Waterville, Maine - In late October Beaux Myers, the Mental Performance Coach for Colby Athletics, was awarded the Early Career Applied Practitioner Award by the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. This award is given to the individual who has "exhibited excellence in applied sport psychology practice." To that end, Beaux's work is so distinct and extraordinary because he is the first full time mental performance coach in a NCAA Division III institution. This is due to the inception of the Peak Performance program, the transdisciplinary model made up Mental Performance, Sports Medicine, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, and Sport Science. As a member of Peak Performance, Beaux works with each member of Peak to support the 750+ athletes, coaches, and staff in pursuit of excellence. 

"I am honored, AASP has been such a great influence in my life and my career as a Mental Performance Coach," stated Myers. "Without the support of the organization along with my colleagues at Colby, I would not be able to conduct the work I do. While the award is an "individual" award, I would like to dedicate the award to all the student-athletes, coaches, and staff members at Colby as I could not have achieved this award without their support."

While it took some time and effort, the vision of Peak Performance was always to have a full time Mental Performance Coach, particularly because NCAA Division III emphasizes the student-athlete as a whole person so to create capable leaders of their generation. In pursuit of this vision, Beaux often addresses performance-related challenges applicable to their school work and career, including managing performance anxiety, developing effective routines, and navigating the pressures of balancing demands from multiple domains. A significant focus of these individual interventions is empowering student-athletes to harness their intrinsic motivation, develop self-awareness, and cultivate a growth mindset.

Dr. Beethe, the Director of Peak Performance, states "I am thrilled Beaux has been recognized for his impactful work. Since his hire, he has rounded out the Peak Program, guiding those within the athletic department to be top performers in their athletic and academic endeavors" 

Thanks to Beaux's work, Peak Performance brought in Optimize Mind Performance (OMP) in the Spring of 2025. OMP is a phone accessible app available to all coaches and student athletes, filled with recordings created by Beaux and other Mental Performance Coaches, in addition to firsthand accounts from professional athletes.