For Players
Build confidence, handle pressure, reset after mistakes, and find identity beyond the jersey.
M Consulting · Mental Performance Coaching
Train what happens under the helmet.
Mental performance coaching for individual athletes, private clients, teams and organizations, in every sport and at every level, from former pro Mathew Maione.
Who I work with
- Individual athletesYouth to pro
- Private clients1:1 coaching
- TeamsPlayers & staff
- OrganizationsSchools, clubs, associations, leagues
All sports. All levels.
Based in Toronto, working with athletes everywhere, in person and online.
Signature program
Under the Helmet
The Mind Is the Difference.
Skill and fitness get the hours. What goes on under the helmet, in the athlete's mind, often decides the result. This program trains that side: identity, confidence, emotions, communication and resilience.
For Coaches
Understand athlete behaviour, communicate well, create psychological safety, and lead with accountability.
The curriculum
Six modules
Identity
Self-worth beyond performance.
Confidence
Built on preparation and controllables.
Emotional regulation
Reset after mistakes and pressure.
Communication
Listening, respect, asking for help.
Leadership
Belonging and healthy team culture.
Resilience
Learn from setbacks and move forward.
Each module includes a founder-led video, a coach guide, a short team activity and a family takeaway. Educational and performance-focused, not clinical counselling or treatment.
How we work together
Services
Every service is available 1:1 for individuals and private clients, or for groups, teams and organizations, in every sport and at every level.
Athletes
Individuals & private clients, youth to pro
- 1:1 mental performance coaching
- Confidence, focus and handling pressure
- Resetting after mistakes and tough stretches
- Identity beyond the jersey
Parents
Families of young athletes
- Supporting your athlete without adding pressure
- Handling pressure and expectations at home
- Communicating after games, including the car ride home
- Family takeaways from every module
Coaches
A separate coach curriculum
- Understanding athlete behaviour
- Communication and psychological safety
- Leading with accountability
- Coach guides and team activities
Teams & Organizations
Teams, schools, clubs, associations, leagues
- Interactive workshops for players and staff
- The full Under the Helmet curriculum, season-long
- Separate player and coach programs
- Healthy team culture and leadership
Player Transition
Professional athletes moving on from the game
- Support from the moment a player leaves a league
- Identity after sport and next-career direction
- Family, decompression and building networks
Player Transition
Life after the league starts the day you leave it
Transition doesn't wait for a formal retirement. It begins the moment a player leaves a league: a non-renewal, a move overseas, a step down a level, or the final game. As a former professional hockey player who has lived it, I work with professional athletes in every sport and at every pro level through that change.
Identity after sport
Who you are when the jersey comes off.
Next-career direction
Turning the skills sport built into what comes next.
Family
Bringing partners and kids through the change together.
Decompression
Room to breathe after years of routine and pressure.
Building networks
Introductions and relationships beyond the locker room.
On your terms
Confidential, private, and at your own pace.
Speaking & Keynotes
Bring Under the Helmet to your stage
Keynote speaker, Sweden's National Psychology Conference (2026)Speaking about Under the Helmet and the mind behind performance.
Topics
- Identity: the person behind the player
- Pressure and performance
- The Mind Is the Difference
- Transition: life after the game
Audiences
- Teams
- Organizations
- Conferences
- Schools
On the ice
Career Gallery
In their words
Testimonials
From athletes
“There are things you deal with as a professional athlete that are difficult to explain to someone who hasn't lived it. Having someone who understands that world made it easier to open up, work through things, and still focus on performing.”
Professional Hockey Player
“You spend your entire career being taught how to become a better hockey player, but very little time learning who you are outside of hockey. Under the Helmet helped me start answering that question.”
Former Professional Hockey Player
“Under the Helmet helped me separate who I am from how I perform. That shift has made me better at handling pressure on the ice and more grounded away from it.”
Professional Hockey Player
“The biggest difference for me has been learning how to reset. A bad game or difficult stretch doesn't follow me home the way it used to. I'm becoming better at managing both the athlete and the person.”
Professional Hockey Player
From families
“Under the Helmet helped my son understand that his performance doesn't define who he is. He's become more confident, more resilient after difficult games, and better at communicating what he's feeling.”
Parent of U14 Hockey Player
“The biggest change we've seen is how our daughter responds when things don't go her way. Instead of carrying a mistake with her, she's learning how to reset, refocus, and stay present.”
Parent of Youth Soccer Player
“What stood out to us was that it wasn't just about becoming a better athlete. The lessons around confidence, pressure, communication, and self-belief are things our child can carry well beyond sport.”
Parent of Youth Pickleball Player
About me
Mathew Maione
I'm a former professional hockey player, mental performance coach, and the founder of M Consulting and Under the Helmet. I played professionally for more than a decade across North America, Europe and Asia, in 12 countries. I combine that experience with a BSc in Psychology to help athletes perform under pressure without losing themselves in the process.
Education: BSc Psychology, Minor in Biology, University of Prince Edward Island (2014)
Playing career
- Spengler CupChampion, Team Canada
- World University GamesGold medal · Assistant captain, Team Canada (UPEI)
- KHL All-StarDinamo Riga
- Liiga All-StarKalPa Kuopio · Most Entertaining Player
- Slovak ExtraligaChampion · Defenseman of the Year · First Team All-Star
- HockeyAllsvenskanChampion, IF Björklöven
- ECHL Defenseman of the YearFirst Team All-Star · Kelly Cup Finalist, Wheeling Nailers
- 10+ pro seasons12 countries · North America, Europe & Asia
- Junior & universityNiagara IceDogs & Guelph Storm (OHL) · UPEI
Beyond the game
I'm a father, and hockey has taken me through championships, injuries, trades, changing roles and new cultures, and eventually through the transition away from the identity I'd carried most of my life. I've been a hockey instructor since 2020, and today I speak to teams, organizations and conferences (see Speaking).
Why Under the Helmet
Hockey taught me that mental strength isn't about being unaffected by adversity. It's about how you respond to it. We teach athletes to perform under pressure, but rarely how to understand their emotions or separate who they are from how they play. Your last shift is information, not your identity. I built Under the Helmet so that when athletes take off the jersey for the last time, they know the person underneath has always been enough.
Questions
FAQ
Who is this for?
Athletes in every sport and at every level, from youth to pro, plus parents, coaches, teams and organizations. Individuals and private clients are welcome, as are professional athletes in transition.
Do you work online or in person?
Both. I'm based in Toronto and work with athletes everywhere, in person and online.
How do sessions work?
We start with a free intro call to understand your goals. From there we agree on a plan: 1:1 sessions, a workshop, or a season-long program.
Is it confidential?
Yes. What you share stays between us. When I work with an organization, private details are never shared without your agreement.
Is this therapy?
No. Under the Helmet is educational, performance-focused mental coaching. It is not clinical counselling or treatment, and it is not a replacement for care from a licensed mental health professional. If you need that support, I'll help point you toward it.
Do you work with minors?
Yes, always with parents or guardians involved from the first conversation.
Let's talk
Start with a conversation
Athletes, parents, coaches and organizations in every sport are welcome.
What happens next: I'll reply personally, usually within a couple of business days, to set up a time to talk.