The Playbook Seeks To Revolutionize Mental Performance Technology

In August 2024, the sports world will witness the launch of The Playbook, an innovative software platform designed to transform how athletes and sports organizations approach mental health and well-being. T.M. Robinson-Mosley, Ph.D., a second-generation counseling psychologist with a rich background in sports mental health, has been working on developing The Playbook since 2018. This new software aims to fill a large gap in the current intersection between athlete well-being and performance.

Dr. Mosley’s professional journey to developing this technology is rooted in her personal experiences and professional expertise. As a former athlete working in the sports mental health space, she saw the intersection of the impact that mental well-being has on sports performance. Through her work in various leadership roles in the university setting, she saw the tremendous need for increased access to help and resources. “If it’s baked into the system, then help and support become a part of the ecosystem,” says Dr. Mosley. Through her role as Assistant Dean at Dartmouth and Associate Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students at UC Santa Cruz, these positions fueled her interest in further investigating how performance and well-being are interconnected.

Despite the growing recognition of mental health’s importance in sports, Dr. Mosley noticed a persistent gap in the marketplace. “If we’re so invested in the physical health of athletes, then why aren’t we focused on mental health?” asks Dr. Mosley. In 2018, she transitioned to full-time entrepreneurship after starting her private practice in 2014. She decided to no longer work in isolation but she would take on opportunities where she could work within the ecosystem, directly with the leaders of big organizations. Dr. Mosley and her team began to work with organizations like the NCAA and NBA. When demand boomed for services during COVID, she began to think about getting into the technology side, which is where the idea for The Playbook came from.

“How do we quantify mental health statistics that give people concrete metrics around their mental health?” asked Dr. Mosley. She also began to consider the various care providers and people within these organizations who are tasked with caring for the athletes. “The Playbook is an app and web-based dashboard that quantifies mental health status, tracking things like stress, well-being, and resilience,” explains Dr. Mosley. Not only does The Playbook provide quantifiable mental health metrics, but it also then provides actionable insights for improving performance.

The Playbook is a patent-pending, HIPAA-compliant SaaS platform that offers gamified psychological assessments for athletes aged 14-40. Through these brief questionnaires, key metrics are then tracked, such as stress, well-being, and resilience. In turn, personalized game plans are provided to enhance performance through the lens of mental health and well-being. The athlete would log in to the app to complete the questionnaires and view their plans, while the team personnel or administrator would see a de-identified overview of their team’s results. “Data security and privacy are at the highest level for us – players have to consent to the data being collected and who has access to that data,” explains Dr. Mosley.

When asked if The Playbook is a clinical platform since it’s HIPAA-compliant, she answers “We’re not a clinical platform and that is intentional – we’re designed to catch you before you’re in a diagnosable range for a mental health disorder.” The desktop dashboard allows mental health professionals and other team clinicians with approved access to identify athletes in need of support proactively, rather than reacting to crises. The Playbook is designed to be a versatile tool for many different levels of sports.