The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has appointed experienced sports psychologist from Belgium, Kris Perquy as the Team Psychologist for the senior male national football team, the Black Stars.
A psychologist plays a critical role in a football team by focusing on the mental and emotional well-being of the players.
Kris Perquy is an accomplished sports psychologist with over 17 years’ experience working with professionals in the sports industry.
He worked with the Belgian Football Association for 15 years, helping to professionalise their football psychology offering for players and coaches. He developed a coach education programme dubbed ‘Psychology for Football’, which reached over 300 trainers. His work also saw him working as Lead psychologist for a project to support elite referees in their preparation and recovery.
Kris Perquy was a member of the coaching staff for Belgium’s Olympic athletes, supporting the team during training camps and has worked as Mental Coach for professional football clubs such as KSV Cercle Brugge, RSC Anderlecht, Club Brugge and KV Oostende.
Perquy has also worked as Performance Psychologist for a global E-Sports organisation and Mental Coach for Belgium’s national male and female Handball teams. He prepared top swimming talents for the Olympic Games as well.
Kris Perquy holds a Master’s degree in Organisational Psychology from the University of Gent and a Certificate in brain-based coaching from the Neuroleadership Institute in London, United Kingdom.
He is the Founder of the International Network of Football Psychologists, an organisation that provides platforms for the sharing of best practices among mental coaches from the highest echelons of European Football.
With his depth of knowledge and expertise in the area of Sports Psychology, Kris Perquy co-authored ‘The Sport Brain’, a book on Sports Psychology, with Van Halewyck.
In appointing Kris Perquy, the Football Association is confident that the entire Black Stars team would have a top-notch professional in Sports Psychology to take care of the team’s needs in this regard. Kris is also expected to design and implement training sessions for coaches and team psychologists of the various national teams as well as football clubs in Ghana.
Importance of a psychologist on the team
Mental toughness: Sports psychologists help players develop resilience and mental toughness, enabling them to perform under pressure and bounce back from setbacks.
Focus and concentration: They work on techniques to improve focus and concentration, which are essential for peak performance during matches.
Team dynamics: Psychologists foster better communication and teamwork among players, enhancing overall team cohesion.
Stress and anxiety management: They teach coping strategies for managing stress and anxiety, both on and off the field.
Motivation and goal setting: Sports psychologists help players set realistic goals and stay motivated to achieve them.
Confidence building: They work on boosting players’ self-confidence, which is crucial for consistent performance.
Injury rehabilitation: Psychological support during injury recovery can aid in faster and more effective rehabilitation.
Personal development: Beyond football, psychologists can assist players in personal growth and dealing with life challenges.
The Black Stars’ performance at the recent African Cup of Nations (AfCON) was an indication of the need for a team psychologist. The call for the GFA to get in an expert in that field has been on the table for a while and this appointment has been long overdue.
