Sport psychology expert Jon Hammermeister to discuss 'Principles of Olympic Excellence' at WWU Jan. 12

Sport psychology expert Jon Hammermeister will speak on “Principles of Olympic Excellence” at Western Washington University at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, in Arntzen Hall Room 100.

The event is free and open to the public.

Hammermeister works with the Army Center for Enhanced Performance at Westpoint, N.Y., and is a performance consultant in sport psychology to the 2010 U.S. Olympic Ski Team. He served in the same capacity with the U.S. Olympic teams in 2002 and 2006 and will accompany this year’s team to the Vancouver Olympic Games. Currently, Hammermeister works with the Army Center for Enhanced Performance’s branch at Fort Lewis just south of Tacoma. There, he is responsible for designing, implementing and analyzing studies examining the efficacy of performance psychology techniques for enhancing the health, recovery and performance of Army soldiers, medical personnel and civilians.

“Jon is working with the best and with those people who are striving to be the best,” says Ralph Vernacchia, director of WWU’s Center for Performance Excellence. “The insights that Jon has are really fascinating.”

Hammermeister is the author of the forthcoming textbook “Cornerstones of coaching: The building blocks for developing outstanding sport coaches and teams,” from Cooper Publishing Group. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego, and then went on to earn a master’s degree in physical education and a doctorate in education from the University of Idaho.

A former college tennis coach, Hammermeister was named NAIA District 1 Coach of the Year in 1986 while head coach of the men’s and women’s tennis teams at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. In 1990, while head men’s tennis coach at UCSD, he was one of four finalists for NCAA Division III Coach of the Year.

Hammermeister’s lecture is part of a series of events held by WWU in honor of the 2010 Winter Olympics, which are being held across the border in Vancouver and Whistler in February. Other events include “Olympics Days” at Bellingham’s Wade King Elementary School on Jan. 25 to 29 and a presentation by U.S. Olympian Erin Bembry on Jan. 26. On Feb. 9, Ralph Vernacchia, director of WWU’s Center for Performance Excellence, will give a presentation titled “The Legacy of the Olympic Games: Vancouver 2010” honoring special guest Franz Gabl, a Bellingham resident and winner of the silver medal for Austria in downhill skiing in the 1948 Winter Olympic Games.

In the past, the winter Principles of Excellence lectures have been previews of the Center for Performance Excellence’s annual Peak Performance class at WWU. This year, because of the timing of the Olympics, the Peak Performance class will be held in the spring. The CPE is dedicated to enriching the performance and quality of life for individuals seeking personal excellence.

Parking for the lecture is free in Western’s “C” lots at the south end of campus. For more information about the lecture, visit the Center for Performance Excellence’s Web site at http://www.wwu.edu/cpe/home.htm or contact Ralph Vernacchia at (360) 650-3514 or ralph.vernacchia@wwu.edu.