Dr. Rich has over a decade’s worth of experience in athletics, sports performance, and mental skills training. Dr. Rich was a rower at Binghamton University, where he was captain his senior year. Since graduating, Dr. Rich has gone on to be the Head Coach at several high school rowing programs on Long Island, as well as the Head Women’s Rowing Coach at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Dr. Rich holds a Master’s Degree in Coaching & Athletic Administration, and a Doctorate in Sport & Performance Psychology. Dr. Rich also holds the Certified Mental Performance Consultant® credential through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, and is currently working with several varsity DI and DIII programs at Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Brockport, Vassar College, and a range of individual athletes ranging from middle school to the Olympic level. His work with clients also includes CEOs and other non-traditional performance fields, such as those seeking to pass state licensing exams. Dr. Rich has several publications on the psychology of athletic injury, rowing specific mental skills training, and coaching athletes from special populations.

Dr. Rich has been a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) for over ten years, acting as a sports performance coach at several high level strength training facilities. In 2022, Dr. Rich earned the Certified Performance and Sport Scientist credential through the NSCA as well. Dr. Rich has also served as the Firefighter Health & Fitness Coordinator and Exercise Physiologist for Brookhaven National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy.

When not working with athletes, Dr. Rich serves as a faculty member within Rochester Institute of Technology’s Exercise Science Program, since 2013, lecturing in Sport Psychology, Motor Learning, Exercise Psychology, Biomechanics, Kinesiology, Strength Training for Performance, Psychology of Athletic Injury, and Training High Performance Athletes.

Credentials

• Doctorate, Sport & Performance Psychology

• Listed in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Performance Registry (2020 to Present)

• Master’s, Coaching & Athletic Administration

• AASP - Certified Mental Performance Consultant®

• NSCA - Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist

• NSCA - Certified Performance & Sport Scientist

• Trained Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Instructor

• USRowing Level 2

• USA Weightlifting Level 2

• NASM - Performance Enhancement Specialist

• NASM - Correctional Exercise Specialist

• USOPC - SafeSport

• American Heart Association - Basic Life Support, First Aid

• Mental Health First Aid Trained