BYU Athletics teams up with Ampelis to enhance student-athlete performance and well-being

PROVO, Utah – Ampelis, a Utah-based company and provider of holistic human performance solutions, has entered a multi-year partnership with BYU Athletics to deliver comprehensive mental health and mental performance services to its student-athletes and coaches.

This initiative builds upon the work of existing performance coaches and mental health providers at BYU. It has been made possible through a generous donation to the BYU Athletic Department by the Clayt and Kealey Reynolds family. The collaboration aims to optimize BYU student-athletes’ overall well-being and sport performance through a combination of mental performance coaching, mental health counseling and digital support tools that combine to create a personalized and effective whole-athlete support model.

Ampelis’s approach begins with a comprehensive assessment across three key areas of meaningful living: (1) Development of Self (e.g., mental, emotional, and physical development); (2) Relationships with Others (e.g., friends, family, teammates, coaches); and (3) Cultivating Spirituality (i.e., one’s sense of connection to something greater than themselves). This thorough evaluation provides valuable insights into the student-athletes’ strengths, goals and areas for improvement.

“We hope the relationship with Ampelis is a signal of what makes BYU Athletics unique,” said Tom Holmoe, BYU director of athletics. “It is possible to develop world-class student-athletes who are also equipped to lift our communities with knowledge, leadership skills, mental and emotional resilience, faith and moral character – that is our commitment at BYU and we are glad to come together with a partner who shares this important vision.”

Ampelis’s dedicated mental health and mental performance coaching team, led by former BYU football player (2009-2012), Braden Brown, LMFT and Matt Moore, CMPC, works closely with each student-athlete and team to develop plans that are tailored to their specific needs. These customized plans prioritize the identification and development of student-athletes’ strengths while addressing areas for improvement in the domains of meaningful living. This strengths-based approach is a more effective change model than an exclusive focus on a person’s gaps or weaknesses.

In addition to one-on-one and team-level consultations, Ampelis has developed an intuitive coaching app to facilitate progress tracking, accountability and communication. The app seamlessly integrates with wearable devices and enables student-athletes to access their individualized plans, communicate with Ampelis coaches, complete assessments and access educational resources. The coach's dashboard provides real-time data on each student-athlete, allowing Ampelis coaches to identify correlations and make data-driven adjustments to individualized plans when necessary. The app also analyzes team data, allowing Ampelis coaches to share relevant group-level data with the student-athletes’ respective sport coaches. The app combines digital scalability with a human touch, ensuring a well-rounded coaching and/or counseling experience.

"At Ampelis, our focus is on helping our clients infuse more meaning, hope and purpose into their lives,” said Robbie Harmon, president at Ampelis. “With athletes, it’s about equipping them with the knowledge and skills to optimize their performance in sports – but more importantly, it’s about equipping them with the tools to thrive in life beyond sports, and when approached correctly, those two objectives are connected.”

This partnership marks a significant milestone for Ampelis and BYU Athletics, reflecting a shared vision of holistic student-athlete development and dedication to delivering world-class services as BYU enters a new era as a member of the Big 12 Conference, competing on larger stages than ever before. This initiative has been designed and will operate under the leadership of Trevor Wilson, senior associate athletic director over the student-athlete ecosystem in BYU Athletics.

"We are grateful to play a small role in nurturing the growth, well-being and peak performance of the student-athletes at BYU,” said Clayt Reynolds, president and CFO of NexGen Resources Corporation. “The mission of BYU Athletics is about developing these remarkable young men and young women on and off the field. It’s easy for my family to be excited about supporting initiatives that will help them unlock their full potential in athletics, in their faith, in their families and as future leaders in society.”

For more information about Ampelis and its comprehensive human performance services, please visit ampelis.org.