Kate F. Hays Distinguished Mentor Award

Funded by the AASP Foundation

Please read the full instructions below before starting your application. 

Effective as of the 2026 Awards Cycle

Kate F. Hays Distinguished Mentor Award applications are submitted online through the Cadmium platform.

Click Here to Start Your Application in Cadmium

After you press "save application" upon completing all components of the application, please click the "submit" button at the top right of the screen to move your application from Active to Completed status. The action of clicking "submit" will prompt the system to email the applicant a confirmation of the submitted application. Clicking "submit" is the final step to submit your award application for consideration. Award nominees with a sponsor will be required to invite their sponsor to certify the nomination in Cadmium prior to final submission.

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The Kate F. Hays Distinguished Mentor Award recognizes the outstanding efforts by an Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) member as a mentor/supervisor who has had a significant impact on his/her mentee(s) in the field. The recipient receives a $1,000 cash award, a waived AASP Annual Conference registration fee in the year of the award, and a commemorative plaque presented at the conference.

Award Criteria

Nominees must meet the following criteria:

1. Professional member of AASP.
2. Be an Active Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC).
3. Have significantly impacted the professional work and personal development of mentee(s) as illustrated in testimonial letters.
4. Nominees will generally be individuals who have been teaching/working/mentoring/supervising in the field for many years, but it is possible that early career professionals could meet the spirit of the award and will certainly be considered.

Submission Guidelines 

An AASP member or group of AASP members who are students or professionals may nominate a mentor for this award.

The nomination materials should include:

1. Detailed information about the mentor and the scope and significance of their mentoring of students or professionals within sport and performance psychology (and potentially beyond).
2. Submissions may be no more than two (2) pages single-spaced.
3. A maximum of four (4) supplemental letters from mentees may be uploaded as supporting materials for the application.

A five-person subcommittee from the AASP Foundation, including at least one AASP student member, will review the application(s).

*Deadline for this award: April 15 of each year.

View a list of past Kate F. Hays Distinguished Mentor Award recipients