Reflections on My Experience at the 2025 AASP Conference

In October, I attended my third annual conference for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), held this year in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Over the four days of the conference, I attended panels, research presentations, and workshops on topics ranging from overcoming barriers to self-compassion to dealing with injury and recovery from injury to bridging the gap between practice and research to teaching mental skills to tweens, and more. I reconnected with colleagues and met some in person for the first time, including my three co-presenters for a workshop on Building Confidence through Self-Compassion. This conference was my first time being a workshop facilitator, and I am so thankful to have presented with three incredible educators and practitioners- Dr. Ashley Kucher, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, and Dr. JoAnne Bullard.

Here are a few statements that impacted me, made me curious to learn more, or made me pause to ponder:

• “What difference do you want to have?” – as a practitioner, ask this question regularly, whether with each new client you work with or throughout your year.

• When it comes to stress and injury, increased levels of fear lead to decreased levels of reaction time and could potentially result in reinjury.

• As practitioners working with injured clients, we should help them shift their focus from what they used to be before injury to what they want to become post-injury.

• Self-compassion isn’t just about being kind; it’s about being honest and real with oneself.

• High performance can be achieved at any level of sport (or other performance domain).

• One athlete cannot and should not bear the full responsibility of the leadership of the team.

• “Sleep is the best legal performance enhancement you can use.”

• We are not defined by what we lose; we are defined by how we continue to serve.

One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting Cirque du Soleil headquarters for a panel discussion and tour of the facility. It was fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes look at the rehearsal and training spaces, the costume department and their creation process, and to learn how the organization incorporates mental performance training. The panel shared examples of mental skills their artists use most often, which included visualization and mindfulness. They also discussed challenges their artists/athletes face, the injury recovery process, and how the organization is continually working to integrate mental wellness into every department and level of the company. Any time I can hear directly from (or observe) artists and professionals in the field, it’s a wonderful learning experience. As a long-time follower of Cirque du Soleil and having seen numerous productions, I am very grateful to have gotten this opportunity to hear from members of the company and tour their Montreal headquarters.

This year, I left AASP more encouraged by this work than overwhelmed by it. As I close out 2025 and head into 2026, I plan to continue building the connections and relationships I have been cultivating within the special interest groups of AASP that I am a part of (Self-Compassion, Performing Arts). As well as staying curious, digging into new research, and getting creative with the interventions and trainings I deliver.