Athletes Seek an Edge on the Web
By Mike Allen
Staff Writer

Racewalker Andrew Hermann (right) will represent the United States at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Hermann credits Enhanced Performance Systems with helping him to improve his skills as a racewalker.

Athletes looking for that extra edge in competition may find what they're seeking at the Web site produced by a local consulting firm.

Enhanced Performance Systems, Inc., which pioneered a psychological assessment and training system, now offers a test called the Athlete's Competitive Edge that can be found at (www.TAKEACE.com).

For a fee of $35, the 50-question test will evaluate a person's mental abilities when it comes to athletic competition. Besides measuring 23 critical performance factors such as focus, confidence, discipline, strategy and leadership, the test also allows participants to compare their results to other amateurs in their sports or to professional athletes.

"The test and evaluation is aimed at anybody who competes and wants to improve their game, from the elite level athlete or coach to weekend warriors," said Marc Sagal, EPS' chief operating officer.

Sagal, a former professional soccer player, said it could be immensely beneficial to many aspiring athletes and other recreational competitors who are intent on getting better at their playing.

"The higher you go in the world of sports, the more important the mental side becomes. At certain levels like professional sports, the technical athletic skills are very similar," he said.

Living proof that ACE works is Andrew Hermann, an Olympic race walker, who worked with EPS to determine what areas he could improve in his quest to make the 2000 Olympics men's track team.

"Amazingly, I was able to slice nine minutes off my time simply because I had better mental focus and was able to concentrate on the areas I needed to improve," said Hermann, who was named to the team in February.

Among those using ACE are professional football, basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer athletes, as well as thousands of amateurs.

Besides helping folks sharpen their mental approach to their games, EPS is a longtime consultant to businesses that are looking for ways to evaluate and sharpen their staffers' competitive skills.

EPS clients have included some of the nation's largest companies, including San Diego's Alaris Medical Systems, and Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks, and Hewlett-Packard.