Meet the team
Two Generations. One Shared Mission.
The experience behind The Competitive Depth Method™.
At Competitive Advantage you don’t just get one coach — you get two generations of expertise. Dr. Alan Goldberg (“Dr. G”) has spent more than 40 years helping athletes worldwide master the mental game, while his daughter, Sara Vatore, has been working with teens and families for over 24 years and brings cutting edge somatic practices that expand his pioneering work.
Together, they created The Competitive Depth Method™ — a next-generation approach that blends mental toughness training with nervous system science to help athletes unlock their full potential, compete freer, and thrive under pressure in sports and in life.
Dr. Alan Goldberg
Mental Toughness Pioneer
For 4 decades, Dr. Goldberg, Ed.D, SEP, has been one of the most trusted names in sports performance. Known for his clarity, humor, and practical strategies, Dr. G has a unique ability to help athletes break out of slumps, overcome fears, and compete with confidence.
Early in his career, Dr. G recognized a critical truth: some athletes—especially those with accidents or injuries (gymnasts, divers, cheerleaders, equestrians, baseball players and more) with lost skills—weren’t improving with mental skills training alone. He became THE first sports performance consultant to explore body-based approaches, training in Somatic Experiencing® and integrating nervous system science into performance coaching to resolve repetitive performance blocks.
Author of 35+ books and programs on mental toughness
Former sports performance consultant to NCAA champion UConn teams
Speaker at the Olympic Training Center and top national coaching clinics
Dr. G’s legacy extends beyond his work with individual athletes. He pioneered the integration of mind and body in peak performance and helped reshape the culture of youth sports by educating coaches and parents about what athletes truly need to thrive.
This legacy laid the foundation for The Competitive Depth Method™—now evolved and expanded with his daughter Sara’s expertise into a complete framework for lasting peak performance. Together, they are carrying this work forward not only with athletes, parents and athletic coaches, but also by mentoring and inspiring future peak performance coaches to integrate body-based approaches into sports performance.
Certified SEP and trained Ericksonian Hypnotist
Former UMass tennis #1 singles player and black belt in Shurin Ryu karate
Featured in Swimming World, Collegiate Baseball, Soccer Journal, International Gymnast, and more
Sara Vatore
Somatic Performance Coach
Sara Vatore, M.Ed., BCC, SEP, and Level 2 MELT Method® Instructor, builds on Dr. G’s groundbreaking integration of body-based work. She has expanded the approach with additional somatic modalities—such as Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (supporting nervous system regulation and healing) and The MELT Method (supporting connective tissue health)—to create a comprehensive system for athletes and coaches.
Sara works with athletes worldwide across all sports, specializing in resolving blocks, fears, and inconsistent performance by teaching athletes to regulate their nervous systems, listen to their bodies, and recover fully. She also partners with coaches and parents to foster supportive environments where athletes can flourish.
Board-Certified Health & Wellness Coach
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner & Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapist
24+ years of experience working with teens, families and coaches
Sara’s mission is to carry forward the work her father pioneered — and to grow awareness of The Competitive Depth Method™ — by advancing whole-athlete training, where nervous system regulation, recovery, and somatic awareness create lasting confidence, resilience, and access to true potential. She is equally passionate about mentoring the next generation of performance coaches, helping them develop the skills to address repetitive performance blocks and bring somatic intelligence into the world of sports.
In addition to her work with athletes, Sara brings her peak performance and nervous system expertise into mentoring entrepreneurs and leaders across a wide range of fields.
The Peak Performance Coach at Hampshire Gymnastics (Amherst, MA) for 6 years
Level 2 MELT Method® Instructor, integrating connective tissue recovery into training
Former High School Guidance Counselor
Our shared vision
Together, Dr. G and Sara have evolved sports performance training into what it is today: The Competitive Depth Method™.
What began as Dr. G’s breakthrough mental toughness strategies became a body-and-mind approach when he brought Somatic Experiencing into the field. Now, with Sara’s expertise in somatic modalities and connective tissue health, the work has grown into a fully integrated system for athletes, parents, and coaches.
With over 50 years of combined experience, our mission is clear: to help athletes perform with freedom and consistency, and to support parents and coaches in building environments where true confidence and resilience can thrive, and to prepare the next generation of coaches to carry this work forward.
This is the future of performance training: