predict, know, monitor or guarantee what you will do with the lessons, insights and content learned in these sessions. Therefore, when you use our coaching, materials and products you are not guaranteed to improve learning, performance, income, health, fitness or specific earnings. No one can guarantee such outcomes because your results will depend on variables and factors outside our control including, but not limited to: your motivation, your diligence and discipline, your capabilities, your creativity, your health and fitness, your compliance with our recommendations and suggestions, and other factors which neither party has control over.

I will ask you, many times in each coaching session, if things make sense, and if you know how to practice and actually use what we discuss, and what I teach you. At the end of each coaching session, I will ask if that session met your expectations. If you say yes, we will consider that session successful. If you say no, I will spend additional time with you, at no additional charge, at that time, or at a mutually convenient time, to resolve your concerns. If I cannot resolve your concerns at that time, I will refund all your monies paid for that particular coaching session in question. If this coaching session in question was part of a package, when you receive a refund for that session, we will also refund the rest of your unused coaching package monies. This will be prorated per the package you purchased, not at the full non-package hourly rate. Whenever you make the next coaching package payment that is due or make a pay as you go payment, this indicates that you are satisfied with the coaching up to that point, and that you wish to continue the coaching program.

Our Coaching Is Confidential


Trust forms the core of the coaching relationship. We respect what you say, and will not repeat your material to anyone or to any entity. We maintain your confidentiality and privacy in all communications and we maintain safe and secure written records of your account. We do not disclose that you are a client if you do not want that known.

Read These Sport Psychology Coaching Articles


Discover the qualities possessed by superstar athletes, how to choose a coach, the many types of mental training specialists, the myths and misconceptions about sports psychology, and why some athletes are reluctant to use sports psychologists.

Championship Superstar Athletes -- What Makes Them Tick?

Bill Cole, MS, MA

Who is your all-time favorite star athlete? What is inside them that drives them to the heights? All great athletes have common attributes that propel them to be excellent. Read this article to learn ten characteristics common to all superstars and how you can develop them yourself.

Why Are Some Athletes Reluctant To Use Sports Psychologists?

Bill Cole, MS, MA

Many people are reluctant to go to a physician out of fear. Many athletes also steer clear of sports psychologists out of fear, and worse, the social stigma that still exists when asking for mental help. When an athlete does call a sports psychologist, it is often when all else has failed, they have an important event coming up, and they need mental help -- fast. Virtually every college, national, professional and Olympic sports team has a sports psychologist on staff and countless individual professional athletes work closely with sports psychology consultants. Read this article to learn the 72 reasons athletes avoid sports psychologists and to discover the many benefits of sports psychology training and what to expect in a sports psychology session.


Read more Sport Psychology Coaching articles by Bill Cole.

Why Hire a Coach?

Ten Terrific Ways to a More Powerful Life

Bill Cole, MS, MA

A personal coach, business coach, executive mentor, tennis coach, golf coach, sport psychology coach...What do all these coaches have in common? Why work with a coach? A coach won't do the work for you, but here are ten ways a coach can help launch you to the next level...
Read the rest of this article.

What's a Mental Game Coach?

Bill Cole, MS, MA

There are many types of mind coaches, mental trainers, psychology consultants and therapists. How can you choose the right mind practitioner? To find out, read this article.

Myths About Sports Psychology -- 32 Misconceptions About The Mental Game Of Sports Explained

Bill Cole, MS, MA

The field of sports psychology can help athletes and coaches succeed faster and achieve higher sports goals than they ever dreamed possible, but there are many myths and mysteries surrounding this fascinating field. Read this article to learn about the 32 myths about sports psychology.

Meet Bill Cole, Your Sport Psychology Coach

Bill Cole

"There is nothing more fulfilling for me than seeing my clients come full circle, to find the mental power they always possessed, but never realized."

Bill Cole MS, MA


Bill Cole, MS, MA is one of the most prominent, prolific and successful performance psychology consultants working today. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, California, he maintains a global consultancy, traveling the world advising top performers. He is the mental game coach to top business people in sales and public speaking, interview skills, musicians and actors in Hollywood and military and police. He has been mental game coach or consultant to Olympic athletes who have won Bronze, Silver and Gold medals. He's coached thousands of recreational, junior high, high school, college, professional, world champion and world record-holding athletes.


Bill has been the mental game coach or sports psychology consultant with athletes or coaches of 25 world and national teams, 11 international and Olympic teams, 32 professional sports teams, associations or leagues, and of athletes who have won 40 world and national championships. He has been the mental trainer for thousands of athletes in over 100 sports, at all ages and skill levels.


Bill has been a leader in the field of sport psychology for over 40 years, as a scholar, researcher, writer, teacher, coach, athlete, trainer, speaker and consultant. He is a thought leader and expert in the worlds of peak performance, coaching and the mental game. He was the first person in the world to earn an undergraduate degree in sports psychology, and is the Founder and President of the International Mental Game Coaching Association, which trains and certifies mental game coaches worldwide.


Bill is an internationally and nationally recognized authority on peak performance and coaching. An award-winning scholar-athlete, he has coached at the highest levels of Olympic, major-league pro sports and big-time college athletics. A multiple Hall-Of-Fame honoree as an athlete, coach and school alumnus, he is an in-the-trenches coach and consultant and is the creator and developer of many leading-edge workshops, seminars and training programs.

Media Testimonials For Bill Cole's Work


"Bill Cole is a leading Olympic sports psychologist."
British Broadcasting Corporation (The BBC)

"Bill Cole is a pioneer in performance psychology.
USA Today

"Bill Cole is a world-leading authority on sports psychology."
New Idea Magazine, Coleman-Rayner, LLC

"Bill Cole is a leading author on sports psychology."
Yahoo! Sports

"Bill Cole is a renowned sports psychologist and 'mental game coach' who helps athletes cope with the demands of intense competition."
CNET Magazine

"Bill Cole is one of the world's leading sports psychologists who has coached teams and individuals in over 85 sports in multiple countries, including US National dirt track champion Chris Carr."
MCN Sport, the leading motorcycle racing magazine

"Bill Cole is one of the leading performance psychology experts in the USA."
Blitz Magazine, Australasia's #1 Martial Arts magazine

"Bill Cole is an expert in the psychology of sport."
Metro International Magazine

"Bill Cole is a leading performance psychology expert."
Cronkite News

"Bill Cole is a pioneer in the field of sports psychology."
www.Polochannel.com

"Bill Cole is a renowned performance psychology expert."
Viking Sports Magazine

"Bill Cole is a world-class sports psychology consultant."

www.Fivebooks.com

"Bill Cole is a leading authority
on peak performance, mental toughness and coaching."
www.mystarjob.com

"Bill Cole is a world-class performance psychology expert."
FNF Coaches magazine

"Bill Cole, MS, MA is one of today’s most prominent, prolific and successful performance psychology consultants."
The Polo Channel

"Bill Cole is a renowned sports psychologist."
The Boston Herald

"Bill Cole is a leading sports psychology expert and mental health coach to Olympic and professional athletes all over the world."
The Kansas City Star

"Bill Cole, MA, MS, is a renowned performance psychology expert and mental game coach."
Complex Magazine, Pigeons And Planes

"Bill Cole is a nationally recognized expert on the mindset of athletes and successful non-athletes."
In the book Growing Up Gronk: A Family's Story of Raising Champions, by author Jeff Schober

"A world-renowned peak performance coach."
The BBC

"... an authority on sports psychology... He is one of the top peak performance coaches in the country...Bill's peak performance system helped us tremendously in our march to reach the finals of the College World Series."
Stanford University Baseball Team

"...one of the top peak performance coaches on the ATP Pro Tennis Tour."
Israeli Davis Cup Team

"Bill Cole is a leading authority on sports psychology and mental coaching."
Sports on Earth Magazine

"Bill Cole is the guru in sports psychology."
Shine Corporation, Australia

"Bill Cole is an authority on sports psychology, peak performance and mental toughness."
Varsity Views Magazine

"Bill Cole is a mind guru...he is among the elite mental game peak performance experts in this country."
American Society of Anesthesiologists

Links to more testimonials for sports psychology, and the mental game of tennis, golf, martial arts, baseball, badminton:


www.mentalgamecoach.com/TestimonialsMentalGameOfSports

www.mentalgamecoach.com/TestimonialsMentalGameOfTennis


www.mentalgamecoach.com/TestimonialsMentalGameOfGolf

www.mentalgamecoach.com/TestimonialsMartialArts

www.mentalgamecoach.com/TestimonialsMentalGameOfBaseball

www.mentalgamecoach.com/TestimonialsMentalGameOfBadminton


See Bill's full bio in sport psychology


Go to the 
FAQ section about our coaching systems.

Share by: