Dr. Kostrna’s professional philosophy centers on the integration of scientific research, learning, and applied practice. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) and Approved Mentor for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), serves on the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Sport Psychology Registry, is a former Certified Personal Trainer for the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF), and member of the Sport and Exercise Psychology Area Program executive committee for the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA). Currently, he is co-chair of the AASP Exam Development Committee (EDC). Dr. Kostrna has received numerous service, teaching, and mentorship excellence awards.
Since 2012, he has consulted with numerous teams and individual performers of all age ranges, from amateurs to professional champions and Olympic medalists, to improve mental performance. Additionally, he has worked with non-sport (surgeons, corporate decision-makers, and military personnel) and exercise populations to improve performance and increase client success. He has also served as a research and statistical analysis consultant for dissertations, sports organizations, private businesses, and grant-funded projects.
Research Areas
Dr. Kostrna’s research agenda examines how applied interventions influence the cognitive and emotional determinants of physical activity behavior and sport performance. His published and current research investigates physical activity behavior and applied interventions designed to improve motivation for physical activity through the manipulation of perceived exertion, enjoyment, and perceptions of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. His existing and ongoing research on sport performance focuses on the effects of stress and its resultant emotions on decision-making, as well as applied sport psychology interventions to improve performance and decision-making in high-stress situations. His research has been funded by AASP, the National Institute of Health (NIH), and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Dr. Kostrna currently supervises a number of undergraduate, Master’s and Ph.D. students (and candidates) who are conducting research on physical activity promotion, sport injury recovery, and decision-making in sport.
Select Publications
Kostrna, J. & Bigliassi, M. (2023). The effects of ambient noise control on music’s effects of aerobic exercise experience. Journal of Sport Sciences, 41(14), 1393–1399. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2023.2273087
Svoboda, S. M., & Kostrna, J. (2023). Effects of tempo of self-selected music on isokinetic strength performance, attention, affect, perceived exertion, and remembered pleasantness in resistance trained young adults. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.14487
Gomez, S, Everett, E., & Kostrna, J. (2023). Developing self-awareness and emotional Intelligence in adolescent soccer: A community outreach program. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2023-0037
Kostrna, J., Lebeau, J.C., Sáenz-Moncaleano, C., & Foster, B., (2023). A proposed three stage post-performance routine framework. The Sport Psychologist. https://doi.org/10.1123/tsp.2023-0001
Kostrna, J. (2022). Effects of time constraints and goal setting on basketball shooting. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923061
Kostrna, J, & D’Addario, A. (2022). An Independent Examination of the Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement Protocol in National Collegiate Athletic Association Swimming and Diving. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1123/jcsp.2020-0064
Kostrna, J., & Tenenbaum, G. (2021). Developing and testing the Expanded Sport Official’s Decision-Making Model. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/1612197X.2021.1891117
Ritchie, J., Braun, R., Basevitch, I., Boiangin, N., & Tenenbaum, G. (2016). The effects of lemon taste on attention, perceived exertion, and affect during a stepping task. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 25, 9-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2016.03.005
Education
Dr. Kostrna earned his PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Florida State University. While at Florida State he also completed a Master's in Measurement and Statistics and a graduate certificate in program evaluation.