Olympic athletes work with psychologists to keep their head in the game

MINNEAPOLIS — In the 2021 Summer Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from the women's team finals because of mental health challenges. It's a common battle for athletes, especially competing at the highest level.

That's where people like Dr. Carly Anderson, the owner of Premier Sports Psychology, step in and play a crucial role in an athlete's performance. It's a role on the sidelines that she benefited from when she was a college gymnast at UCLA.

"By the time I had graduated, our team had won three national championships, and I remember thinking to myself, 'I think there's something to be said about this whole mental health of sports thing. I think I want to become a sports psychologist,'" said Anderson.

Today, Anderson works with all kinds of athletes, from the University of Minnesota to Olympic curlers and hockey players. Her role is to help strengthen a competitor's mind.

"Just like you would do strength and conditioning. You don't do it once, you do strength and conditioning regularly to maintain strength and to get better, and you do that week after week after week for years to be at your best. If the same is true, why wouldn't we train our minds the same way?" said Anderson.

For the Olympic hopefuls competing in the USA Gymnastic Trials in Minneapolis the last week in June, Anderson says the pressure has never been higher.

"The United States is so competitive in some sports, that the Olympic Trials can be even a more pressure-inducing competition than the actual Olympic games," said Anderson.

Especially with gymnastics, where precision is everything and your mental focus can make or break sticking the landing.

"When you lose your air sense or having trouble, it really is terrifying and very dangerous," said Anderson.

While her advice to athletes is specific to their needs, the general advice she gives every competitor is to: let go of what you can't control.

"Not to be so mentally tough and rigid, but to actually be more mentally pliable and adaptable," said Anderson.

To learn more about her work with local athletes, click here .