Consultant Profile

Dr. Larry Lauer is the Director of Mental Performance for USTA Player Development and heads the mental performance team. As a PD team member Larry has worked with junior, transitional pro and professional tennis players, and the national coaching staff, training at the three national player development centers. Larry has a Ph.D in exercise and sport science, specializing in sport psychology from the University of North Carolina Greensboro. He has been a sport psychology consultant for over two decades with elite tennis players from juniors, college, and pros. Larry was an assistant coach and mental coach for Michigan State Men’s Tennis for three years, helping the team reach the 2013 NCAA tournament. Formerly, Larry was the Director of Coaching Education and Development in the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports (ISYS) at Michigan State University. At ISYS Larry conducted research on tennis parents, coaching, coach education, aggression in hockey, and life skills development in youth. He also was involved in training Detroit police officers and coaches to mentor youth athletes for the Detroit PAL. During his stay in Michigan, Larry worked for nearly 9 years as the mental performance consultant to USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. An AASP Certified Consultant and listed in the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry, 2017-2020, Larry was named one of the 100 Most Influential Sport Educators in America by the Institute for International Sport for his work in developing and leading the Playing Tough and Clean Hockey Program. As an advocate of sport in perspective, Larry has appeared on ESPN’s Outside the Lines and HBO’s State of Play show Trophy Kids, and has been interviewed by many media outlets including USA Today, the New York Times, Time.com, and the LA Times.