Sport Psychology - Edge School

Dr. Matt Brown is a Mental Trainer and Counsellor at Edge School. When he’s not at Edge, he’s working with the Calgary Flames, their AHL Affiliate (Calgary Wranglers), the Calgary Hitmen, the Calgary Stampeders and numerous other elite and professional performers. Matt, or ‘Brownie’ as most of the kids know him, has worked in the psychology of performance and mental health since the mid-90’s. With a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology and a Doctorate in Counselling Psychology that specialized in athletes, he has a deep understanding of the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours of the athlete.

Over the years, his client roster has included Olympians, professional hockey and football players, coaches, surgeons, musicians, business executives, and dancers. In all cases, they are guided in the process of optimizing health and potential both as performers and as people. Matt spent three years at the University of Pittsburgh, applying performance principles to the field of surgery, reshaping their surgical training program. In addition, Matt has published two hockey novels and a football novel that share his ideas and philosophy through story.

Philosophy

Group sessions

How can he help?

“The student-athletes at Edge are passionate performers; they care deeply about their trajectory as students, athletes, and people. And with passion comes heightened emotion. The highs and lows can be dramatic, especially through the adolescent years. So I have the honour, privilege, and responsibility of helping them to navigate these often tumultuous waters. I believe that the better they understand themselves, their thoughts, and their beliefs, the better grasp they’ll have on their emotional worlds. And once they understand their emotions, they can learn to manage them in a manner that optimizes both health and performance.”

“My work is its own reward. Seeing the hope restored in a child’s eyes; helping them to work through and recover from painful or uncomfortable experiences; the palpable optimism in young people when they start to feel like they can master and manage their thoughts and feelings; watching the astounding evolution from ‘life is happening to me’ to ‘I’m making my life happen’. That’s what fills me up.”

Dr. Brown meets with our various teams and academies. The substance of those sessions varies from mental skills, to culture/leadership building, to meeting the specific needs of those groups as they arise over the course of the year. ‘Brownie’ can also be seen on the court, the ice, the pitch, and in studio, offering suggestions and strategies in real time as groups are training. He works collaboratively with our coaches and instructors to meet the various needs of our athletes.

– Does your child struggle with confidence?

– Afraid to fail? Afraid to stand out from the crowd?

– Difficulty recovering from a setback or failure?

– Does your child have trouble performing under pressure?

– Does anxiety hamper his/her mood, performance, enjoyment?

– Paralyzed by a perfectionist tendency?

– Is your child derailed or debilitated by frustration and anger? Does it impair performance, their ability to be a good teammate, accept feedback, control impulse?

– Does your child have a mental tool box? Strategies to manage and master their mental game? Do they prepare well? Are they self-aware? Are they able to learn from and build on each performance or training session?

– Do they have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, why, and how they plan to get there?

– Do you worry that your child is stressed out, burnt out, or losing traction with their mental and emotional health?

Send him an email (mbrown@edgeschool.com) detailing your thoughts and observations. Dr. Brown is happy to meet one-on-one with our student-athletes at any time.