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Sport Psychology: Getting Focused

In his 21st year as Sport Psychologist with the Morgan Academic Support Center for Student-Athletes, Dr. David Yukelson is responsible for coordinating Sport Psychology services for all 29 teams here at Penn State University . In addition, he serves as faculty advisor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Board (SAAB), and is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology

As Director of Sport Psychology Services here at Penn State University, “Yuke” provides counseling and support to athletes and coaches in the areas of mental preparation strategies for training and competition, motivation and goal setting; mental training skills to improve concentration, confidence, consistency and composure; self-regulation techniques for managing emotions and competitive anxiety effectively; team building techniques to improve cohesion and collective confidence; communication and conflict resolution skills; and issues pertaining to self-esteem development and student-athlete welfare. Yuke also offers counseling and assistance to those student-athletes having difficulty managing time and stress effectively, balancing multiple demands and needs, navigating interpersonal relationships successfully, coping with athletic injury, or making the transition from high school to college smoothly. In addition to individual counseling, he works closely with coaches and teams in the areas of group goal setting, leadership development, individual and mutual accountability, communication and team dynamics, team mental toughness, and mental focusing strategies for managing peak performance under pressure.

Recognizing the multiple demands and pressures that typically confront intercollegiate student-athletes, Dr. Yukelson adopts a developmental approach to counseling based on individual needs and concerns. His goal is to teach student-athletes how to be confident, focused, and passionate about their pursuit of excellence while striving to keep everything in proper perspective (e.g., balancing athletic, academic, and personal/social needs effectively).

Dr. Yukelson obtained a B.A. degree in 1976 from the University of California at San Diego (Social Psychology); M.S. degree in 1979 from Florida State University (Movement Science with specialization in Sport Psychology), and a Ph.D. in 1982 from the University of North Texas (Higher Education with specialization in Physical Education and Sport Psychology). A Fellow and Past-President in the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), Dr. Yukelson has published numerous articles in various professional refereed journals, and has had several papers presented at various national, international, and statewide conferences. He is a member the USOC Sport Psychology Registry as well as the USA Track and Field Sport Psychology Registry, and has traveled internationally with various USA Track and Field National Teams. Additionally, Dr. Yukelson serves as a consultant with Lane4 Management Group, a global performance development company out of London England specializing in leadership development, high performance teams, executive coaching, and mental toughness in the workforce. He also serves as a consultant with Penn State's Department of Management Development Programs and Services.

A native of Los Angeles, CA, Dave and his wife Marla have been married 33 years, and have three children: Adam (25), Joshua (23), and Drew (20). In addition to spending quality time with his family and friends, his hobbies and interests include traveling, hiking, playing racquetball, golf, and hanging out at the beach.

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