Train Your Mind Like You Train Your Body
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Building Mental Fitness for Peak Rugby Performance
with Performance Psychologist
Dr. Michael Passaportis
How Elite Players Train Their Mind
Focus
Direct your attention where performance happens.
✔ Reset after mistakes
✔ Stay present for the next phase
✔ Control what you can
✔ Stay composed under pressure
Focus wins moments. Moments win matches.
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Inspiration
Connect your game to something deeper than motivation.
✔ Play for your values
✔ Stay committed when fatigue hits
✔ Turn setbacks into fuel
✔ Lead with purpose
Motivation fades. Values don’t.
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Trust
Get your thinking mind out of the way.
✔ Stop overthinking
✔ Let preparation take over
✔ Perform alongside nerves
✔ Act decisively under pressure
Trust is where your best rugby shows up.
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Your mind is the foundation of your performance, but too often, it’s where matches are lost.
• Replaying mistakes instead of resetting for the next phase?
• Letting nerves control your decisions under pressure?
• Overthinking in big moments instead of trusting your training?
If you’re missing the mental sharpness and composure that elite players rely on, you’re already giving away your edge.
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Meet Your Mental Performance Mentor
Dr. Michael Passaportis
Profession: Sports Psychologist
Specialty: Performance Psychology & Mental Skills Training
Experience: Elite athlete mental performance coaching
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Professional Background
Lecturer in Sport Psychology - Setanta Institute
Researcher in thriving in elite sport environments
Chartered Sport and Performance Psychologist
Works with athletes to enhance focus, self-belief, and performance under pressure
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Areas of Expertise
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Mental resilience
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Emotional regulation under pressure
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Attentional control and focus training
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Psychological flexibility
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Self-belief and trust in high performance setting
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Applied Performance Work
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Mental skills coaching for competitive athletes
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Individualized performance strategies
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Evidence-based psychological frameworks
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Translating research into practical performance tools​
Dr. Michael combines academic expertise with applied performance coaching, helping athletes develop the mental skills required to perform consistently at a high level.​
Getting to Know Dr. Michael Passaportis
Dr. Michael Passaportis isn’t just a sports psychologist — he’s a performance specialist who works at the intersection of elite sport and cutting-edge psychology.
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With a background in applied performance psychology and university-level teaching and research, Michael helps athletes develop the mental resilience, focus, and trust required to perform under pressure.
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Drawing from evidence-based psychological frameworks and real-world athlete experience, he will take you inside the mechanics of mental performance — the skills that separate composed competitors from those who crumble when it matters most.
Playing Career
Zimbabwe National Team - Sables
Valence Romans Drome Rugby (France)
Griquas Rugby
Western Province
"He gives you tools you can use instantly on game day."
Premiership Prop
Without this knowledge,
you’ll keep replaying
mistakes, losing focus
under pressure and
watching moments
shift to your
opponents.
With it, you’ll:
✅ Reset instantly after errors
✅ Stay composed when the game speeds up
✅ Perform confidently alongside nerves
✅ Make clearer decisions in big moments
✅ Earn your coach’s trust when it matters most
At the highest level, physical preparation is expected.
Mental control is what separates starters from substitutes.
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