Tristan Hannah '20 is a former baseball player for Knox College. He majored in Psychology and minored in Africana Studies at Knox. Tristan is from Chicago, Illinois where he played for Lindblom Academy in high school. Since graduating from Knox, he has also coached for the Cubs Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) Program.

You recently earned your M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and M.S. in Sports and Human Performance from Adler University; what does each program entail?

The clinical mental health counseling program helps educate and train future therapists and clinical counselors. Throughout that program, I learned to be a socially responsible counselor and resource for my clients.   The sport and human performance program helps educate individuals who want to be in the sports psychology field and be a resource athletes, parents, and coaches can utilize. Throughout the sports program, I have learned various skills and strategies to help my clients overcome any performance struggles they may be facing.


What made you want to get into Sports Psychology and Mental Health Counseling?

When I first got to Knox, I knew I had a passion for sports and athletics and wanted to have a career somewhere in that field. In my first year at Knox, I took an Intro to Psychology class and was intrigued by learning why people do what they do. I wanted to combine my interests and began researching careers in sports psychology. Once I was set on what career field I wanted to be in, I began researching graduate programs that would help me get there and found Adler University.


What lessons and experiences from Knox helped with your time at Adler?

Going from Knox to Alder was a reasonably smooth transition for me. In many ways, I chose Adler because it reminded me so much of Knox. Both schools are small and emphasize building relationships with their professors. Also, both schools are highly diverse. The diversity at Knox helped me relate to and understand my classmates at Adler.


You are the Owner, CEO, and Mental Performance Consultant for Apex Mental Performance Services; what are some of your goals with the company? What services do you provide?

I created the company with my uncle, Dr. Jerry L. Weems, at the beginning of 2023. Sadly, he passed away in July, which was very difficult for me and my family. Still, we accomplished a lot as a company before then. My uncle and I secured partnerships with Storm Bowling and RecruitUS. Both companies are well respected and at the top of their respective fields. Apex is an opportunity to continue my uncle's legacy and vision for us. My goals for Apex are to continue building relationships with good people and help as many athletes, coaches, and parents as possible. I want to help improve my clients' performance and help them enjoy and love what they do. We provide services such as individual mental performance work, group mental performance work, parent coaching, and coach counseling. For more information about Apex, please visit our website at https://apexmentalperformance.com.


When working with athletes or teams, what are some of your key mental exercises or strategies?

So, there are a variety of mental skills to target and strategies to help improve them. Some common skills I have noticed that need improvement include attentional focus, self-confidence, communication, and emotional management. Breathing is a critical strategy because it can work in almost any issue you are in. So, I like to start my clients with breathing exercises, and then we get specific based on the skill we are working on. Some other strategies I like include concentration grids, imagery, performance routines, and self-talk.


On top of playing baseball at Knox, you are also an accomplished bowler. What are some similarities and differences between the two sports regarding mental preparation?

As it relates to mental preparation, there is little of a difference. The main difference is that bowling can be an individual sport, and at all times, you have to make decisions that are in your best interest. In contrast, baseball, a team sport, will be a time when you have to make decisions that are in the team's best interest, not necessarily yours. Being able to prepare and do what's best for the team takes a lot of self-awareness and being able to understand yourself. Otherwise, the preparation is just about the same. You should go out and perform at your best at all times and learn along the way.


Anything else you'd like to add?

I appreciate you giving me this opportunity to speak about Apex and some of the work I've been doing. I'm grateful to Knox and the psychology and athletic departments. You all have left a lasting impression on me, especially Coach Gibbons, Coach Isaacson, and Coach Clark. My vision is to continue to help athletes through their struggles and help them perform at their best. Mental preparation is the key to that! Follow us on X, Instagram, and Facebook for up-to-date information. Thank you again, and Go Fire!