MA Sport & Performance Psychology

Get to Know Our Faculty

• Mark Aoyagi, Ph.D.
  

  Professor | Director of the Center for Performance Excellence

  Dr. Mark Aoyagi is the Founder and Director of the Center for Performance Excellence (CPEX) and Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. His areas of expertise include performance excellence, team effectiveness, and achieving meaning, satisfaction and fulfillment through sport, work, and life. Mark is a recognized sport psychology consultant and has worked with several professional and Olympic teams and athletes as well as NCAA athletic departments and developmental athletes. He is a licensed psychologist in the state of Colorado, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) by AASP (Association for Applied Sport Psychology), and is listed in the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Sport Psychology Registry. Mark is active in several professional organizations including the International Society for Sport Psychology, American Psychological Association (APA) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). He was elected to the Executive Board of AASP as the Research and Practice Division Head (2014-2017), appointed Chair of the Graduate Program Committee (2013-2014), and selected as member of the Distinguished Professional Practice Award Committee (2014), Future of Focus Areas Ad Hoc Committee (2012-2014), Foundation Committee (2012-2014), and Student Development Committee (2007-2010). In addition, he was selected as a subject matter expert for the job task analysis conducted by AASP. For APA Division 47 (Society for Sport, Exercise, & Performance Psychology), Mark was elected as Member-at-Large on the Executive Committee (2011-2013), appointed Chair of the Science Committee (2010-2012), and served as member of the Public Interest Committee (2008-2012) and member of the Practice Committee (2008-2014). Mark has several publications and national conference presentations on the topics of sport psychology, team effectiveness, models of sport psychology practice, and ethics among others. He has co-edited two books: Expert Approaches to Sport Psychology (with Artur Poczwardowski) and The Peer Guide to Applied Sport Psychology for Consultants in Training (with Artur Poczwardowski and Jamie Shapiro). Mark has been an invited speaker for several professional teams and college athletic departments in the United States as well as internationally for high performance groups in Canada, Poland, Mexico, Italy, and New Zealand.

  Mark earned a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Sport Psychology from the University of Missouri in 2006 and was the Sport Psychology Post Doctoral Fellow at the University of Southern California. Prior to that, he completed a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science and a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Utah in 1999 and a M.S. in Kinesiology, Sport Psychology emphasis from Georgia Southern University in 2001. Mark also completed a Graduate Business Certificate in Management from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business in 2011. He was the recipient of the 2005 Student-Practitioner Award from the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology for excellence in applied sport psychology and the inaugural Early Career Professional Award from Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology) of the American Psychological Association in 2013. He was appointed a Fellow of AASP in 2016, a recognition for members who have achieved distinction through significant contributions to academic and professional practice knowledge in sport psychology. He was appointed a Fellow of APA in 2020, a designation bestowed upon APA members who have shown evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field of psychology. Fellow status requires that a person’s work has had a national impact on the field of psychology beyond a local, state or regional level. In 2021, Mark received the Distinguished Contributions to Education and Training in Exercise and Sport Psychology Award from APA Division 47 (Society for Sport, Exercise, & Performance Psychology) recognizing a sport psychologist or training program that over time has consistently provided significant contributions to education and training in exercise and sport psychology. Mark played rugby, football, baseball, and wrestling competitively, and now enjoys a variety of recreational sports and outdoor activities.

• Iman Hassan, Ph.D.
  

  Clinical Assistant Professor | Assistant Director of the MA-Sport & Performance Psychology program

  Iman Hassan joined DU in December 2023 as a professor in the MASPP program. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Iman received her PhD. and master’s degree in sport psychology from the University of Ottawa. Prior to that, Iman completed her B.S in Psychology from Delaware State University, where she was also a member of the lacrosse team. 

  Iman is a sport psychology consultant who works with athletes competing at the collegiate and professional level. She is a professional member of the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA) and a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). Iman has made contributions to academic literature on the topics of sport psychology, athlete retirement, athlete well-being, coach education, and Para Sport.

   

• Breigh Jones-Coplin, Psy.D.
  

  Clinical Assistant Professor | Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) for the MASPP Program

  Dr. Breigh Jones-Coplin, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology, where she also serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Master of Sport and Performance Psychology Program. With a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s degree in Sport and Performance Psychology, both from the University of Denver, Dr. Jones-Coplin is committed to advancing culturally responsive education and fostering a supportive learning environment for future practitioners.

  Dr. Jones-Coplin’s passion for sport began at the age of three with figure skating and expanded to competitive cheer, soccer, and eventually track and field, where she excelled as a Division I athlete at Austin Peay State University. A distinguished alumnus, she was inducted into the APSU Hall of Fame in 2022 and honored with her jersey in the stadium's Ring of Honor. Her personal experience as an elite athlete has profoundly shaped her career in sport and performance psychology, inspiring her commitment to mental health and performance enhancement for athletes.

  In her role at the University of Denver, Dr. Jones-Coplin teaches courses including Foundations of Counseling Theories, Multicultural Issues, Sport and Performance Psychology Interventions, and Practicum in Sport and Performance Psychology. Her research focuses on the intersection of internalized stigma, religiosity, and Black mental health in Colorado, reflecting her dedication to addressing the nuanced needs of underrepresented communities.

  Dr. Jones-Coplin’s extensive work in sport psychology includes her experience as a Mental Health Provider for the Denver Broncos Football Club, where she supported players' mental health, stress management, and performance. Currently, she serves as a Sport Psychology Consultant for USA Track and Field, offering performance skill training and psychological support to elite athletes, both domestically and internationally.

  Dr. Jones-Coplin is passionate about culturally competent care, particularly in supporting Black athletes and bilingual athletes in English and Spanish. Her presentations, such as "Empower and Elevate: An Unapologetic Guide to Supporting Black Athlete Mental Health," embody her commitment to addressing the unique mental health challenges faced by Black athletes.

  Outside academia, Dr. Jones-Coplin is the founder of Black + Blossomed, a floral design business that combines mental health and healing through nature. Through workshops like "Soil to Self," she explores the therapeutic benefits of flowers, engaging participants in meditation, floral arrangement, and discussions on healing. Her innovative approach to wellness underscores her dedication to holistic health and the transformative power of nature.

• Artur Poczwardowski, Ph.D.
  

  Professor | Director of Practicum Placements

  Dr. Artur Poczwardowski is a Professor and a Director of Practicum Placements at University of Denver (DU) Graduate School of Professional Psychology. His publications and professional presentations focus on sport and performance psychology practice for performance enhancement and psychological well-being, coach-athlete relationships, and coping strategies in elite performers. Artur has over 70 publications and he delivered 117 professional presentations on national and international level, 7 keynote addresses, and 100 invited and educational lectures and workshops in Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Malaysia (virtually), Mexico, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan (virtually), and the United States. For two years (2004 – 2006) he served as an Associate Editor for The Sport Psychologist and he currently serves on its Editorial Board. In 2006 he was nominated for the President of Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). He is currently a Fellow of AASP and ISSP and was a member of the Managing Council of the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP; 2013-2021) and served as its Secretary General (2017-2021).

  Artur received his Ph.D. in exercise and sport science with specialization in psychosocial aspects of sport from University of Utah, Salt Lake City, a master’s degree in coaching and physical education from University of Physical Education in Gdańsk, Poland and a master’s degree in psychology from Gdańsk University, Poland. Prior to his joining DU, he worked at Barry University (Miami Shores, Florida), St. Lawrence University (Canton, New York), University of Utah (Salt Lake City, Utah), and University of Physical Education in Gdańsk (Poland). Courses that he has taught include psycho-social aspects of sport, applied sport psychology, consulting methods and practices, group dynamics in sports, motivational interviewing, motor learning and control, training planning and periodization, psychophysiological aspects in human movement, research methods, and qualitative research methods. 

  Since 1991, Dr. Poczwardowski has consulted with athletes and teams from a number of sports (judo, baseball, tennis, golf, squash, ice hockey, team handball, soccer, track and field, diving, rowing, cycling, swimming, table tennis, air pistol shooting, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, speed skating, and e-sport). At the elite level, he worked with the Polish national men’s and women’s judo teams (1991 & 1992 European Championships, 1992 World Championships, and 1992 Olympic Games) and St. Lawrence University Division I women’s hockey team (2001 and 2004 Frozen Four). He started his private practice in 1991 in Gdańsk, Poland through his Psychological Studio of Performance Enhancement. In 2006, he founded Planet Excellence Sports, Inc. in Florida and, in 2013, as a senior consultant joined Sport and Performance Excellence Consultants, LLC (SPEX) in the Denver area. Most recently, he was involved in assisting in mental training with four US Paralympic Teams. For example, he travelled with the US Paralympics Swim Team to the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland and guided mental preparation of three winter Paralympic sports during the 2018 PeyongChang Winter Paralympic Games, South Korea and during 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympic Games, China. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) by AASP (the Association for Applied Sport Psychology), an ISSP-Registry and ISSP-Registry-Supervisor and was listed in United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Sport Psychology Registry (2006-2022). Artur earned 2nd degree black belt in judo and was a collegiate athlete in Poland (a U.S. division one equivalent). He stayed physically active with recreational running, biking and hiking being his favorite activities).

• Jamie Shapiro, Ph.D.
  

  Professor | Director of the MA-Sport & Performance Psychology Program

  Dr. Jamie Shapiro is a Professor and the Director of the Master of Arts in Sport and Performance Psychology program in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of Denver. She earned a Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from West Virginia University (2009), an M.A. in Community Counseling from WVU (2008), and an M.S. in Athletic Counseling from Springfield College (2005). She earned a B.S. in Psychology from Brown University, where she was on the gymnastics team for 4 years. Dr. Shapiro is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), listed on the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee's Mental Performance Registry, and a National Certified Counselor (NCC) by the National Board of Certified Counselors. She is a member of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and the American Psychological Association (APA). She has served on numerous committees for AASP and was the President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Program Chair for APA Division 47 (The Society for Sport, Exercise, & Performance Psychology). Dr. Shapiro is a Fellow of AASP (a recognition for members who have achieved distinction through significant contributions to academic and professional practice knowledge in sport psychology) and was the recipient of the Early Career Professional Award from APA Division 47 in 2019. Dr. Shapiro has several publications and (inter)national conference presentations on the topics of sport psychology, disability sport, psychology of injury, ethics, and supervision among others. She co-edited the book, The Peer Guide to Applied Sport Psychology for Consultants in Training (with Drs. Mark Aoyagi and Artur Poczwardowski).

  Dr. Shapiro is a consultant for Sport & Performance Excellence Consultants based in Denver, CO. She has consulted with youth, collegiate, elite, and Paralympic athletes from a variety of sports, including gymnastics, skiing, snowboarding, swimming, and track and field. She served as a mental performance consultant for several US Paralympic teams and athletes at the 2018 Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. She has also coached gymnastics at the recreational, club, and collegiate (Division III) levels. In addition, Dr. Shapiro has done exercise psychology consulting to help adults with motivation and adherence to exercise programs. Dr. Shapiro’s specific interests include psychology of sport injury, psychological skills training, disability sport, psychology of performing arts, exercise psychology, and ethics and training in sport and performance psychology. She enjoys spending time with family, traveling, visiting her happy place at the Jersey shore, and doing handstands around the world.

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