×

Podcast: Inside West Point’s Center for Enhanced Performance with COL Darcy Schnack ’96 & Dr. Kat Longshore

Category: Grad News
Class Years:

In this episode, we delve into the transformative work of West Point’s Center for Enhanced Performance (CEP), focusing on their key programs that support cadet success in performance psychology, academic excellence, and athletic coordination.

WPAOG Today
Apple Podcasts Icon
Spotify Icon
Audible Icon
YouTube Music
SimpleCast Icon

Exploring the CEP’s mission, we focus on enhancing cadet performance through their key programs: performance psychology, academic excellence, and athletic academic support coordination. Discover how the CEP’s critical student success course integrates essential academic skills, like time management and organization, with mental skills, such as goal setting and stress management, to help cadets excel both at the Academy and in their future military careers.

COL Darcy Schnack, a distinguished graduate of USMAPS (1992) and the U.S. Military Academy (1996), brings a wealth of experience to her role as Director of the Center for Enhanced Performance. With advanced degrees in sociology from Boston College and extensive service as an Army logistician, including two tours in Iraq, she has also taught Military Leadership at USMA. She is the Head Officer Representative for the Army Volleyball team and enjoys family life with her husband, Troy ’96, and their three children.

Dr. Kat Longshore joined the CEP in May 2020 as a Performance Enhancement Specialist and Lecturer, where she helps cadets and athletes reach peak performance. With over a decade of experience in mental performance coaching, Dr. Longshore has worked with national teams, professional athletes, and collegiate programs. She also served as a visiting assistant professor at Lafayette College, teaching courses in sport psychology and related subjects.

In addition, we also delve into the extensive support CEP offers to cadets and faculty. Dr. Longshore highlights unique initiatives such as the mental training lab, which features innovative tools like virtual reality and tennis ball machines, and the popular egg chairs designed for deliberate recovery. We also explore the inviting atmosphere of the library’s mental skills lab, encouraging cadets to utilize these valuable resources. Tune in for an engaging and insightful conversation that sheds light on the CEP’s impactful approach to enhancing performance across all aspects of West Point life.

**This episode does not imply Federal endorsement.

Episode Timestamps

(01:07) Overview of the Center for Enhanced Performance
(02:39) The Academic Excellence Program
(04:55) Performance Psychology and Mental Skills
(15:54) Integration with Military Training
(23:17) Accessing CEP Resources
(29:33) The Future of CEP at West Point

Links

Connect with Dr. Kat Longshore
Connect with COL Darcy Schnack ’96
Learn more about the Center for Enhanced Performance

You may also like

Sports Performance Program Builds Champions

“Overall, understanding that your well-being is a skill and something that you can affect. You know, ‘What is it I can take charge of? I can take charge of my own well-being.’ I think we are a great entry into accessing wellness resources and taking care of yourself and your own mental health and wellness is a really important thing to own. I think where CEP is going is helping to contribute to that effort in addition to development in the military, academic, and physical pillars.”

— COL Darcy Schnack ’96

Grad News

Subscribe to get grad news or cadet news delivered to your inbox daily around 4:30 EST when a new story is posted. We use Feedblitz for email delivery, which is separate from the WPAOG email system and preferences.

Podcast

The WPAOG Podcast is a strategic initiative focused on tailored audible communications to further inform Graduates on current AOG projects, events, and USMA updates. This customized content is mainly for USMA Alumni and the West Point Community solely produced by the West Point Association of Graduates. The Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Audible, YouTube Music, and iHeartRadio.

More News