A new offering in Pine Crest Athletics is making waves—brainwaves! This year, Dr. Hilary Cornelius, Mental Performance Coach and Associate Tennis Director on the Boca Raton campus, has brought her expertise in sports psychology to Middle and Upper School student-athletes.
“What I like to say is that my job is to help students perform better in the many different types of circumstances that are thrown at them,” said Dr. Cornelius. “We call it performance psychology because it's not limited to the sports field.”
"When performing—whether on the field, stage or elsewhere—it's essential to focus on continuous improvement. Professionals in this field teach specific skills tailored to individual needs, assessing whether someone is struggling with performance or simply aiming to get better,” she explained. “A common misconception about sports psychology is that it's only for fixing problems, but it's used by many people in different fields and industries—from athletes to surgeons and firefighters—to enhance performance.”
Dr. Cornelius’ work is centered on developing key mental skills including mindfulness, recognizing when focus is lost and managing cognitive overload. “We use techniques like breathing exercises, mindfulness practices and biofeedback to regulate the nervous system, helping individuals regain clarity and focus under pressure," she said.
Dr. Jeff Johnson, Athletic Director, expanded on the idea that while many sports programs have always relied on the athletic ability of their athletes to bring them success, the mental approach has now become an integral part of their training too.
“In the industry of interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics, sports psychology is a growing field because of the emphasis on mental well-being and the mental elements of performance,” said Dr. Johnson.
“The mental side of sports has been underrated for years,” Dr. Johnson continued. “Athletic talent at the interscholastic level is fairly equal, but the mental piece is what separates your average athlete from those who go on to become great. What we're doing now at Pine Crest is adapting the model that has been implemented at the professional and collegiate level for the last 20 years, which allows us to give our student-athletes the mental edge needed to be successful not just in the pool, on the fields and the courts, but in the classroom, on the stage or wherever they may be.”
Through mental performance training, Pine Crest is looking to stay at the forefront of high school athletics by enhancing student-athletes’ focus, resilience and overall execution through specific techniques. The early implementation at Pine Crest places our school as one of the first high school programs to incorporate mental performance into its athletic programming.
Focusing more on performance enhancement rather than clinical sports psychology, Dr. Cornelius reinforces techniques such as mindfulness and uses sophisticated biomedical hardware and software. For example, using VR headsets to simulate an environment similar to an in-game situation, she is able to coach athletes through difficult situations. “VR offers an intensity that can feel overwhelming,” said Dr. Cornelous. “Then we talk about how to slow things down and only focus on the relevant things.”
Dr. Cornelius is using the VR headsets purchased in the summer of 2024 and implemented across all three Divisions on both campuses in all disciplines. When asked why VR training works so well in this setting, Dr. Cornelius said “It allows athletes to experience high-pressure situations that push their physical and mental limits—something they wouldn’t get from simply practicing alone. The immersive intensity, like a game-winning shot with seconds on the clock and a roaring crowd, helps simulate real stress.”
“We then work on techniques to manage that pressure; training them to block out distractions and focus only on what matters; taking the shot with confidence instead of overthinking the outcomes. It’s all about sharpening their ability to stay present and execute under pressure,” continued Dr. Cornelius.
Another part of her performance training tools includes the ability to measure brainwave activity to determine when an athlete is in a “flow state” or “in the zone.” A black piece of plastic with sensors that resembles a sunglass frame is worn by the student. Sensors are then placed on the student’s forehead where they will track brain activity and signals, noting when the student loses focus. "These sensors read brainwaves,” said Dr. Cornelius, “and we know through research what type of brainwaves occur when you're in a flow state. Every time you lose focus, the waves drop, and the sensors will give you feedback saying, 'Okay, you've lost focus. How do we bring it back?'”
Students and coaches have been pleased with their improvement, even after working with Dr. Cornelius for only a few months. "Students I’ve worked with consistently report that their coaches notice improvements—they’re faster, quicker and stronger,” she said. “Confidence is key, and it comes from trusting your training and intuition. This approach is both educational and practical. When students commit to consistent mental training, they see real results. I remind them that the brain is like a muscle—just as they train their bodies, they must train their minds. With practice, the benefits become clear.”
Dr. Johnson has also been moved by how quickly students and coaches are buying into mental performance training. “I didn't expect the amount of buy-in with our coaches that I have seen. Our coaches are really implementing Dr. Cornelius’ teachings into our programs. They're swapping a day of practice for a day with her. Giving up traditional practice time speaks volumes to what we think of this program and what this kind of support is doing for our student-athletes.”
Dr. Johnson explains that even though the program is still in its early stages, the impact and the benefits have become increasingly clear. “Sports psychology is growing so fast that there are going to be whole departments designated just to assist the student-athlete. That is already the case in many collegiate programs. I can see this growing to the point where we’re going to need two or three professionals like Dr. Cornelius because we've got so many student-athletes here at Pine Crest—1,200 to be exact! Certainly, Dr. Cornelius can't get to all 1,200 students on her own. So as we expand this department and then branch out into the sports nutrition facet, which we have already started, we continue to look at the student-athlete as a whole, working to tend to every single need they have to maximize their potential.”
The commitment to improving student-athlete performance and the ability for Dr. Cornelius to use her expertise in this field with Pine Crest students wouldn’t be possible without the annual philanthropic support of our community. "This is a model for success that can only be achieved with philanthropic support, which allows us to maximize our resources, utilize both campuses and leverage our existing operations."
Dr. Johnson explains that Pine Crest's ability to be an early adopter of an integrated sports performance component is because of our engaged community of donors.
He notes that although there isn’t a lot of equipment to use, what we have is expensive. “The tools Dr. Cornelius uses are costly and are different from the typical types of sports equipment. For example, shoulder pads carry a smaller price tag, but you need 50 or 60 of them. For her, you need only six items, but each may cost five times as much. Philanthropic support is what allows us to remain at the forefront of student-athlete performance and their overall wellness.”
Pine Crest School Athletics recognizes that mental performance training is a key differentiator for scholastic sports and is excited to be a leader in its implementation at the Middle and Upper School levels.
“Most colleges have a center or a lab, and that’s exactly how I envision this program growing at Pine Crest—a standalone facility where Dr. Cornelius and her team can meet with student-athletes in an intentionally designed space, allowing them to really focus on the task at hand,” said Dr. Johnson.
Preparing student-athletes for the collegiate level is not easy, but Dr. Johnson and Dr. Cornelius believe that mental preparedness is a necessary training method for our athletes to excel.
If students leave with only one takeaway, Dr. Cornelius said “I would like the skills that are taught here to be something students can return to and depend on in any of the situations they may face.”