Stop overthinking, calm your body, and perform free under pressure.
Stop overthinking, calm your body, and perform free under pressure.
You've always struggled with race-day anxiety and find you can't stay focused in competition. You dominate in practice, but when it counts, you get so nervous that you can't access the skills you've mastered thousands of times.
You're overthinking 'what ifs' combined with negative thoughts that you can't handle. The fear of failure and perfectionism create self-doubt that makes you feel like you're fighting your own mind.
You need to rekindle your love for the sport because the mental struggle has stolen your enjoyment. You know you shouldn't have to choose between performing well and actually enjoying what you do. These reasons are why athletes seek sport psychology Colorado.
Most athletes come to us after trying everything else. It’s not your fault—you just haven’t had the right plan. Generic meditation apps and self-help books often don’t translate into competition settings. What athletes really need is sport-specific mental performance coaching that works.
Comprehensive intake session to map your unique mental performance patterns, identify specific triggers, and understand what's really blocking your potential.
Some athletes benefit from clinical sport psychology while others need mental performance coaching. We'll guide you to the right fit.
Develop personalized mental systems using HeartMath biofeedback technology and proven techniques that create measurable changes at the neural level
Practice your new mental skills until optimal performance states become automatic when pressure is highest so you can be calm, focused, and confident again.
"Helped me stay calm and focused before matches... confidence is through the roof." - NCAA Basketball Player
You'll develop unshakeable self-belief that doesn't depend on perfect performance.
"More focused on what I can control instead of worrying about "what ifs."" - NCAA Runner
You'll have clear, actionable focus strategies for any competitive situation.
Changed how I view climbing... rekindled my love for the sport and "I enjoy racing much more." - Recreational Trail Runner
Performance and joy aren't mutually exclusive—you can have both.
"I'm no longer afraid of how I feel in my body before I compete." NCAA Volleyball Player
You'll have physiological tools to manage your nervous system in real-time during competition.
Nerves, “what-ifs,” and spirals can take over in the moments that matter most. We help athletes shift from doubt and distraction into calm, steady focus. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s freedom to compete fully present.
Athletes who train with us learn practical mental training strategies they can trust under pressure.
I’m Dr. Trent Claypool, a
licensed sport psychologist in Colorado Springs with 15+ years of experience helping athletes move from anxious and overwhelmed to calm and confident. I've walked alongside hundreds of athletes—from high school competitors to collegiate stars to professional performers—as they've transformed their relationship with pressure and rediscovered their competitive edge.
My evidence-based methods have earned the confidence of:
Regulate your nerves and breathing so pressure doesn’t spiral out of control. We use tools like biofeedback training for athletes, breathwork, and pre-performance routines to help you stay composed when your heart rate spikes and the stakes feel high. Athletes often describe this shift as finally being able to “control my breathing on race day.”
Learn to lock in on what matters, even when distractions or “what-ifs” creep in. Through mental performance coaching, we build mental routines that transfer from practice to competition—so your focus becomes reliable when it matters most. Athletes often say this helps them stop overthinking and actually play in the present.
Develop confidence that doesn’t depend on the scoreboard. Whether through clinical sport psychology or coaching, we help athletes shift from outcome-based confidence (“I’m good because I won”) to process-based confidence (“I trust my training and tools”). Many athletes describe this change simply as “confidence through the roof.”
Get support that goes deeper than surface-level mindset hacks. As a licensed sport psychologist in Colorado Springs, I integrate trauma-informed approaches like EMDR, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) when athletes need more than quick fixes. This ensures mental health and performance improve together, helping athletes rediscover joy and passion for their sport.
Every season, athletes train hard physically but never address the mental side. The cost? Missed opportunities, overthinking at the worst moments, and confidence that rises and falls with every performance. If nothing changes, the cycle continues: more frustration, more doubt, and less joy in the sport you once loved. You don’t have to stay stuck. You can choose to train your mind just as intentionally as your body—and finally compete free.
Whether it’s race-day anxiety, fear of failure, or negative self-talk, mental performance coaching helps athletes develop routines and strategies that actually transfer to competition. For deeper challenges like perfectionism, trauma, or burnout, clinical sport psychology provides therapy and counseling tailored to athletes.
Culture drives performance. Our team consulting services help coaches and athletes build trust, psychological safety, and resilience together. From workshops to ongoing consulting, we equip leaders to foster environments where athletes thrive. This includes guiding teams in creating cultures of both excellence and sexual respect in sports, so every athlete feels safe, valued, and able to give their best.
Parents have a huge influence on athlete confidence. Through parent coaching and guides, we teach families how to support without adding pressure, foster growth instead of perfectionism, and keep joy at the center of sport.
Please reach us at trentclaypool@protonmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Clinical services are therapy-based, available only to Colorado residents, and can address mental health conditions alongside performance. Performance coaching focuses specifically on optimizing mental performance and building systems, available nationally/internationally via virtual sessions.
Many athletes notice improvements in nervous system regulation within the first few sessions. However, building robust mental systems typically takes 3-6 months of consistent work, depending on your specific goals and practice consistency.
Most clients start with weekly sessions and the frequency changes based off of need, progress, and the demands of their season. Sport psychology services are still very effective at bi-weekly and longer intervals.
HeartMath is a technology that measures heart rate variability and provides real-time feedback on your nervous system's coherence. This allows you to see exactly how your mental state affects your physiology and learn to consciously shift into optimal performance states.
Our fees vary depending on the type of therapy and the duration of the session. Dr. Claypool's fees are $235 for the intake session and $185 for each follow up session. In addition, we feel passionate about keeping our services available and reserve a limited number of spots at a sliding scale fee (income dependent). If you feel you may qualify for our sliding scale please inquire about availibility.
Therapy and coaching sessions typically last for 50 minutes, but the duration may vary depending on the type of therapy and the needs of the client.
We work with kids as young as 10 to adulthood.
For therapy clients located within the state of Colorado we are in-network with Aetna and Select Health Colorado. While we don't accept other insurance directly, your insurance plan may have out-of-network benefits, which means that they will reimburse you for portion of the session cost. If you would prefer to utilize a company to help you manage utilizing your out-of-network benefits, we recommend Thrizer. They help to verify your out-of-network benefits and submit superbills. They will manage the reimbursement process end-to-end for you to save you the insurance headache. Once you meet your deductible, you can request an instant reimbursement to skip the insurance wait or receive reimbursements in a few weeks via direct deposit. You can create an account and get started at www.thrizer.com.
*If you have Medicaid State Law prevents us from seeing you as a private-pay provider. In this event, please let us know and we will work to find appropriate referrals.
Absolutely! We have found that when the athlete's support system is onboard and engaged outcomes improve, especially for our younger athletes. We love seeing parents and coaches involved and the value they bring to their athlete's life!
While We specialize in the clinical and performance needs of athletes, we also have an extensive history in treating many mental health concerns - most notably, the impacts of stress, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety. One of the benefits of working with a clinical sport psychologist is the ability to not only help you get back to your baseline, but to truly thrive! We recommend taking your free discovery call to see how our services could be of benefit to you!
Yes, we do! We really enjoy working with teams. Typically, we start the process with discussing goals with the coach and developing a program for the team from there. We also support teams with both online and in-person learning and experiences.
We deeply value your desire to grow and want to support you. We have a select number of reduced-fee spots - please inquire about this if you feel you may qualify. In addition, we are working hard behind the scenes to build quality online programming and courses. Please check back soon for affordable online courses to support your growth. *these are online sport psychology coaching programs that are not a substitute for therapy
No, I work with athletes from all sports and levels, from recreational to professional. The mental skills and nervous system regulation techniques I teach are applicable across all performance contexts.
Stop letting nerves, fear, and “what-ifs” control your game. With the right tools, you can train your mind to show up calm, confident, and focused when it matters most. Book your free discovery call today and take the first step toward competing free.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.