The New York Islanders are proud to announce the hiring of Siana Sylvester as Mental Performance Consultant. She will work directly with players, coaches, and management for both the New York Islanders and Bridgeport Islanders (American Hockey League), as well as the organization’s prospects.
A Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), Sylvester also serves as an AASP mentor and is a member of the AASP Advisory Review Committee. She is an advisory member for Dominican University’s Applied Sport Psychology Program and holds a master’s in athletic counseling. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with over a decade of experience in human performance and has worked with athletes at the amateur, collegiate, and professional levels, as well as with NASA leaders and military officers.
Sylvester joins the Islanders after seven years with HigherEchelon, Inc., a government and commercial consulting firm specializing in leadership development, change management, and organizational performance. In her most recent role as Director of Organizational & Mental Performance, she served as a Change Management Consultant, Program Manager, and Executive Coach.
She began at HigherEchelon as a Cognitive Enhancement Coach for the Department of Homeland Security for TSA officers. Most recently, she led the Army’s Holistic Health & Fitness (H2F) and Ready and Resilient (R2) programs across 5 military installations, serving as a sport psychology subject matter expert and managing over 50 mental performance and strength and conditioning coaches. These programs focus on strengthening resilience, optimizing performance, and enhancing soldier readiness. Sylvester designed HigherEchelon’s Resilient and Adaptable Leader program, based on West Point’s Center for Enhanced Performance.
In addition, Sylvester is the founder of Mental Flex, a private practice supporting athletes and teams with advanced techniques in mindfulness, visualization, and pressure management so that athletes can consistently perform their best when it matters the most.
Sylvester worked in the National Football League’s Player Engagement department, contributing to the inaugural Bridge to Success program in 2015. She served as the Mental Performance Coach for Harvard Women’s Ice Hockey (2013-14) and for Smith College Women’s Ice Hockey (2013-15).