Our team consists of passionate experts in the field of sports psychology, with a love for sports and a commitment to advancing sports psychology in the Netherlands.
Tough Minds was founded by sport psychologists Petra and Jorrit. The personal experiences and life journeys of Jorrit & Petra form the foundation of Tough Minds. The lessons, breakthroughs, and experiences we gained in our own sports careers are merged with the knowledge from our education. We now want to pass on this unique and effective combination to others. We are accredited as sports psychologists by VSPN®, the hallmark for sports psychologists in the Netherlands, specializing in mental coaching. Read more about our sportpsychologists:
Specializations Petra: Talents & Elite Athletes, Prevention & Recovery from Injuries, Training Programs for Regional Training Centers (RTCs) & Healthy Performance Climate in Sports Clubs, Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), Sports Mindset for (Health) Professionals.
Are you looking for energy, positivity, and confidence? Then you need to connect with Petra. She exudes enthusiasm and delights in helping you grow: in mindset, in your sport, and in achieving your goals. She loves taking immediate action and assists you in taking the next step (preferably right away). Sitting still isn't her strong suit, so she prefers to be right there with you on the field, in the gym, or simply at our location. The question "could I do that too?" has driven Petra to explore many sports. This led her to experience elite rowing, but nowadays, you can mainly find her on the hockey field, cycling, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), and in her running shoes. Rugby is her passion discovered later in life, and now she often serves as a mental trainer on the rugby field. If possible, she still aims to achieve her goal of mastering a solid tackle Where Petra couldn't find answers as an athlete herself, she has become a specialist now. When her coaches used to say, "Your head wasn't in the game," or "You weren't on the same page," or "You let your heads drop," she always wanted to know how to train for that. Clear answers didn't always follow. This motivated Petra to search further for the answers, and they turned out to lie in the field of sports psychology. This resulted in the most fun job in the Netherlands (according to Petra). Do you often receive feedback about your mindset? Petra now has the answer to how you train for that!
Specializations Jorrit: Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT), Team Training, (Elite) Sports, Performing Arts, Injury Recovery, Personal Development, Work/Life Balance.
Jorrit is genuine and honest. He seeks the real YOU, encouraging you to be true to yourself. Your strength lies in being exactly who you are, and he excels at reigniting the fire within you to stand in your power. Once you've achieved that, there are no limits; the sky is the limit!You immediately feel at home with Jorrit. He is calm, warm, open, and understands you well. He's not afraid to ask questions that others might find uncomfortable because he's not afraid of the answer. Nothing seems strange to him because everything happening in your mind or heart is okay. You might sense a bit that Jorrit has always been a goalkeeper. Unique in his own way, he's there when needed but can also quietly sit in the background observing. He knows how to intuitively sense what you need from him: whether it's listening or, at times, intervening powerfully to turn the game around.Since 2023, Jorrit has also been working as a performance psychologist at Codarts. Codarts is a prestigious international institute for the performing arts. Here, he guides aspiring musicians, dancers, and circus artists in a similar way to what he does at Tough Minds. It's challenging, innovative, and one big playground to reach even more performers with the Dare to Grow philosophyWhat you can expect from him are simple tools/hacks to build a strong foundation from within, enabling you to perform, enjoy, and have fun. His passion for sports psychology began when he, as a young goalkeeper, struggled with low self-confidence. However, with his goalkeeper coach, they managed to turn this around in a single season, transforming him into a confident goal-stopper. He was then determined to help other athletes find that mental strength and believe in themselves from their core.He himself is engaged in various sports, initially starting as a goalkeeper but now a marathon runner, surfer, squash player, cyclist, strength athlete, and much more because there's always a new challenge to be found. Do you have the courage to fire your questions at Jorrit?
Specializations Simone: Elite Sports & Education, Team Training, (Top) Sports, Youth & High School Students, Personal Leadership, Business Communication Training.
Simone looks beyond you as an athlete. Who are you? What drives you? And what makes you happy? The person behind the athlete is at the core. Maintaining enjoyment and continuously seeking growth are central to her guidance. According to Simone, the most significant achievements come through collaboration. Therefore, she is eager to work with you to tackle various challenges together!Simone is curious, approaching conversations with an open mindset. She excels in listening but isn't afraid to ask probing questions. She does this regularly with her own teammates. On the (amateur) soccer field, she observes the same dynamics as in the gymnastics hall where she spent hours in her youth: intense emotions, differences in motivation, match tension, and complex discussions about selection or playing time. It's this relatability that makes working as a sports psychologist so enjoyable for Simone! Are you wondering how you can get even more out of yourself, both as an athlete and as a person? Simone is eager to take steps forward with you!
We have gathered a team of individuals around us to help spread sports psychology at all levels throughout the Netherlands. Our Ambassadors share their personal experiences and deliver motivational training sessions alongside the sports psychologists of Tough Minds. In the Tough Minds Academy, we train talents to provide mental training 'The Tough Minds Way' on the field, in action, alongside the athlete/player/coach.Want to know more?
David & Pleun are elite athletes who can tell you like no other what mental training entails, why everyone benefits from it, and how it has influenced their lives and sports careers. That is also the reason they joined as Tough Minds ambassadors.
Pleun Ypma Beachvolleybal - Team NL
Why did I become a Tough Minds ambassador? The taboo on psychology, the judgment often associated with it, is unnecessary. And that is probably my biggest insight of recent times. Tough Minds has created an environment for me in which I can always, in my own way, share my story. Sometimes it's light-hearted, enjoyable, we have a coffee and it's just about venting. Sometimes it's more intense, and we delve deeper. What do they have in common... I always leave/hang up with a pleasant feeling, with a sense of trust, with a positive feeling. How cool is that!Sharing stories, feelings, experiences is nice. Openness is strength! And that's what I am going to make clear, together with Tough Minds.
David WeersmaRugby - NL Team XV's
Why did you become an ambassador? I started working with Tough Minds to improve my rugby, but that led to a great interest in sports psychology. It's an honor for me to be an ambassador now. I see that mental training has a positive effect on me as a rugby player and as a person. I want to be open about what I do and inspire you to start as well. What is your definition of a Tough Mind? Someone who, despite setbacks, still wants to improve. Someone with discipline. Someone who takes responsibility for their situation. Someone who makes no excuses.
Pleun & David love spreading the message of why working on yourself mentally whilst also working physically makes you a happier and better-performing individual.Do you want to learn this from them within your sports club or company? Together with the sports psychologists of Tough Minds, they have developed some workshops to learn interactively from their experiences. Not just your ordinary motivational speakers. No, we teach your team skills that can be directly applied in practice. If you want, we can even incorporate them into an active clinic on the field.
"Because we firmly believe that money should not be a reason not to seek mental guidance, we have launched the Heroes Program.""We connect companies with athletes who receive a (financial) boost to stay mentally sharp and fit. Companies that simply wish to support athletes in receiving coaching in this area. Many athletes face the issue that mental training is not covered, neither by health insurance nor by their club or federation. Of course, athletes are also free to approach a company to sponsor their coaching." "For this reason, we have developed vouchers for mental training that companies can order and directly donate to athletes who have indicated they would love to make use of this. Of course, we also contribute by offering these vouchers at a reduced rate to the companies. Additionally, both the athlete and Tough Minds have a nice gesture of gratitude for you."
"The Haaglanden Fire Department (VRH) donated a program to freerunner Bo. As a reciprocal gesture, she provided an awesome clinic to the winners of a promotion during their vitality week: Win-win!" "Fire Department on Heroes Program:"Every day, our personnel deliver top performances by responding as first responders to sometimes intense incidents. Focus, mental resilience, and performing under pressure are vital to us. We are proud that our employees make efforts every day to deliver that performance. We recognize that ambition in top athletes as well. We wholeheartedly support it." "What is the added value for you?"As an organization, we are at the heart of society; we don't just extinguish fires but aim to be of even greater value to the community. This Heroes Action fits in very well. This way, we help an amazing athlete stay mentally sharp and fit.
Bo on giving back to the community:"It was a lot of fun and had a relaxed vibe. The most enjoyable workshop I've ever given! They were super eager to learn, communicated well about what they wanted. Time flew by. What was special is that everyone finished at the same level, regardless of their firefighter role."
Petra about Bo: Bo has just completed her program and has managed to elevate herself to the next level. Consistently reaching the finals in major tournaments, achieving Top 5 in the World Cup, and she still only sees progress: "I am still growing further; I can become even better!" That promises something for the future. Bo applies our vision 'dare to grow' daily: to become better than you ever dared to dream! Break your own limits. Let's Bo!
Our call to companies is clear: offer athletes or sports teams mental training, a full program, or a season of guidance. If your company chooses a full program or season, there is also a nice reciprocal gesture from the athlete(s) in return!Interested? Feel free to contact petra@toughminds.nl or06-13175962. If you want to register as an athlete to be eligible for a program, you can also contact Petra
Leave a message and we will contact you as soon as possibleOr call/whatsapp us directly
Petra 06-13175962
Jorrit 06-30135880
Haagse Sport Centrale
Michaelisstraat 5, Den Haag
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Zipperz, naast de Kuip
Olympiaweg 4-14, Rotterdam
