Owner & Mental Performance Consultant
Diane Benish, PhD.
A native of the Pittsburgh area, Diane is a former figure skater, Moves in the Field Gold Medalist, and figure skating coach who is passionate about empowering athletes to achieve their goals through the knowledge of Sport Psychology!
Diane stumbled upon the field of Sport Psychology during her time as an athlete. She had been a very anxious performer and found that no matter how well she did in practice, in competition she would completely fall apart. Mental skills training was what bridged the gap and allowed her to complete her goal of becoming a Gold Medalist through the US Figure Skating test track program. Now, she hopes to empower athletes with the skills they need to reach their potential!
Diane has earned four degrees to include a Doctorate in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology and Masters in Clinical Mental Health from West Virginia University, a Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Georgia Southern University, and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Robert Morris University.
She has worked collaboratively with collegiate and youth athletes representing multiple sports for the past 4 years to enhance the mental skills needed to thrive within sport and in life. Her expertise is in addressing athletes' confidence, motivation, resilience, and emotion regulation. Diane takes pride in her ability to integrate research-based practices into practical strategies and tools her clients can trust.
Diane is in the process of earning her CMPC credential (Certified Mental Performance Consultant) from the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. This means she has completed over 400 hours of mentored performance consulting with athlete populations.
Diane spends her free time volunteering at her local church, attending spinning classes, and exploring new cities and restaurants with her husband.
Research to Practice
Recent Publications
Diane is also a researcher and writer who has contributed articles to the Professional Skaters Association magazine and has published several peer-reviewed articles that help coaches implement practices to better support athletes' motivation. She is continually seeking to translate the current guidelines in sport coaching and athlete mental health for the parents, coaches, and athletes she serves.
Read her published articles here
- A Randomized Need-Supportive Intervention with U.S. Youth Hockey Coaches. Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 12442. (2024)
- Coaches’ use of need-supportive and need-thwarting behaviors across the developmental continuum: A qualitative investigation in figure skating. International Sport Coaching Journal. (2023)
- Previous experiences of novice coaches and their coach-created motivational climate: A collective case study. In Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy. (2021)
- Examination of novice coaches' previous experience as athletes: Examples of autonomy support and controlling behaviors as influences on future coaching practice. In International Journal of Sport Coaching. (2021)
- Understanding Athlete Motivation as a Continuum: Part I & II. The Professional Skater Magazine. (July/August and September/October, 2020)
- An Investigation of the Competitive Anxiety Experiences of Adolescent Figure Skaters. (2020)
Professional Conference Appearances
2022
37th Applied Sport Psychology Annual conference, Fort Worth, TX
Lecture: "Coaching in the ‘alternate universe’ of elite figure skating: A developmental perspective of need-supportive behavior in the coach-athlete dyad."
United States Center for Coaching Excellence North American Coaching Summit, Spokane, WA
Master Class: "Bringing awareness to previous experience: A workshop for coach developers grounded in self-determination theory" with lead presenter, Dr. Jody Langdon.
2021
36th Applied Sport Psychology Annual conference, Virtual
Poster: "Exploring the anxiety-performance relationship in figure skating skill tests."
2019
United States Center for Coaching Excellence North American Coach Development Summit, Colorado Springs, CO
Poster: "Examination of Novice Coaches' Previous Experience as Athletes: Examples of Autonomy Support and Controlling Behaviors as Influences on Future Coaching Practice."