Dr. Colleen Hacker

Professor of Kinesiology

Dr. Colleen Hacker Professor of Kinesiology

Phone: 253-535-7363

Email: hackercm@plu.edu

Office Location: Olson Auditorium - 108

Website: https://sites.google.com/a/plu.edu/colleen-hacker/

  • Professional
  • Biography
  • Video

Education

  • Ph.D., Exercise and Movement Science, University of Oregon, 1992
  • M.S., Exercise and Sport Science, University of Arizona, 1980
  • B.S., Health and Physical Education, Lock Haven University, 1978

Areas of Emphasis or Expertise

  • Sport and Exercise Psychology
  • Performance Psychology of Elite Athletes and Corporate Leaders
  • Motor Learning and Human Performance
  • Team Building for High Performing Teams

Books

  • Catch Them Being Good: Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Coach Girls co-authored with Tony Dicicco and Charles Salzberg (Penguin Books 2003)

Selected Presentations

  • US Open Golf panel by Deloitte, Invited Panel Presentation, The Corporate Athlete Wellness Strategies for Executive Women, San Martin, CA (2016)
  • Invited Presentation, Ed Wells Partnership BEN presentation, The Boeing Corporation, Your Competitive Edge – Secrets from Olympic Success, Seattle, WA (2016)
  • AASP Virtual Conference on Consulting in Elite Sport, Invited Lecture, It’s Exactly the Same and Completely Different, Association of Applied Sport Psychology (2016)
  • National Coaching Conference, Hacker, C.M. & Mann, M., Unleashing the tiger in the mirror: Performance enhancement through imagery and confidence, Seattle, WA (2016)
  • NIKE North America, Elite Athletes: Yesterday, today and Tomorrow”, Keynote Presentation, Invited Presentation, “Transformational Leadership for Excellence: Players First”, Keynote Presentation, Players First National Campaign Launch, Beaverton, OR (2015)
  • SHAPE America National Conference, Hacker, C.M., McConnell, K.E., & Mann, M., Let’s Talk About It: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Athlete’s Body, Seattle, WA (2015)
  • AASP Conference, with Ian Connole, Peter Haberl, J.F. Menard, Angus Mugford, Penny Werthner, Jack Watson, Invited Presentation, Five in Five: Best Practices in Consulting, Las Vegas, NV (2014)
  • Invited Keynote Presentation, Meredith Corporation, From Good to Great: The secret of Olympic Champions, NYC, NY (2014)
  • Invited Keynote Presentation , General Mills, The Secret of the Slight Edge”, Leadership Executive Team, Minneapolis, MN (2013)
  • American Psychological Association, National Convention, Failure as Fertilizer: Lessons learned from the competitive cauldron, Honolulu, HI (2013)
  • Invited Lecture Performance Psychology Keynote Address: AASP International Conference, Hacker, C.M. and DiCicco, T., Gold Medal Partnership: Collaboration and integration for sustained excellence, Atlanta, GA (2012)
  • Invited Lecture, Collegiate and Professional Sports Dieticians Association, National Conference, Hacker, C. M. & McConnell, K.E., Consequences of the Body Ideal: The Obvious and the Unintended, Tampa, FL (2012)
  • Invited Lecture Performance Psychology: AASP International Conference, Create it, imagine it, do it: Imagery DVD training to enhance confidence among National Team soccer players, Honolulu, HI (2012)
  • Symposium The APA National Convention, Division 31, Division 35 & 38, DeLeon, P; Hacker, C.M. & McConnell, K.E., Ready? Go! Why Active Girls and Women Move Us Forward, San Diego, CA (2010)
  • Invited Lecture: NSCAA International Coaching Symposium, Growth Through Adversity: Lessons learned from the competitive cauldron”, “Integrating Mental Skills Training into the Coaching Environment”, Team Building for High Performing Teams”, & “Body Image and Body Issues in Female Soccer Players: Lesson learned from college and elite athletes, Faro, Portugal (2010)
  • The 4th International Conference on Heath, Fitness & Active Living, Hacker, C.M. & McConnell, K.E., Examining Complexities Among Active Women and Athletes: Body Image, Weight, Nutrition and Performance, Athens, Greece (2007)
  • Invited Presenter: International Elite Coaching Symposium, Psychological Skills Training for the Elite International Performer, Albuferia, Portugal (2007)
  • Awarded Lecture, The American Psychological Association National Convention (only one scholar selected nationwide each year) by the American Psychological Foundation William Bevan Lecture on Psychology and Public Policy, Girls and Women on the Move: Ready, Set, Grow, New Orleans, LA (2006)
  • Invited Lecture Conde Nast Media Group, International Corporate Meeting, The Power of One: Moving From Me to We, Nevis, West Indies (2006)
  • Invited Lecture: National Institute of Health, National Forum, The Psychology Happiness, Failure as Fertilizer: Lessons Learned from the Competitive Cauldron, Bethesda, MD (2004)
  • Invited Lecture, United States Olympic Committee/United States Soccer Federation, Women in Coaching Summit, Preparation for Performance Excellence: Establishing your IPZ” and “Psychological Skills Training for Coaches: Practical Insights From Practice, San Diego, CA (2003)
  • Invited Lecture, Pan American Sports Organization, Self-fulfilling Prophecy and Player Performance: Implications for Coaches and Athletes, Austin, TX (2002)
  • The American Psychological Association (APA) National Convention, Sport Psychology Workshop: A Post-Olympic Review, Chicago, IL (2002)
  • Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology (AAASP), Women Working in Sport Psychology, Orlando, FL (2001)
  • Invited Lecture, SC Johnson Company: Global Forum (87 Countries), Peak Performance in the Workplace, Hong Kong, China (2000)
  • Invited Lecture, University of Arizona, Miller Humanities Lecture, Applied Sport Psychology in the Summer Olympic Games, Tucson, AZ (1996)

Accolades

  • Distinguished Professional Practice Award- Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), highest award given for professional practice & first female honored
  • Selected, Thirty One Women Who Will Change the Way Sports Are Played, ESPNW
  • Invited Keynote Lecture in Performance Psychology, Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP)
  • National Association of Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) Honor Award
  • Tacoma Pierce County Hall of Fame, The Tacoma Athletic Commission
  • National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers
  • William Bevan Lecture Award, Psychology and Public Policy, The American Psychological Foundation
  • National Award of Excellence, NSCAA
  • Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference - Lock Haven University: “Top Eight Most Successful Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania Student-Athletes of the past 50 Years”
  • American Psychological Association, Presidential Citation
  • Presidents Medal, Pacific Lutheran University
  • NSCAA National Letter of Commendation
  • Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching, Pacific Lutheran University
  • National Association for Girls and Women in Sport (NAGWS) Washington State Pathfinder Award
  • CASE Professor of the Year, School of Physical Education
  • National Association of Sport and Physical Education: Inspiration Award

Biography

Dr. Colleen M. Hacker, Ph.D.
Internationally recognized Speaker and Consultant in Performance Psychology

Five Time Olympic Games Coaching Staff
Certified Consultant-AASP
USOC Sport Psychology & Mental Training Registry

Dr. Colleen Hacker has served as a member of the United States coaching staff for five Olympic Games as a Mental Skills Coach and Performance Psychology Specialist. Dr. Hacker began her National Team service in 1995 working with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team. During her tenure, the National Team won the first Gold Medal awarded in women’s soccer at the 1996 Olympic Games followed by a dramatic overtime victory over China in the 1999 World Cup to win the United States its second World Cup title.  Named as an Assistant Coach in 2000, the National Team won a Silver Medal at the Sydney Olympic Games and a second Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.  In the most watched Olympics in history, the Team won their third Gold Medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing China.  The United States is the only country in the world to finish in the top three of every major world championship in soccer history.  Hacker also served as the Mental Skills Coach for the Olympic Field Hockey Team at the 2008 Olympic Games in China her fourth Olympic Games Coaching Staff selection. Serving as the Mental Skills Coach for USA Hockey (reigning World Champions), Dr. Hacker was a member of her fifth Olympic Coaching Staff as Team USA won a Silver medal in the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

In addition to her work with National Teams, Dr. Hacker serves as the mental skills coach to professional, international and Olympic athletes in a variety of sports including Major League Baseball, the NFL, MLS, NWPS (professional soccer), USA swimming, crew, speed skating, track and field, and tennis to name a few. She has also served as the Sport Psychology Consultant for the Under 16, Under 19 and the Under 21 United States Youth National Soccer Teams. Dr. Hacker is a member of the National Advisory Board for the Positive Coaching Alliance.  Her strategies for peak performance are sought by corporations, business groups, professional sport teams, civic organizations and both print and television media.  With more than 30 years experience in higher education, she is currently a Professor in Kinesiology at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.  Dr. Hacker has conducted extensive, applied research in the field of sport psychology with particular emphasis on peak performance, team building, leadership, mental toughness and psychological skills training for excellence.

Dr. Hacker received her Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Physical Education from Lock Haven University (PA).  She earned her master’s degree in Exercise and Sport Science at the University of Arizona and received her Ph.D. in Exercise and Movement Studies from the University of Oregon in 1992.

Dr. Hacker has received numerous professional awards including the Distinguished Professional Practice Award from AASP (the first woman to do so), the American Psychological Association’s Presidential Citation, Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (the highest teaching honor awarded by the University), the NAGWS Pathfinder Award, the NASPE Inspiration Award, the President Medal from PLU, the NSCAA Letter of Commendation and the National Award of Excellence, to name a few.  She has been inducted into the Pacific Lutheran University Hall of Fame, Pierce County Hall of Fame and the NAIA National Soccer Hall of Fame.   Dr. Hacker received the NAGWS Honor Award, the most prestigious award presented by that organization.  Most recently, she has been honored by AASP with the Distinguished Professional Practice Award, the first woman to receive that honor. ESPNW named Dr. Hacker as one of 30 women in the country who “change the way sports are played”. She has served on the United States Olympic Committee Performance Enhancement Team, is a member of the USOC Sport Psychology and Mental Training Registry and is an AASP Certified Consultant.

Much in demand as a speaker and consultant, Dr. Hacker has delivered over 100 professional presentations and published more than 45 articles, chapters and a book.   Dr. Hacker has worked with corporations such as Morgan Stanley, NIKE, Martha Stewart Living, Meredith Corporation, S.C. Johnson Company, MTV Networks, Infinity Broadcasting, Thrivent Insurance Company, The New Yorker Magazine, Citadel Broadcasting, Conde Nast, Million Dollar Round Table, Bankers Association, GLAMOUR, Parent’s Magazine, House and Garden, Franciscan Health Care Systems, Better Homes and Gardens, Westwood One, General Mills, and Equinox as well as civic groups and organizations.  She has published widely in professional journals and books. Her work has been featured in Jere Longman’s book, Girls of Summer, Lauren Gregg’s The Champion Within, Michelle Akers’ book, The Game and The Glory, The Soccer Bible, Brandi Chastain’s It’s Not About the Bra and Tom Farry’s book Game On:  The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children.

Dr. Hacker has delivered lectures and invited papers at such diverse groups as the Miller Humanities Lecture, the American Psychological Association, the National Institutes of Health, the Pan American Sports Organization, the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and the United States Olympic Committee Coaching Summit. Articles about Dr. Hacker’s work have appeared in Newsweek, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, The APA Monitor, The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. Dr. Hacker has been featured on national television outlets including CNN, FOX, ESPN, Discovery Channel, ESPN2 and Extra. Recently, the 1999 World Cup Soccer Team was featured on an ESPN documentary in the Nine for IX series entitled “The 99ers”.  Her publications and presentations have impacted audiences both academic and corporate. Her book, Catch Them Being Good (Penguin Books and Viking Press) a collaboration with champion soccer coach Tony DiCicco, was released in 2002. Dr. Hacker’s insights into topics such as the psychology of excellence, leadership, the power of choice, team building, performance psychology, mental toughness, and “The secret of the slight edge” strike a chord with organizations and corporate audiences both nationally and internationally.

Colleen Hacker's Success Soccer Camp