Mental and Fitness Performance Coach, Jared Cohen on the intersection between mental and physical performance
When we think CrossFit, gyms and performance coaching, most people immediately think physical, but Mental and Fitness Performance Coach, Jared Cohen, is achieving exceptional results using mental strategies in combination with physical improvement.
Cohen is Lead Consultant at CPB Growth and a Coach at Oak Park Los Angeles (home of CrossFit Los Angeles and The Body of Knowledge podcast). He is passionate about guiding people to become better learners so they can develop their own talents and discover their potential. He utilizes the fundamentals of performance psychology and self-awareness to put his athletes in a position to thrive under pressure.
Here at Athlete Assessments we’ve been inspired by Cohen’s passion and ability to transfer the simple messages that lead to improvement. So, we thought we’d share a short video that he created to show his clients what drives performance. We’ll also give you an insight into his coaching philosophy and introduce you to his podcast.
In this short video, Cohen succinctly captures the principles of performance psychology and the obstacle which blocks athletes from performing consistently in the upper ranges of their ability. He outlines the mental skills athletes need to overcome pressure and explains why self-awareness, self-regulation and self-reflection are essential to growth and improved performance.
As a Consultant who has been trained by Athlete Assessments, Cohen is perfectly positioned to develop self-awareness in his clients. Through the use of the Athlete Assessments’ DISC Profiles, they learn about their natural style, their strengths, growth areas, how they interact with the people around them and what they’re likely to do under pressure. The 12-minute online survey delivers his clients a report detailing their behavioral tendencies in sports specific situations. Once an athlete becomes aware of their own behavior, Cohen can then begin to work with them, maximising their relationships with coaches and teammates. Cohen equips his clients with the tools they need to read situations, the people around them, maximise communication and regulate their behavior to achieve the results that they want.
Cohen also has an M.A in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University and is completing an MBA at John F. Kennedy University.
Cohen began coaching fitness in 2010 when he discovered CrossFit to manage his own health issues. Since then, he has been incredibly active in the intersecting worlds of health, wellness, fitness, and performance psychology coaching: having completed his CrossFit L1, several CrossFit specialty workshops, SEALFIT/Kokoro camp, Jill Miller’s Yoga Tune Up trainings, FRC, Catalyst Athletics Olympic Weightlifting, RKC, MovNat, and XPT.
A co-founder of podcast Behind the Podium, Cohen and co-host Alexandra Ellis unpack the challenges and opportunities facing coaching professionals from all athletic avenues. They talk to an extensive and interesting line up of guests. Just in the last few episodes their guests have included a female Olympic weightlifter, a neurofeedback technician and a yogi/Princeton graduate.
Every week they invite listeners to join them and their guests as they dissect the struggles, philosophies, and evolving practices of coaching or being a coach.
Accordingly, Cohen says that coaches impact their athletes’ lives in never-ending and constantly unfolding ways. As a coach, he strives to catalyse “aha” moments in his athletes and clients, which go beyond the gym and develop skills to put the athlete in the best position to perform, ‘a state of readiness’.
On his website Cohen describes the concept of ‘a state of readiness’.
“A state of readiness assumes the possession of skills that are adaptable and transferable; therefore, there are no barriers just opportunities for you to wield to your advantage.”
Further, Cohen subscribes to idea of “barrierlessness” and on his website he explains it like this.
“Barrierlessness is a term coined by author Joshua Waitzkin in The Art of Learning. ‘Breaking down the artificial barriers between our diverse life experiences so all moments become enriched by a sense of interconnectedness,’ (Waitzkin, pg. 183). This knowledge of interconnectedness breeds self-sufficiency and empowerment which in turn furthers one’s ability to grow and resist stagnation. Can you take an experience from last Tuesday and apply it to an unrelated, unexpected experience this Thursday?”
Essential to the concept of ‘barrierlessness’ is the transfer of skills and knowledge from the situation or environment where they occurred to new experiences. A process which speaks to the value of athletic experience in life beyond competition.
Fittingly, Cohen’s favourite quote is;
“More often than not, do you have the courage to choose curiosity over fear?”
Elizabeth Gilbert
You can find Jared Cohen at CPB Growth, ‘Behind the Podium’ podcast and
Oak Park – Home of Crossfit Los Angeles.
Where to from here…
Are you a consultant or sport psychologist looking to achieve similar results with your clients? You too can take your consultancy to the next level and achieve the success that Jared Cohen has.
As a top consultant, your clients rely on you being the best in your field, knowing the true determinants of success and having access to the tools that will make the most impact when it comes to improving performance. Athlete Assessments’ DISC Profiling is the tool you need to help your clients realize their potential.
Find out more about Athlete Assessments’ Consultant Program now.
At Athlete Assessments we’re here to provide you with excellence in service and to help you be your best. If there is anything we can do to be of service, don’t hesitate to contact us.
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