Are you your own worst enemy when you compete? Do fears, doubts or negative thinking get in your way? Do you perform better in practice than in competition?

Are you struggling with a seemingly mysterious performance problem? Have you or your athlete suddenly lost basic skills?

Hello and Welcome!

My name is Sara and I am the daughter of internationally known Sports Performance Consultant, Dr. Alan Goldberg. Using the same breakthrough techniques as Dr. G, I work with athletes and performers of all ages to help them overcome fears, blocks and slumps. If you are plagued with last minute negative thinking and self doubts, I can help! I work with my clients to get to the root of their problems, better understand where they come from and then help them develop the tools and skills needed to efficiently and effectively get unstuck and  back on track, performing like a champion! I work in person at my office in Belchertown MA and online through Skype/Zoom/FaceTime.

Performance Slumps, Blocks and Fears are COMMON

 What many athletes, coaches and parents don't realize is that most repetitive sports performance problems are a result of past upsetting physical and/or emotional experiences that are often directly related to your sport. These include injuries, concussions, scary close calls, a fall off an apparatus at the gym, or collisions, as well as emotionally upsetting events like choking, being embarrassed or humiliated by a coach in front of teammates, or letting the team down. We automatically memorize these upsetting events, and long after they have been forgotten, the physical and emotional components of these upsetting experiences remain in our system. The next time we are in any way reminded of these upsets, (i.e having to compete at the same gym as the close call) or we're under pressure, then components from the original events (images, emotions, physical sensations, fear and negative thinking) break into awareness and we suddenly begin to feel unsafe inside. 

 When our nervous system senses this danger, our biology as mammals takes over.

What does this mean? The most important thing to mammals is SURVIVAL and when we are threatened, our nervous system will automatically react with a self-protective response. The most powerful reflex in our system is our survival response and it will easily trump our trained performance skills. Most people are familiar with FIGHT or FLIGHT. However, when we are about to do a back handspring on beam, walk on stage for that big number, or prepare for a double axle, you can't really fight or flee.

 You're trapped!

When any mammal is in danger and is blocked from protecting themselves with fight or flight, there is a third, default survival option that automatically takes over: the FREEZE or immobility response. Suddenly we can't get our body to do what it knows how to do. It is as if something is stopping us.

Without knowing it, the athlete is struggling with a repetitive sports performance problem. I help these athletes by teaching them effective techniques that will free them up to perform like their "old self" again!

• Do you perform better in practice than competition?

• Have you lost skills that you've had for years?

• Are you easily psyched out or intimidated?

• Do negative thinking and self doubts tie you up in knots?

• Does your concentration abandon you, just when you need it the most?

• Does fear paralyze you and prevent you from performing to your potential?

• Are you injured and want to make the most of you "forced" down time?

What Parents and Coaches Need to Know

Many fears and blocks don't make logical sense to the adults involved who see no apparent reason for the athlete to struggle. In an attempt to be helpful, they may inadvertently begin to pressure the athlete or attribute the athlete's difficulty to being "willful," "stubborn," or simply not "trying hard enough." Unfortunately, this kind of reaction from the athlete's parents or coaches further contributes to the athletes feeling unsafe inside. The end result: The athlete gets that much more stuck.

It's important to understand that no athlete would deliberately choose to be stuck, paralyzed by performance fears or consistently fall apart under pressure. Demanding that the athlete must "just do it" or "go for it" doesn't help.  If it were as simple as making a conscious decision to not be afraid, or do the skill, then they would! The adult's job is to be supportive, patient, kind and understanding. Impatience and intolerance from the adults involved only serves to make things worse. If you think your athlete could use some support please get in touch with Sara for a free consultation. 

“Sara is a priceless addition to our staff. She has helped both gymnasts and staff to understand the biological reasons for the blocks that occur within athletics. Her work at Hampshire Gymnastics has allowed girls to work through their fears on various beam and floor skills. She has also been instrumental in helping our girls recognize and diffuse the nervousness and anxiety that can creep up during competitions. They have found more confidence and joy in gym and at meets!”

— Elizabeth, Coach-Hampshire Gymnastics School, Amherst, MA

About Sara

Sara Vatore, M.Ed., BCC, SEP is a Peak Performance Coach, Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Somatic Experiencing ® Practitioner, and a Level 2 MELT Method ® Instructor. She the the author of 4 books: Embodied Confidence: 30 Days of Radical Mindset Shifts for Gymnasts, Divers, Figure Skaters and Cheerleaders.

As the daughter of internationally known Peak Performance Consultant, Dr. Alan Goldberg, Sara synthesizes breakthrough peak performance techniques and skills learned from his mentorship, along with the three year professional training in Somatic Experiencing® (SE), and MELT Method trainings, to help athletes understand where they are stuck and how to turn it all around!

A former competitive childhood softball player and Dancer and a current level 2 MELT Method® Instructor, Sara understands the importance of the mind-body connection and it's direct effect on peak performance. Sara specializes in working with athletes and coaches across all sports worldwide, including gymnastics, diving, swimming, dance, figure skating, equestrian, basketball, soccer, baseball, softball and cheerleading to name a few. Sara's clients range from youth to adults, across all levels from professional and Olympic athletes to junior competitors. She is currently the Peak Performance Coach at Hampshire Gymnastics in Amherst, MA.

Sara is committed to working alongside Dr. G to continue to shift the landscape of youth sports, through the education of coaches and parents. Sara helps coaches and parents get to the root and understand their athletes' fear, blocks and performance problems, so they can provide the most supportive path for helping their athletes get unstuck and performing back to their peak potential. She is dedicated to helping coaches create a safe and supportive environment for their athletes to excel in their sport, all while fostering the development of the athletes' confidence, self esteem and a strong connection to themselves. We have an epidemic in our culture of adults inadvertently teaching kids how to distrust and ignore their own body pain signals and push through pain. This is resulting in more injuries and damage to kids' bodies, along with confusing our children and adolescents. Sports can be an arena where we teach our youth how to sense and truly trust their own bodies, not override the messages.

She is on a mission to help educate coaches, parents and athletes about the importance of REST and RESTORE as the missing piece for reaching ULTIMATE PEAK PERFORMANCE through nervous system regulation and connective tissue care. She works with athletes and teams to integrate the MELT Method® into their weekly training programs to get the most out of repetitive training, reduce damage to the body and the risk of injury and speed up recovery time.  

With over 14 years of experience working with kids and their families and a background in school guidance counseling, Sara has a deep understanding of adolescents and the difficulties that they face.  Reach out today for your free consultation and find out how she can quickly get you or your athlete back on track.