Former Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen has made his first big move since announcing his retirement from the NRL, investing in a mental performance platform.
While the 27-year-old has been enjoying more time playing golf, Papenhuyzen is also turning his attention to business backing Optimize Mind Performance (OMP), a Sydney founded, now Boston-based, sports-tech startup that provides athletes with mental skills training resources.
Playing 113 NRL games including the Storm’s 2020 NRL Grand Final triumph, Papenhuyzen understands the importance of the mental side of sport.
“In professional sport there’s so much focus on the physical side of preparation, but over time I realized the mental side can be just as important,” he said.
“Learning how to handle pressure, from performance expectations, fans and the media, is something every athlete goes through.”
“There were times in my career where I struggled with that pressure.
“Speaking to a sports psychologist and learning some mental skills made a big difference for me. It helped me understand how to manage those moments and perform more consistently.”
“Clubs are doing a better job now of supporting players with their mental health and having sports psychologists involved in their programs.
“But I still think there’s a gap when it comes to teaching athletes practical mental skills they can use every day. Which in term translates to naturally being able to use it during competition.”
“That’s what really drew me to OMP. The platform is about giving athletes easier access to those tools so they can build the mental side of their game the same way they build the physical side.”
While known for his Clive Churchill Medal as best on ground in that 2020 Grand Final, Papenhuyzen has been admired across the competition for resilience in the face of several injuries, including a shattered kneecap and fractured ankle.
“Coming back from injury is obviously a physical challenge, but mentally it can be just as challenging.
“Spending long periods on the sidelines gave me a lot of time to reflect and work on the mental side of things. When you go through multiple setbacks, resilience becomes a huge part of the process.
“My injuries taught me that performance isn’t just about how strong your body is, it’s also about how strong your mindset is.”
Papenhuyzen isn’t the only sporting star investing in OMP, with six NFL players including New England Patriots Super Bowl Champions Matthew Slater, David Andrews and Brian Hoyer also backing OMP.
Through OMP sport psychologists can use the platform to serve athletes within their organization with mental skills training content, with athletes accessing the audio and video through an app.
The app also has a library of content created by some of the world’s leading sports psychologists and mental performance coaches.
“We’re already seeing athletes and organizations around the world using the platform,” Papenhuyzen said.
“It’s not just elite athletes who can benefit either, younger athletes can get a lot out of learning these skills early and building good habits around preparation. With all the distractions around high-performance environments now, if you aren’t practicing mental skills, you’re not giving yourself the best chance.”
