Omar Figueroa is a mental performance coach who has spent years helping top-level professional athletes perform better under pressure. He now applies those same mental frameworks to options trading—and uses them in his own trading as well. In this interview with Theta Profits, Omar explains how elite performance psychology translates directly into better decision-making, consistency, and emotional control for options traders.
Learn three crucial mental skills for options traders
Omar Figueroa
Omar Figueroa is a mental performance coach with more than 15 years of experience working with elite athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS, and NHL, as well as at IMG Academy. He is also an active options trader and is now building a startup focused on helping traders apply elite performance psychology, routines, and emotional control to real-world trading through the AI market analyst Wendy.
Why elite sports psychology applies to options trading
A central theme of the interview is that professional sports and options trading share the same underlying challenges. Both environments involve high stakes, fast decision-making, and constant emotional pressure.
Omar explains that in both sports and trading:
- Performance is evaluated continuously
- Mistakes are costly and emotionally charged
- Pressure increases during critical moments
- Long-term success depends on consistency, not isolated wins
Due to these similarities, the same mental skills employed by elite athletes can be applied directly to options trading.
- Check out some of our other video interviews with options traders:
- Azhar Pasha: Adaptive 0DTE Butterfly
- Steve Ganz: Flyagonal
- Ross Young: Jade Lizard
- Tammy Chambless: Multiple Entries Iron Condors (MEIC)
Mental skill #1: Mindset as the foundation of performance
Omar emphasizes that mindset is the foundational mental skill underlying all performance. In professional sports, he has seen many highly talented athletes fail – not because they lacked ability, but because they lacked the mindset required for sustained performance.
The same pattern appears in options trading. Many traders understand technical analysis, indicators, and strategies, but still struggle with consistency. According to Omar, this often comes down to mindset.
Key points discussed include:
- The difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset
- Why elite performers view losses as information, not personal failure
- How avoiding mistakes prevents long-term improvement
For traders, this means reviewing losses honestly, identifying patterns in behavior, and treating each trade as part of a longer performance process rather than an isolated outcome.
Mental skill #2: Consistency through systems and routines
Consistency is a recurring theme throughout the interview. Omar explains that elite athletes rely heavily on structured routines to perform at a high level day after day.
In sports, this includes:
- Pre-performance routines before games
- Post-performance reviews after competition
- Clear systems that reduce randomness
Omar argues that options traders need the same structure. Without defined routines, traders rely too much on mood, confidence, or market conditions.
Examples he discusses include:
- Pre-market routines to assess readiness and market context
- Checklists before entering trades
- Rules for when not to trade
- Post-trade reviews that go beyond quick notes
Consistency, according to Omar, is not about motivation. It is about building systems that support repeatable execution.
Mental skill #3: Emotional regulation in fast markets
Emotional regulation is especially important in options trading, where markets can move quickly and decisions often need to be made in seconds.
Omar explains that elite performers aim to stay within an optimal performance zone: Calm, focused, and alert, but not overly emotional. When emotions rise too high or drop too low, decision-making suffers.
Topics covered include:
- Why emotional extremes reduce execution quality
- How awareness of emotional state is the first step
- How breathing techniques can help regulate nervous system response
Rather than eliminating emotion, the goal is to manage it effectively so decisions remain aligned with the trading plan.
How Omar applies these mental skills in his own options trading
Throughout the interview, Omar references how he applies these same mental skills in his own options trading. He explains that consistency in trading comes from combining:
- Clear routines
- Defined criteria for trades
- Emotional awareness during execution
When trades do not go as planned, he focuses on understanding whether the issue was technical, behavioral, or emotional – mirroring how elite athletes review performance after competition.
Key takeaways for options traders
The interview highlights that successful options trading is not only about finding the right strategy, but about performing well under pressure over time.
The three mental skills discussed – mindset, consistency, and emotional regulation – form the foundation of elite performance in both sports and trading. By training these skills deliberately, traders can improve execution, reduce emotional mistakes, and build more consistent results.
Books recommended in this video
- Tom Hougaard: Best Loser Wins
- James Kerr: Legacy
