The BC Games Society is pleased to announce that Carl Nienhuis, Dani Wilson, and Geoff Hackett have been selected as Team BC’s Mental Performance Consultants (MPC) for the 2021 Canada Summer Games in Niagara, Ontario. As part of Team BC’s Mission Staff, they will support British Columbia’s athletes and coaches as they prepare for and compete at these important national multi-sport Games.
Carl Nienhuis has supported Team BC’s athletes at the Canada Games since 2013 and brings a wealth of experience to the role. Aside from his active work as an MPC across a wide-range of disciplines and competitive levels, Carl also teaches in the School of Kinesiology at the University of the Fraser Valley and conducts research in the areas of play, sport and exercise psychology, physical activity behaviour and psycho-social health and well-being.
"What I enjoy most about Team BC is the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals in supporting athletes and coaches through self-discovery and towards performance success,” says Nienhuis. “My most cherished memories as a helper and teammate arise from representing Team BC at the Canada Games, and so I am excited to see what these Games bring, and am looking forward to adapting and meeting the demands of the moment as they come."
Dani Wilson is a returning MPC from the 2019 Canada Winter Games and holds a Master’s Degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Throughout her degree, Dani worked with many varsity teams as well as Olympic and World Championship level athletes. She now runs her own consulting business providing teams and individual athletes with the mental skills training and resources necessary for peak performance.
New to Team BC’s performance program is Geoff Hackett. Geoff is an MPC at PacificSport Vancouver Island and the Canadian Sport Institute. He works with a variety of athletes and coaches across Vancouver Island. He has a Master’s degree in Sport Psychology from the University of Windsor and is a Professional Member with the Canadian Sport Psychology Association.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome such a talented group of Mental Performance Consultants to our performance program” said Jennifer Scott, Team BC Chef de Mission for the 2021 Canada Summer Games. “The support they will provide our athletes and coaches will be invaluable as they prepare to perform at their best at the 2021 Canada Summer Games.”
Mental Performance Consultants play a critical role in achieving optimal performance by developing a system that consistently creates an ideal environment that allows teams and athletes to perform at their best. Carl, Dani, and Geoff will now begin preparations with their assigned sports and over the next year will ensure they are ready to compete at their best at the Games.