Jonathan Mills brings a unique blend of research expertise, business analytics experience, and clinical psychology training to the Sports Conflict Institute as Director of Assessment and Performance. Currently pursuing his PhD in Clinical Psychology at Seattle Pacific University with a focus on sport psychology and athlete mental health, he conducts cutting-edge research on athletic identity, mindfulness interventions, and personality factors in performance contexts. His partnership with SCI centers on conducting DISC behavioral assessments and implementing the Sports Playbook Team Culture Model to help individuals and teams optimize their performance through enhanced self-awareness and strategic team development.
Mills’ distinctive background combines six years of business strategy and analytics experience with the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) and New Jersey Devils (NHL) with advanced training in sport and performance psychology. As co-founder of Core Mental Performance, he takes a person-centered approach to working with athletes, developing mental skills that transfer beyond sport into everyday life. His research contributions include investigating personality and character strengths in anxiety and depressive disorders, conducting neuropsychology assessments, and providing mindfulness workshops for student-athletes. This multifaceted expertise enables him to bridge the gap between empirical research, practical assessment, and real-world application in high-performance sports environments.
Through his work with SCI, Mills specializes in translating complex behavioral data into actionable insights for teams and organizations. He leverages DISC profiling to identify individual behavioral tendencies, optimize team composition, and prevent destructive conflict before it emerges. His involvement with the Sports Playbook Team Culture Model—based on the comprehensive framework developed by Gordon, Furlong, and Pendleton—helps organizations move from chaos to sustainable peak performance. By combining rigorous research methodology with practical sports industry experience, Mills provides evidence-based solutions that enhance team dynamics, improve communication patterns, and establish cultures of sustained excellence.
Professional Experience
Current Positions
Research Consultant & DISC Assessment Specialist
Sports Conflict Institute | 2025-Present
Conducting DISC behavioral assessments for teams and individuals, implementing Sports Playbook Team Culture Model evaluations, and providing research-based insights for organizational development and conflict prevention.
Co-Founder & Mental Performance Consultant
Core Mental Performance | 2020-Present
Providing sport psychology consulting services, helping athletes identify core values, develop mental skills, and enhance performance through evidence-based interventions.
Doctoral Researcher
Seattle Pacific University | 2022-Present
Researching athletic identity formation, conducting mindfulness workshops for student-athletes, investigating personality and character strengths in mental health contexts.
Clinical Psychology Practicum Student
Various Clinical Sites | 2022-Present
Conducting neuropsychology assessments and providing integrative cognitive-behavioral interventions in clinical settings.
Selected Previous Experience
Manager, CRM & Business Strategy
Philadelphia 76ers (NBA) & New Jersey Devils (NHL)| 2015-2021
Led customer relationship management initiatives and business analytics projects, leveraging data to optimize fan engagement and organizational performance.
Basketball Operations Professional
Charlotte Hornets (NBA) | 2014-2015
Conducted strategic analysis and performance metrics evaluation for professional basketball operations.
Manager
Oregon Men’s Basketball | 2012-2013
Supported Division I basketball program operations and team logistics.
Areas of Expertise
- DISC Behavioral Assessment & Profiling
- Sports Playbook Team Culture Model Implementation
- Athletic Identity Research & Development
- Mindfulness-Based Performance Enhancement
- Personality & Character Strengths Assessment
- Research Design & Evaluation Methods
- Neuropsychological Assessment
- Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions
- Business Analytics & Strategy
- Team Dynamics & Culture Assessment
- Mental Health in Athletic Populations
- Person-Centered Performance Consulting
Academic Credentials
Education
- PhD in Clinical Psychology (In Progress) – Seattle Pacific University
- M.A., Psychological Science – Seattle Pacific University
- M.A., Sport and Performance Psychology – University of Denver (2022)
- B.A., Business Administration – University of Oregon (2015)
• Concentration: Sports Business
• Clark Honors College
Research Focus & Contributions
Current Research Areas
- Athletic Identity Formation: Investigating how athletes develop and maintain their sense of self in relation to sport participation
- Mindfulness Interventions: Developing and evaluating mindfulness workshops for enhancing student-athlete well-being and performance
- Personality & Mental Health: Examining character strengths and personality factors in the context of anxiety and depressive disorders
- Team Culture Assessment: Implementing and validating the Sports Playbook Team Culture Model in diverse athletic settings
- DISC Behavioral Profiling: Researching applications of sport-specific DISC assessments for performance optimization
Research Methodologies
- Mixed-methods research design
- Neuropsychological assessment protocols
- Behavioral profiling and psychometric evaluation
- Qualitative interviews and focus groups
- Statistical analysis and predictive modeling
Sports Playbook Culture Model & DISC Assessment Expertise
Sports Playbook Team Culture Model Implementation
As a key implementer of SCI’s Sports Playbook Team Culture Model, Jonathan helps organizations navigate the journey from chaos to peak performance through systematic assessment and intervention. His work focuses on:
- Conducting comprehensive cultural assessments to identify organizational strengths and gaps
- Evaluating team dynamics across the dimensions of Talent, Character, and Culture
- Implementing evidence-based interventions to prevent destructive conflict
- Measuring progress from chaos through standardization to optimization
- Providing data-driven recommendations for sustainable culture change
DISC Behavioral Profiling Specialization
Jonathan’s expertise in DISC assessment enables teams to understand and leverage behavioral differences for optimal performance:
- Administering sport-specific DISC profiles (AthleteDISC, CoachDISC, ManagerDISC)
- Interpreting behavioral patterns to improve team communication
- Identifying potential sources of conflict based on style differences
- Developing strategies to optimize individual and team performance
- Training coaches and administrators in DISC application
Consulting & Workshop Topics
Jonathan Mills is available for consulting, workshops, and research collaboration on:
- Implementing DISC Behavioral Assessments in Sports Organizations
- Sports Playbook Culture Model: From Assessment to Action
- Research Design for Team Performance Evaluation
- Athletic Identity and Mental Health: Research-Based Interventions
- Mindfulness Training for Athletic Populations
- Data-Driven Approaches to Team Culture Assessment
- Integrating Business Analytics with Sports Psychology
- Person-Centered Approaches to Performance Enhancement
- Building Research Programs in Sports Organizations
- Evidence-Based Conflict Prevention Strategies
Professional Sports Industry Experience
Jonathan’s six years in professional sports business operations provide unique insights into the intersection of analytics, psychology, and performance:
NBA Experience (Philadelphia 76ers)
- Customer relationship management
- Business strategy development
- Performance analytics
- Fan engagement optimization
NHL Experience (New Jersey Devils)
- Business analytics
- Strategic planning
- Operational efficiency
- Data-driven decision making
Personal Interests
A lifelong basketball enthusiast, Jonathan maintains his connection to sport through active participation and observation. His experience as a manager for Oregon Men’s Basketball during his undergraduate years sparked his interest in the psychological aspects of performance. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, walking dogs, and watching both professional and collegiate sports with an analytical eye toward team dynamics and performance psychology.
Jonathan Mills
Research Consultant & DISC Assessment Specialist | Sports Conflict Institute
PhD Candidate | Sport Psychology & Performance Expert
Transform Your Team Through Research-Based Assessment
Leverage evidence-based DISC profiling and the Sports Playbook Culture Model to optimize team dynamics, prevent conflict, and build sustainable excellence.
Sports Conflict Institute | Portland, Oregon | info@sportsconflict.org