Staff
Todd M. Kays, Ph.D.
President of the Athletic Mind Institute
FOUNDER AND OWNER OF ATHLETIC MIND INSTITUTE
SPORT AND PERFORMANCE PSYCHOLOGIST
CO-AUTHOR OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY FOR DUMMIES
Dr. Kays’ mission is to bring the principles of sport and performance psychology to life for anyone with whom he works. It is one thing to read books about sport psychology and a completely different story to know how to apply and “practice and train the mind.” Dr. Kays creates practice drills and plans for all of his athletes, coaches, and anyone who is or wants to be a high performer. He simply wants to help people improve performance and not let their minds get in the way anymore. These are skills that can be practiced and learned, not something a person is born with into this world. He wants the mind to help them, not hinder them. So many times, athletes have incredible skill, but they do not translate these skills when it counts – in competition. Whether a MLB pitcher trying to close out the ninth inning or a junior tennis player wanting to play at the college level, the mind is critical to these endeavors.
Athletic performance is like a three-legged stool. The three legs include skill, body and mind. The skill is the part athletes practice most, such as learning to swing the club on plane, throwing a change-up, or efficiently mastering the breaststroke. The body includes strength, speed, flexibility, posture, balance, power, nutrition and sleep. These two legs of the stool tend to be most practiced and understood. The third leg of the stool is the mind. This is the least practiced, and therefore, the weakest leg most of the time. If all three legs are not solid, the stool will collapse. Athletes and coaches know the importance of the mind, but have never learned to train it. This is where Dr. Kays comes into the picture. He makes mental training real and easy to understand with daily and weekly practice drills. He makes athletes and coaches practice “mind and skill” at the same time in fact. Whether it be from Dr. Kays’ podcasts, books, videos, live observation at games and practices or teaching mental drills right on the field of play, Dr. Kays make mental drilling and training come to life. No uncertainty and no doubts.
Dr. Kays is a leader in the field of Sport and Performance Psychology. The co-author of Sport Psychology for Dummies (2010), Dr. Kays’ training and guidance have helped thousands of athletes eliminate the most common mental errors and breakdowns in sport. For five years, he was the sport psychologist for the Columbus Crew, the major league soccer team in Columbus, Ohio and has worked with numerous soccer players and coaches throughout the country. Dr. Kays has consulted with athletes and coaches from all different levels of sport, including National Football League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, United States Tennis Association, Professional Golf Association, and Ladies Professional Golf Association. He consults regularly with teams at The Ohio State University. He is an adjunct faculty member at The Ohio State University and teaches sport psychology and positive psychology in the department of psychology. In addition to Sport Psychology for Dummies, he has co-authored four additional books: Athlete’s Journal (2016), Golfer’s Journal (2017), Positive Transitions for Student Athletes: Life Skills for Transitions in Sport, College, and Career (2000), The Parent’s Playbook: Developing a Gameplan for Maximizing Your Child’s Athletic Experience (2001). Dr. Kays has appeared on radio, television, and newspaper, including ESPN, New York Times, FOX Sports, and the Golf Channel. He is and has been a consultant to top businesses, including NAPA Auto Parts, Huntington Bank, and Ohio Health.
Josh Krolicki
Mental Performance Coach
Josh Krolicki is a Mental Performance Coach at the Athletic Mind Institute, where he works alongside Dr. Todd Kays. In this role, Josh leverages his prior experience as a competitive golfer with his passion for using positive psychological principles to enhance the performance of golfers of all levels. He believes that all athletes can learn to mentally perform at their best, regardless of the circumstance; this belief drives his work. He prides himself on being wholly devoted to his clients by intently listening to them and asking earnest questions to form a solution.
Josh encourages the athletes that he works with to live in the present moment, channel their motivation, and find constructive ways to handle the pressure that comes with being a competitive athlete. Josh uses a process-oriented approach to help athletes create efficient and intentional practice routines; he teaches visualization, mediation, and breathwork to encourage mindfulness on the course.
Josh’s enthusiasm for psychology and teaching extends beyond the Athletic Mind Institute. He curates sports performance psychology content which he shares on YouTube and his podcast. Through this work, he has had the opportunity to pick the brains of some of the greatest leaders in the sports world, including Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr. Josh holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from San Diego State University.
When he is not at work, Josh enjoys being outdoors. He has a zest for sports and loves golfing, hiking, and swimming at the beach. His passion for leading an active lifestyle is benefited by his residency in Southern California. He is also an avid dog lover.
Linda Zahrndt
Psychotherapist and Mental Performance Coach
Linda (Lindy) Zahrndt is an LPCC-S and has been practicing in the field of psychotherapy for 15+ years. Lindy has worked with a variety of mental health issues. Lindy worked as a therapist and supervisor at Syntero, a community mental health agency, for 14.5 yrs. Currently she has a private practice currently in Grandview. Lindy’s areas of mental health services include anxiety, depression, relationship, child/parent communication enhancement, OCD/perfectionism, LBGTQ+ population-including individuals currently transitioning, grief and loss, and ADHD*. Over the past 15+ years, Lindy’s clients have ranged from 8-80 years of age. Currently her clientele’s ages typically range: 12-25 yrs. Lindy’s brand is to first and foremost, help folks feel comfortable, safe, and heard. The therapeutic process that Lindy uses is a collaborative one, where skills are taught and practiced, and homework sometimes assigned. Lindy believes that the therapeutic use of humor is essential, as well as accountability to do the work. Lindy has been known to go for walks with clients or meet at a park or location that the client chooses. Lindy’s unorthodox therapeutic style has on occasion included becoming engaged in an activity of client’s choice to allow the client to feel more comfortable, to ease nerves and help build rapport. Lindy’s athletic experience include playing volleyball, swimming, and running track in high school. Lindy coached a local summer league swim team for four years during college summers at OSU. She swam on the master’s swim team and was active in the intramural volleyball program. Lindy attended Ball State University’s graduate program as a paid TA in the Physical Education Dept where she taught various fitness classes. Lindy successfully swam the “escape from Alcatraz” in 2010 which consists of swimming from Alcatraz Island, (~ two miles) to the San Francisco Bay. Lindy concluded that this was a thrilling accomplishment, but never again… just too cold! Currently she runs 4-5x’s a week, swims, practices yoga and engages in daily walks around her Clintonville neighborhood with her boxer-lab (Jimmy). There she resides with her spouse, two cats- Joey and Twyla and her two sons.
*Lindy is not certified to assess for ADHD, but can treat the symptoms of ADHD.