About us

The leadership team of Sport & Performance Excellence Consultants encompasses something unique in the field of sport & performance psychology: They are recognized leaders for their competencies in both practice and science. Far too many times the phrases “recognized as one of the best” and “leaders in the field” are used as marketing phrases instead of representing reality. In this case though, their peers have repeatedly bestowed honors and recognition to support these claims. Dr. Mark Aoyagi, Dr. Artur Poczwardowski, and Dr. Jamie Shapiro appreciate the privilege it is to partner with the clients of SPEX in pursuit of personal and professional excellence.

Consulting Expertise: The staff of Sport & Performance Excellence Consultants has worked with some of the best athletes and performers throughout the USA and internationally. Due to their reputation, professional sport teams, Olympic and Paralympic teams and individual athletes, and sport National Governing Bodies have sought them out. Highlights include:

  • Over 40 years of rigorous consulting work
  • Hired by professional franchises (NBA, NFL, NLL), Olympic and Paralympic teams and individuals, and National Governing Bodies
  • Helped athletes and teams perform at their best in professional leagues, NCAA championships, USA championships, European championships, Pan American championships, Para-Pan American championships, World championships, IPC (International Paralympic Committee) World championships, and Olympic Games
  • Wide variety of experience with numerous sports and performance domains
  • All are Certified Mental Performance Consultants (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), and are listed in the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Sport Psychology Registry

Professional Leadership: As recognized leaders in the field of sport & performance psychology, they have been asked to help lead the profession into the future.

  • Research and Practice Division Head, Executive Board of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
  • Chair, AASP Graduate Program Committee
  • Nominated to run for President of AASP
  • Member-at-Large, Executive Committee of the American Psychological Association Division 47 (Exercise & Sport Psychology)
  • Chair, APA Division 47 Science Committee
  • Program Chair, APA Division 47
  • Subject Matter Expert, AASP Sport Psychology Job Task Analysis
  • Recipient of the inaugural Early Career Professional Award from Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology) of the American Psychological Association
  • Member-at-large, Managing Council, International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP)
  • Fellow, Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)

Science to Performance Architects: Sport & Performance Excellence Consultants strives to be on the cutting edge of knowledge development regarding the psychology of human performance.

  • Founders and faculty of one of the most highly regarded graduate programs in sport & performance psychology nationally and internationally at University of Denver
  • Supervised students to international recognition for professional excellence
  • Contributed over 300 scientific and professional practice articles, book chapters, national and international conference presentations, and invited talks
  • Edited the book Expert Approaches to Sport Psychology: Applied Theories of Performance Excellence
  • Invited keynote address for the International Society of Sport Psychology
  • Authored professional article guiding the future of sport and performance psychology
  • Authored professional publications on ethical consulting practice
  • Invited presentations in Canada, China, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and USA

World-class Training: Our consultants have specific education in sport & performance psychology. Their training was cutting edge in its comprehensiveness and has since become the expected standard for training in the field.

  • Mentored by the world’s best sport and performance consultants
  • Advanced degrees in both psychology and sport sciences
  • Over 3000 direct service hours in apprenticeship with preeminent sport and performance consultants
  • Recipient of the Distinguished Student-Practitioner Award from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology

Individual Bios