Jonathan Viscosi: From Valour FC Goalkeeper to Mental Performance Specialist

By Martin Zeilig

Jonathan Viscosi—known to most simply as “Jono”—has always followed his own path.

From the soccer fields of Ottawa to the muddy pitches of England, and eventually to the academic halls of Sweden, his journey has been one of grit, growth, and transformation.

He was recently hired as the CFMWS Mental Performance Specialist.

The nickname “Jono” was born out of necessity. “Jonathan” was too long to shout across a soccer field, and “John” never felt empowering.

“It was a university goalkeeping coach—a towering, motivational figure—who first called me ‘Jono’ after a big save,” he recalls. “It stuck, and it carried a kind of energy with it.”

Originally from Ottawa, Viscosi earned a soccer scholarship to the State University of New York at Buffalo. He captained the team, earned academic accolades, and studied business administration with a concentration in marketing. But it was sports psychology that truly captivated him.

“As a goalkeeper, I was always fascinated by the mental side of the game,” he says. “I was reading sports psych books at 15, trying to find any edge I could.”

In 2013, he represented Canada at the FISU World University Games in Kazan, Russia—the second-largest multisport competition after the Olympics.

“We finished fifth,” he says. “We lost to Russia in the quarterfinals, then to Ukraine, and won the fifth-place match. It was a huge honour to play for the Canadian university men’s team.”

Despite being on the national team’s scouting radar, Viscosi never got the call.

“There are only two or three keeper spots, and there were always guys playing at higher levels,” he explains. “I was in the pool, but never got the nod.”

After graduation, he headed to England, starting in the eighth tier of the football pyramid. Through a distant connection, he met Stuart Bully, a former police officer and scout who offered him a chance. Viscosi slept on Bully’s sofa and played on muddy fields with slick grass, a far cry from the NCAA’s pristine facilities.

 “It was almost like a different sport,” he says. “But I was determined to make it.”

He trained with professional teams during the day and played semi-pro matches at night, eventually signing with Chester in the fifth tier. From 2013 to 2016, he climbed from the eighth to the fifth tier, living the dream: getting paid to play soccer, performing in front of thousands, and learning from the relentless British football culture.

In 2016, he sent physical packages—cover letters, resumes, photos—to over 30 clubs in Finland, Sweden, and Denmark. One coach in Helsinki responded, inviting him for a trial.

“I flew from Canada without hesitation,” he says. “I just needed an in—I’d take care of the rest.”

That connection led to a stint with Oskarshamns AIK in Sweden’s third tier. After 10 games, a Finnish club in the second tier came calling. Viscosi signed, helped them win promotion, and played in Finland’s top league the following year. From 2016 to 2018, he played 70 consecutive matches across three tiers.

“It was an unbelievable experience,” he says. “I met my (future) wife, traveled Europe, and played at a high level.”

After Finland, he returned to North America to play for San Antonio FC in the USL.

 “It was a good experience, but I missed the romance of Europe,” he says. “In Sweden, if you played well, people would stop you in the street. There was a belief you could rise to the top.”

In 2019, he repeated his letter-writing campaign and landed a spot with IK Sirius in Sweden’s top tier. He and his wife moved to Uppsala, where she pursued a master’s degree in digital media and communications.

As the pandemic hit in 2020, Viscosi began to reflect on life after soccer. Encouraged by his wife, he applied to study in Sweden, where education was free for taxpaying residents. He completed a year of prerequisite psychology courses—all in English—and began a master’s program in emotion psychology at Mid Sweden University.

His first professor, Dr. Paul Davis from Portage la Prairie --  and a graduate of the University of Winnipeg-- became a mentor. Davis introduced him to the legacy of Dr. Cal Botterill, a resident of Winnipeg and the godfather of Canadian sports psychology.

 “Everything in sport is about emotion,” Viscosi says. “If you can understand that, you can help athletes perform better.”

He directed every assignment toward the relationship between emotion and performance in sports.

 “I became known in the team as the mental performance lead,” he says. “I’d help teammates reframe their mindset, ask ‘What’s our mentality here?’ and guide us toward a more positive approach.”

While playing his final season in Vasa, Finland, Viscosi conducted his thesis study—an actual experiment—under the supervision of researchers at the University of Jyväskylä and Dr. Davis. The study was published in The Sport Psychologist and presented at the SCAPPS conference in Winnipeg.

In 2024, Viscosi joined Valour FC in the Canadian Premier League, fulfilling his dream of finishing his career in Canada.

 “I fell in love with Winnipeg,” he says. “It reminded me of Buffalo—gritty, friendly, and full of heart.”

Now a father to a baby girl named Sienna, Viscosi continues his journey as a mental performance specialist with CFMWS, supporting members of the Canadian Armed Forces. He works with Air Combat Systems officers and Airborne Electronic Sensor Operators, helping them develop mental skills like attention control, activation management, self-regulation, and resilience.

“I will also be working with the 3CFFTS student pilots at the Southport Base,” he says.

“It’s a big transition—from the locker room to the office. But I really like it. I still get that locker room vibe when I work out at the fitness and recreation building next door.”

He’s also coaching in the mornings for the Manitoba Soccer Association’s REX program, supporting the top youth players in Winnipeg.

“We give them an elite training environment,” he says. “I’m there to help them develop mental performance competencies and become the best they can be.”

Could he coach soccer within the military? “That would be very cool,” he says. “I’d love that opportunity. It’s definitely something I’ve heard about—and it’s a real interest.”