Mental Performance CoachGotham FC is seeking an experienced, trusted, player-centered Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) to serve as the full-time Mental Performance Coach within the club's integrated Human Performance team. This role is central to how players experience Gotham FC every day: in training, in the gym and treatment room, through injury and transition, on the road, and on matchday. The Mental Performance Coach will help players build the confidence, focus, composure, and resilience to perform under pressure. The role will also help strengthen a team culture built on trust, connection, accountability, and high standards. The ideal candidate builds relationships quickly and keeps them for the long term. Players should see this person as approachable, consistent, discreet, and genuinely invested in their growth as people and performers. The role works as a key partner to the Director of Human Performance on player relationships, the player experience, and team climate. This is a full-time, on-site, embedded role that requires flexible hours, including training days, matchdays, and weekends, and travel of up to 100% of the team schedule.
Key Responsibilities
Player Relationships and Player Experience:
Establish a working relationship with every rostered player, starting with an introductory one-on-one and continuing through a consistent presence in training, the gym, rehabilitation, team spaces, matches, and travel. Provide the Director of Human Performance with regular team-climate briefings on player engagement, team climate, and emerging needs, shared without identifying individual players and within appropriate confidentiality. Lead check-ins with players at defined career moments, including selection changes, reduced minutes, extended injury, contract and roster transitions, international duty, and returns from extended absence. Own the mental performance part of onboarding for new signings and returning players, including players relocating domestically or internationally. Run the player-experience feedback process, and maintain an action log of resulting improvements to the daily environment.
Individual and Team Mental Performance:
Deliver individual and small-group mental performance work on confidence, focus, emotional regulation, decision-making under pressure, motivation, self-talk, imagery, and energy management.
Own the mental performance part of each participating player's individual development plan, including goals, routines, and scheduled reviews.
Build and support individual pre-training, pre-match, halftime, and post-match routines for players who opt in.
Design and deliver a seasonal team workshop curriculum on communication, trust, accountability, team cohesion, and performing under pressure.
Culture and Leadership:- Facilitate creating and keeping up to date a written team standards document with the player leadership group, in alignment with the Director of Human Performance.
- Lead the player leadership development program for captains, the leadership group, veterans, and emerging leaders.
- Own the team's mental performance response plan for losing runs, congested schedules, extended travel, playoff periods, and media or public scrutiny.
- Integration with Human Performance
- Work within the Department of Human Performance and with technical staff to support the whole player.
- Provide mental performance check-ins for players in extended rehabilitation, covering motivation, setbacks, rehabilitation adherence, fear of reinjury, and confidence in returning to training and competition.
- Attend interdisciplinary player meetings and case reviews, and contribute relevant, consent-based context.
- Co-deliver planned mental skills components within physical preparation, recovery, and rehabilitation blocks.
Staff Development:
Own a seasonal staff education calendar on communication, feedback, player engagement, and performance psychology principles. Provide resources and practical tools that help Human Performance staff create a consistent, supportive, high-standard environment for players.
Gotham II and Professional Player Pathway:
Deliver mental performance touchpoints for Gotham II and the professional player pathway on a set schedule.
Hold a mental performance check-in with every player moving between Gotham II and the first team, including call-ups, returns, and integration into first-team standards.
Keep mental performance language, principles, and player education consistent across first-team and pathway environments.
Mental Health Collaboration, Ethics, and Confidentiality:
Practice within the scope of CMPC certification and the AASP Ethics Code.
Refer players to the club's contracted Licensed Mental Health Provider when concerns fall outside the mental performance scope, and document each referral following club process.
Follow established club processes for distress, clinical concern, urgent support, and emergency response.
Maintain confidential records and follow consent-based, minimum-necessary information-sharing practices consistent with club policy and applicable privacy requirements.
Complete league requirements for mental performance services, including league meetings, education, and reporting.
Program Development and Innovation:
Present an annual mental performance program plan in preseason, and deliver an end-of-season program evaluation.
Lead assigned innovation projects at the player or organizational level, such as projects that improve player experience, culture, communication, or performance readiness.
Maintain CMPC continuing-education requirements and apply current evidence in applied sport psychology.
Required Qualifications:
Master's or doctoral degree in sport psychology, psychology, counseling, kinesiology with a sport psychology emphasis, or a closely related field.
Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) credential from the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), active and in good standing at the time of hire.
Minimum of three years of applied mental performance experience with athletes in professional, Olympic, national-team, NCAA Division I, or comparable high-performance sport environments.
Demonstrated experience working embedded in a team environment, including training, competition, and travel.
Demonstrated ability to build trust and lasting relationships with elite athletes from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experience levels.
Experience delivering individual sessions, small-group work, and team workshops.
Experience supporting team culture, player leadership, cohesion, and communication.
Experience supporting athletes through injury, rehabilitation, and return to competition.
Clear understanding of the boundaries between mental performance and clinical mental health services, with demonstrated referral and collaboration practices.
Exceptional discretion, judgment, emotional intelligence, and listening skills.
Clear, practical communication with players, staff, and department leadership.
Ability to work flexible hours, weekends, matchdays, and travel of up to 100% of the team schedule.
Preferred Qualifications:
CMPC with professional soccer experience, or experience in another high-level team sport.
Experience in NWSL, MLS, USL, international professional soccer, or elite women's sport.
Experience supporting female athletes across performance, identity, transition, and life-stage needs.
Doctoral degree in sport psychology or a closely related field.
Bilingual or multilingual ability, such as Spanish, Portuguese, or French.
Experience supporting international players and players relocating to a new country or club.
Experience with reserve, academy, or professional player-pathway environments.
Experience delivering staff education or leadership development within a performance department.
Location:
This position is fully in-person, based at Gotham FC's soccer operations office and practice facility, located in Whippany, New Jersey. Ability to attend all home games and any mandatory events as well as away games, as necessary. A willingness to travel for other business-related needs, as they arise. Ability to work at the team's business operations office in Jersey City, New Jersey, as needed. Gotham FC requires its associates to live in its market, that is, within reasonable commuting distance of Gotham FC's offices, practice facility and Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Job type: Full-Time, Exempt
Salary range: $125-$165k annually
Benefits:
Medical, Dental & Vision benefit plans available for Employee and Family, Employee funded 401(k) option
