SPORT PSYCHOLOGY IN PRACTICE 2025

David Scott

Dr. David Scott je docentem sportovní psychologie na Fakultě kineziologie Univerzity New Brunswick ve Frederictonu v Kanadě. Získal titul MA v oboru sportovní psychologie, MA v oboru psychologie a titul Ph.D. v oboru sportovní psychologie na Univerzitě Victoria v Britské Kolumbii. Vyučuje a věnuje se výzkumu v oblasti sportovní psychologie. Časopis Maclean’s ho označil za jednoho z nejpopulárnějších profesorů na UNB a Globe and Mail (kanadský národní deník) ho označil za jednoho z nejvýznamnějších profesorů vyučujících v Kanadě. Působí jako konzultant pro řadu vládních úřadů a soukromých společností a jako konzultant sportovní psychologie pro řadu týmů a organizací, včetně Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers a Florida Panthers z National Ice Hockey League; Laval Rocket, St. Johns Ice Caps, Hamilton Bulldogs, Rochester Americans, Manitoba Moose a Louisville Panthers z American Hockey League; kanadský národní tým mužů v gymnastice, kanadský národní tým v lukostřelbě, Swim Canada, Bowls Canada a kriketový tým West Indies. V současné době působí jako konzultant pro Montreal Canadiens v National Hockey League, český extraligový tým Kladno Rytíři, Laval Rocket v American Hockey League, Cape Breton Eagles v Quebec and Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Dauphin Kings v Manitoba Junior Hockey League a bangladéšský kriketový tým.

Klaudia Zusková

Associate Professor Klaudia Zusková is an expert in healthy lifestyles, sport and exercise psychology, and quality of life. She combines academic knowledge with practical experience and has been working internationally for many years. She taught at P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, worked in Poland for five years, and currently works at the Faculty of Medicine in Hradec Králové at Charles University’s Institute of Preventive Medicine. She served on the committee of the FEPSAC for eight years, for which she received an award. She founded the Exercise Psychology section within the APS. She is the author of the Czech Television program “Ke štěstí” (To Happiness), the video podcasts “Zdravě žít” (Live Healthily) and the book “Na zdraví!” (Cheers!). She actively advocates for scientific knowledge to be understandable, practical, and motivating for people’s everyday lives.

Radka Kulhánková

Radka Kulhánková studied psychology with special education at Charles University in Prague and kinesiology at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport at Charles University in Prague. Additional training and experience enable her to effectively lead both individual and group work focused on developing mental resilience and performance balance. Her key approaches include the Person-Centered Approach (PCA), the use of elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, and crisis intervention in demanding competitive conditions. She has a private psychology practice focused on working with athletes. She also teaches at the Department of Physical Education and Sport at the Technical University of Liberec.

Michal Šimeček

Michal draws on his own experience as a competitive tennis player, when he wanted to help other athletes who were struggling with mental issues similar to his own. He earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in the Czech Republic and a master’s degree in sports psychology at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. While still a student, he worked as a trainer and mental coach at an international tennis academy in Barcelona. After graduating, he founded his own practice, Šimeček Mental Coaching. He then worked at Finland’s largest tennis academy as a tennis and mental coach, where he focused on competitive juniors aged 12 and above. Since the summer of 2025, he has been working in the Czech Republic, where he continues to develop his private practice.

Barbora Kijasová

Barbora earned her Master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology from the University of Denver in Colorado, USA. Alongside her work with athletes in Denver, she led mental skills training for U.S. tactical units, where, together with her colleague, former U.S. Army Major Brian Bishop, she focused on building resilience and enhancing performance under pressure. She is a co-author of training materials for FC Bayern Munich coaches and has contributed to two international publications in the field of sports psychology. Barbora holds the international CMPC® (Certified Mental Performance Consultant) certification under the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), where she also serves on the International Relations Executive Board. She currently works with Czech athletes, teams, and clubs – including serving as a mental coach for the football club FC Baník Ostrava, where she supports players from the U16 category up to the first team.

Daniela Stackeová

Assoc. Prof. Daniela Stackeová is a recognized expert in the fields of sports psychology, physiotherapy, and kinanthropology. She currently serves as the program director for the Sports and Conditioning Specialist study program and heads the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at Palestra College of Physical Education and Sport, where she also works as a university lecturer. Throughout her professional career, she has combined knowledge from psychology, physiotherapy, and sports science, applying it in both academic and practical contexts. She is the author of numerous professional publications focused on relaxation techniques, psychosomatics, fitness, and mental resilience in sports.

Anna Kárász

Anna Kárász is professional kayaker for 20 years. Along her sporting journey, she came across Sport and Soul Sport-Psychotherapy Association, where through therapy she started to truly discover herself. She realized how much she still had to learn about who she am, and how this awareness could help her face whatever challenges came next. She deeply believes that this journey was what led her to becoming an Olympic champion in 2021. Since then, she has been representing athletes’ voices within the Association, and she hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire other athletes not only to achieve success, but also to find real fulfillment in life.

Dorota Pietrzyk-Matusik

Dorota is a sport psychologist holding a Master/ Supervisor Sport Psychologist Certificate from the Polish Psychological Association. She holds an M.A. in Psychology from Warsaw University. She is also a member of board and secretary of the Sport psychology division in the Polish Psychological Association.

With extensive experience in both youth and professional sports, her work spans a wide range of disciplines including soccer, sailing, judo, snooker and winter and air sports, such as gliding and paragliding. She currently provides psychological support to the Junior and Women’s National Gliding Teams, the National Paragliding Team, and the Cross-Country Skiing National Team. In addition to working with teams, she maintains a private practice. Dorota is also holding Sport Psychology Internships for students at SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

In her work Dorota prioritises the development not only of a sportsman but also as a human.