In this episode of Behind the Lineup, we sit down with Dr. Justin DiSanti, a sport psychology professor and mental performance consultant, to explore the critical role the mind plays in athletic development.

We start by digging into Dr. DiSanti’s own journey into psychology: what sparked his interest, how he found his path into sport psychology, and the academic stops that shaped his career. He shares insights from his hands-on work with both teams and individual athletes during graduate and doctoral training, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how those experiences shaped his approach.

We also dive into his research on sport specialization and talent development, unpacking what his findings reveal about modern youth sports and the pathways to elite performance.

Dr. DiSanti explains his current work as a mental performance consultant with Keystone Performance Excellence, where he supports athletes across a range of ages and sports. He also discusses his role as a professor in Duquesne University’s Health Sciences program, the courses he teaches, and whether he works with the university’s athletes in a performance psychology capacity.

Finally, he shares his observations about the common mental hurdles athletes face today and offers his perspective on where the field of mental performance is headed — both for high school and college athletes, and for programs like Duquesne.

It’s a wide-ranging, thoughtful conversation for players, coaches, and parents who want to understand the mental side of sports and how to better prepare for success on and off the field.

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon, and follow @behindthelineup on Instagram for more conversations that go deeper than the box score.