NWS Spirit FC is privileged to work closely with Luca Falcone as our performance psychologist across Junior, Youth and Senior programs.
Luca is a proudly local player turned coach who is closely affliated with Macquarie Dragons from the local NWSF association. Luca joined NWS Spirit FC as part of our Mens First Grade coaching staff in 2019, supporting David Perkovic as assistant coach for over six years. During this time, our Mens First Grade have enjoyed great success, including promotion into NPL1, two historic Australia Cup runs (including a Round of 16 match against Melbourne Victory in 2024) and a Waratah Cup win in 2023. Luca’s expertise and experience has provided invaluable for our Senior players in recent years.
Now, all our players, coaches and parents have the opportunity to engage with Luca, to further enhance their mental skills as part of our “relentless DNA”.
Why performance psychology?
We believe in the integration of performance psychology…
- Develop an informed mental framework for performance in our Spirit people.
- Assist in identifying factors that influence performance at the individual level in order to increase understanding of self and performance of Spirit teams.
- Educate our athletes, coaches/staff, and parents on how to support the development of and practice of mental skills that improve performance.
- Increase awareness of factors that influence performance and how mental skills support the development of a holistic, high achieving person and athlete.
Our club is built on a holistic approach to development and performance – the NWSF DNA. This framework for football guides our programs and people, with a clear remit to develop mental skills through the DNA attribute of “relentless”, which we define as “people who constantly strive to develop themselves and are resilient to challenges & setbacks“. This quality can be specifically developed through performance psychology.
Who can benefit?
Players
Luca is available to players through individual session packages. Luca can provide support for high performing players looking to further enhance their individual development, as well as support players around resilience, confidence, and any other mental health challenge.
NWS Spirit FC also provide opportunities for players to engage with Luca through presentations that are held throughout the season and communicated via team managers as part of our player education programme.
To book Luca for an individual player consult, email via thinkfirstpsychology@gmail.com or call on 0413 239 432.
Coaches
We believe coaches can be developed in the same way players can, and specific upskilling on mental skills through psychological counselling can greatly enhance coaching practice. Coaches can seek out individual consultations and packages by contacting Luca at thinkfirstpsychology@gmail.com or call on 0413 239 432.
Parents
Managing a child in a representative football environment can be a rewarding and challenging experience for parents. Pressures associated with ensuring a stable and safe relationship and a supportive environment for your athlete on top of the demands of everyday responsibilities can take a toll. There are many considerations and unique circumstances in which parents can benefit from performance psychology. Luca provides a space to support parents in developing the necessary mental skills that will enable one to cope with any challenges and also strategies to support the progression of your athlete as they engage with competitive sport, school, adolescence, and life.
Parents are encouraged to connect with Luca for consultations via email at thinkfirstpsychology@gmail.com or call on 0413 239 432.