Story
My journey in sport began as a youth soccer player at a professional club called Pune Football Club in India. Playing as a left wing back across competitions, I was fortunate to train under leading coaches, and develop my game understanding. The stark contrasts in the ways we mentally prepared and responded to situations in training as compared to matches were enough to spark my interest in the psychology of sport. My best performances emerged from a place of being in the moment and intense focus on the process.
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My competitive experiences have been instrumental in helping me resonate with athletes, understand their challenges and barriers to sport, and support them to reach their goals through implementing sport psychology.
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Intrigued by the immense influence of psychology in soccer, coupled with a desire to deepen my understanding of this field, I began my educational and training journey with a Bachelors in Psychology which will culminate with a Doctorate in Human Kinetics - Sport Psychology.
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Besides sport psychology research and practice, I am a photographer. My work can be found on the Photography page.
BA, Psychology
Savitribai Phule Pune University, India (2014 - 2017)
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Courses completed:
Introduction to Psychology, Psychology of Adjustment, Positive Psychology, Social Psychology, Scientific Research and Experimental Psychology, Psychology Practical - Tests and Experiments, Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Education
MSc, Sport & Exercise Psychology
Staffordshire University, UK
(2019 - 2020)
Courses completed:
Physical Activity and Mental Health, Skilled Performance Under Pressure, Advanced Research Methods and Data Analysis, Practice of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Group Dynamics and Leadership in Sport and Exercise, Master's Research Project
Memberships
International Society of Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise (QRSE)
International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP)
Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health (CROSH)
Experience
During my time as a Sport Psychology Practitioner at Samiksha Sports, at the premier multi-sport complex Padukone - Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence (PDCSE) in Bangalore, India, I collaborated with athletes, teams and academies across levels (amateur, semi-professional, professional and some elite) and sports such as soccer, badminton, and tennis to integrate sport psychology principles and practices in training and competitions.
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Designed and Delivered Individual and Team Mental Training Programs
Key areas covered: Awareness, Confidence, Motivation, Emotions, Goal Setting, Concentration and Focus, Mindset, Cohesion, Communication
Key strategies: Relaxation, Self-talk, Imagery, Goal Setting, Concentration, Awareness Journaling, Cognitive Reframing, Pre-Performance Routines
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I have worked with athletes supported by organizations such as the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ) and Virat Kohli Foundation (VKF) in India, and collaborated with athletes and coaches at high-performance academies such as the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), Dolphin Aquatics, and Peter Burwash International (PBI), and soccer academies such as the Alchemy International Football Academy (previously Boca Juniors Football School) and the Bangalore Youth Football League (BYFL).
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Led Coaches Sessions
Delivered group sessions for coaches across sports including All India Football Federation's (AIFF) Coaching D License Course participants at PDCSE on the role and value of sport psychology for coaching soccer teams
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Conducted Parents Sessions
Conducted sessions for parents of athletes engaged in multiple individual and team sports on topics such as Mindset, Athlete-Parent Relationship, Communication and Athlete Confidence
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My ultimate goal has always been to guide athletes and teams to take charge of their mental performance by making mental training a habit – where being confident, composed, focused, and determined on and off the playing arena feels like second nature.
I enjoy collaborating with researchers, sport psychology practitioners, coaches, sport science professionals and parents to discuss and contribute to different projects.