Neal Bowes - Director of Performance
Dr. Neal Bowes has over 25 years experience of performance at the highest level as a player, coach, educator and provider of mental skills/performance training & support. He has provided support to over a 1,000 athletes including Olympic, national and professional level performers. He has provided on site support at European tournaments, prepared athletes and coaches for World Championships, Pam American, four successive Olympic Games and supported several World Class Performance Programs. Neal’s reputation is built upon applying mental skills/performance training in the situations athletes face and giving each athlete independence and confidence in applying the skills.
Neal gained his Ph.D. in Sport Psychology from the prestigious University of Bristol and his masters and undergraduate degrees from the top 10 ranked University of Warwick in the UK. Neal is a certified consultant (CC-AASP) of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and full member of the American Psychological Association (APA). He is has been listed in the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Sport Psychology Registry for the past two Quadrennials. He also holds a certification in counseling. His former playing experience in soccer at national level at schoolboy and collegiate level, as a former professional, and as a national level collegiate soccer selector, gives him an excellent insight into the demands of elite sport.
Neal’s work also includes coach, teacher and parent education. He is a certified teacher, qualified coach, and coach educator at national level. He has written national level guidelines for long-term athlete development and has developed training programs for over 1,000 coaches throughout the US and UK. The CARE™ coaching approach, developed from his doctoral research, has been experienced by over 500,000 children and is integral to all SPG programs. Neal serves as an adjunct professor at George Washington University, teaching Sport Psychology and advising on aspects of performance and pediatric exercise science.
Neal is also a popular speaker, writes for many leading publications, and has made several television appearances promoting the use of mental skills/performance training.
He is happily married to Claire and resides in Arlington, VA.
Claire Bowes - Director of Physical Performance
Claire Bowes has developed a reputation as a leading provider of physiological assessment and physical training for elite and youth athletes. She is a graduate of the prestigious Exercise Science program at the University of Birmingham, (UK), and is a certified strength & conditioning specialist [CSCS]. Claire has developed a proven formula based on the Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model and the most up to date sport science research, for assessing and training athletes in way that both maximizes performance and reduces injury risk.
Claire has over 14 years consulting experience working with many leading athletes and organizations. These include, Great Britain Triathlon, Great Britain Swimming, Top 20 world ranked junior tennis players, tour golfers, and many other national and state level athletes in sports such as swimming, cycling, running, kayak/canoe, soccer, basketball and baseball. This support includes preparation for World & European Championships, Pan American games, Junior Grand Slam events, national trials and state tournaments/events. She was a highly competitive swimmer and triathlete, giving her a personal insight into the demands of high level performance and training.
Claire is the creator of the FAST KIDS™ and SMART™ programs. These innovative programs are at the cutting edge in developing physical literacy and movement skills in young athletes, and continue to grow in popularity across the region. Claire also serves as an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where she teaches and advises on pediatric exercise science. Claire’s work also includes athlete, parent and coach education, where she offers an athlete centered, research based approach to coach clinics and parent/athlete workshops.
Claire resides in Arlington, VA, is married to Neal, and doting “mom” to Rubble the family mutt.
Support Staff
SPG works in conjunction with a range of experts in the sport arena including national level coaches, sports doctors, physical therapists, and teaching professionals.
