We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert Andrews a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Robert thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.
In 2007 I was somewhat stagnant in my career as a mental health professional. The passion was fading. One day I checked my messages and had three cancellations that day. I was frustrated. I hit the counter and said out loud “alright God, if this isn’t what you want me to do, then show me what it is.”. The next day I was out eating lunch with my wife. I had the clearest vision come to me of I was supposed to do. I was supposed to use all of the experience and training I had in treating trauma and use that to help injured athletes overcome the mental and emotional impact of serious sports related injuries. I had a very emotional reaction to that vision. My wife noticed and asked what was wrong. I said that I had just received a vision of what I was supposed to do with my life’s work and that is was very clear.. The next day I called an old friend who was a high school athletic director and football coach. I explained my vision and what I wanted to do. His response was “no one is doing that”. He sent me my first athlete. It was a high school football player who had torn his ACL the year before and was terrified of suffering another injury. He came to see me and we worked our way through my treatment protocol using Eidetic Imagery and EMDR. Two very powerful protocols used to treat trauma. The impact on this young man was profound. I went to see his first scrimmage and he played remarkably well with no fear. His mother came up to me after the scrimmage and said “I don’t know what you did to my son, but it is a miracle. It is a God thing”. I knew I was on the right path.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
At The Institute of Sports Performance we help anyone wanting to achieve level of peak performance in their specific field.. We see athletes of all levels and sports, teams, organizations, nurses, doctors, including brain surgeons, cardio thoracic specialist, orthopedic surgeons, members of the symphony and ballet. Peak performance is peak performance. The tools and concepts we teach are universal. We have helped great athletes become Olympic and World Champions. We have worked with NFL All Pro’s, MLB and NBA All Stars, Heismann Trophy winners, college and school age athletes. We have helped Olympic hopefuls and Olympians in the last four summer Olympic games. This includes athletes from 13 different sports and 9 different countries. In addition to performance we also help injured athletes overcome the psychological impact of serious sports related injuries like ACL, Tommy John, bad falls, breaks and accidents. We also help peak performers overcome mental blocks related to their sport. We take pride in our “whole person” approach as we address all aspects of the individuals life that might be impacting performance. As licensed mental health professional we are skilled to help those struggling with pandemic related anxiety and depression.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
There are a couple of factors that I think have helped build our reputation in the market. 1) We have a very high level of integrity. We maintain high morals and strong character. This is a foundation of the work we do with those we work with. We help them develop strong character and show up authentically in their lives. We have learned that when a person feels empowered, they can accomplish anything they set their mind to. We challenge them to show up strong and empowered. We like to say we “push hard with one hand and support with the other.” 2) We do so much more than the standard “visualization and positive thinking” that so many believe to be the essence of the field of sports psychology. We look at stress, distractions, relationships with coaches and parents, culture, mindset, address injuries and teach how to strengthen ones mind and better manage their emotions. Using energy efficiently is at the core of our work. 3) We get results and we get results quickly. We are experts at assessing ones strengths and weaknesses. Once we make that determination we have a proven system for obtaining goals and reaching beyond where one thinks they can go at the beginning of our work together.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was in the investment banking business. I had changed from one firm to a new one and my first day with the new firm was October 19, 1987. That was the day that is now known as “Black Monday”. It is the day the stock market and other global markets crashed. The Dow Jones Industrial lost 22% like that! The entire office was in a panic for weeks. I went to a very introspective place and made the decision to take some time off and decide what I really wanted to do with my life. After some time I made the decision to go back to graduate school and get an advanced degree in psychology. I remember crying when I received my letter of acceptance to the university I had chosen. I was walking away from a very lucrative career but I made the decision to pursue my passion of helping others and being of service. I have no regrets. Things have worked out very well.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tinssp.com
• Instagram: institute_sports_performance
• Facebook: Institute of Sports Performance Texas
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-b-andrews-21363013/
• Twitter: Robert B. Andrews@mindsports
• Other: www.championsmentaledge.com 10 part video series on peak performance.

Image Credits
Robert Andrews