Dr. Savvy Ferstle is a former Division I female athlete and a Doctor of Sport and Performance Psychology with a passion for helping young female athletes perform at their best—while prioritizing well-being as the foundation of the consulting process. Her work is grounded in the belief that sustainable performance comes from understanding the mind, honoring the athlete experience, and developing skills that support both success and mental health.

Understanding the Female Athlete Experience

As a former D1 athlete, Dr. Ferstle understands how frequently female athletes are misunderstood. Young women in sport are often labeled as “too emotional” or “inconsistent,” without recognition of the complex pressures they navigate daily. On her quest to explore solutions, she focused her doctoral research primarily on emotional intelligence and how these skills may influence female collegiate athlete's well-being.

Her lived experience, combined with her professional training and research, allows her to help athletes reframe these narratives and develop self-trust, confidence, and mental resilience. She works to create environments where young women feel understood, empowered, and equipped to handle both the demands of competition and the realities of being a female in sport.

Hormones, Performance, and the Mental Game

Hormonal fluctuations can significantly influence mental performance, including focus, confidence, motivation, emotional regulation, and stress response. Dr. Ferstle helps athletes better understand how these changes impact their thoughts, emotions, and self-talk—without framing them as limitations. Through awareness and adaptable mental strategies, female athletes are empowered to work with their minds instead of fighting them, creating more consistent performance and a healthier relationship with both sport and self.

Building Education That Meets Athletes Where They Are

Dr. Ferstle’s background in Industrial-Organizational Psychology played a pivotal role in shaping her passion for education and building scalable mental performance training programs. Her experience studying learning systems, motivation, leadership, and behavior change fueled her drive to create accessible digital training and educational resources for female athletes, coaches, and teams. By translating evidence-based psychology into practical, easy-to-understand tools, she expands mental performance support beyond one-on-one consulting. At the core of her work is a mission to empower female athletes through knowledge, skill development, and support—helping them perform freely, think clearly, and prioritize well-being as a competitive advantage.

Softball Career & Highlights

Savvy is a former NCAA Division I softball player and coach, which has shaped her holistic approach to mental performance. She began her softball career in Temecula, CA competing under top coaches and organizations in Southern California. 

She earned a full-ride scholarship to the University of Detroit Mercy, where she was a four-year starter and served as team captain her junior and senior seasons. A two-time All-Horizon League Second Team selection, she concluded her career as the program’s all-time leader in RBIs (113) and ranked among the top performers in multiple offensive categories. Her senior season was highlighted by leading the team in batting average, slugging percentage, and home runs.

Throughout her collegiate career, Savvy was a four-time member of the Detroit Mercy Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, a three-time Horizon League Academic Honor Roll selection, and a two-time Horizon League All-Academic Team honoree, reflecting her commitment to excellence both on and off the field.

In addition to her playing experience, Savvy has served as a member of two NCAA D1 softball programs and continues to give lessons with players at all levels of the game.