'Mental Conditioning' is Valuable Tool to Help Players Succeed in Modern-age

Trevor Moawad's name has been synonymous with sports psychology and 'mental conditioning' in soccer since his arrival at the IMG Academies - working with the United States Under-17 national team and the elite athletes at IMG.

Over the past couple of years, Moawad has been able to carve a niche in college football, having worked with the likes of Alabama and coach Nick Saban and now with Florida State University.

"I didn't have any experience with mental conditioning before meeting Trevor," Alles said. "But Nick Saban has an exceptional mind himself. He's a revolutionary guy. He thinks outside the box."

In his position as director of operations, Alles worked closely with Moawad that year. He helped facilitate Moawad's meetings with players and coaches, and he says the results were "astounding."

Moawad, the director of the IMG Performance Institute in Bradenton, would meet with select players who were identified by Saban and the Tide coaching staff, and he would report back with his evaluations as well as action plans.

"It worked, and it worked fast," Alles said. "Trevor was off the charts in knowing what it took to get this guy on board or that guy on board. He approached each guy differently, and he identified the button to push for each of them."

Alles ended up returning to his alma mater, Ohio State, after that first campaign in Tuscaloosa, but he watched Alabama closely each of the last two seasons. And he is certain that Moawad's efforts played a large role in the Tide's success.

"I think it had a lot to do with how fast it turned around," Alles said. "A lot of it is recruiting. But it's also bringing together a bunch of individuals from different programs and experiences, and getting them to think and function alike.

"I saw a lot of players on the field this past season that when I first got there, I didn't think they would still be at Alabama two or three years later, let alone be contributing on the field for a team that won the national title."

Mental conditioning has really become a key component to success in all sports, and has really become a valued resource in the game of soccer.