Internationally recognized authority on the psychology of peak performance and Sport Psychology Consultant
Dr. Colleen Hacker has served as the Sport Psychology 
Consultant to the Women’s U.S. National Soccer Team
since 1995. During her tenure, The National Team won a
Gold Medal at the 1996 Olympic Games, the 1998 Goodwill
Games and the 1999 World Cup. Named as an Assistant
Coach in 2000, Dr. Hacker helped lead the National Team to a
Silver Medal at the Sydney Olympic Games and a third place
finish in the 2003 World Championships. Most recently, the
team won a Gold Medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in
Athens, Greece. The United States is the only country in the
world to finish in the top three of every major world championship
in soccer history.
In addition to her work with the National Soccer Team, Dr. Hacker works
with professional, international and Olympic athletes in a variety of
sports including Major League baseball, the NFL, the WNBA, professional
soccer, swimming, crew, speed skating, track and field, field hockey and
tennis. 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. 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 25 years experience in higher
education, she is currently a professor in Movement Studies and
Wellness Education 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, cohesion, leadership 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 Science from
the University of Oregon in 1992.
Dr. Hacker has received numerous professional awards including the
Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award (the highest teaching honor
awarded by the University), the National Association of Girls and Women
in Sport Pathfinder Award, the National Association of Sport and
Physical Education Inspiration Award, the President Medal from Pacific
Lutheran University, the American Psychological Association’s
Presidential Citation, the National Soccer Coaches Association of
America 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. She
is a member of the Advisory Panel for the Center for Sport Parenting
through the Institute for International Sport, Club Life Magazine
Advisory Board, the NSCAA National Coaching Staff and has served on the
United States Olympic Committee Performance Enhancement Team.
Much in demand as a speaker and consultant, Dr. Hacker has worked with
corporations such as Morgan Stanley, NIKE, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, S.C. Johnson Company, MTV,
Infinity Broadcasting, Thrivent Insurance Company, The New
Yorker Magazine, Citadel Broadcasting, Conde Nast, Million Dollar Round
Table, GLAMOUR, Parent’s Magazine, House and Garden, Franciscan Health
Care Systems, Better Homes and Gardens, Women's Sports and Fitness as
well as civic groups such as the Girl Scouts of America and the
YMCA. 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 and Brandi Chastain’s It’s Not About the Bra.
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 Conference
on the Psychology of Happiness, 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.
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 peak
performance, the power of choice, team building, leadership and the
“secret of the slight edge” strike a chord with organizations and
corporate audiences throughout the United States and across the world.