Saloni Sapale
Visiting Instructor
Kinesiology and Nutrition
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Contact
Building & Room:
Physical Education Building, Room 331
Address:
901 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Email:
Related Sites:
About
Saloni Sapale is a Visiting Instructor in the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition at the University of Illinois Chicago. She teaches courses in Health Coaching and Stress Management at the undergraduate level and Cultural Humility to graduate students within the Performance, Sports, and Exercise Psychology program. Her teaching emphasizes evidence-based practice, culturally responsive approaches, and connecting psychological theory with practical application.
Saloni is a Woman International Master (WIM) and professional chess player. She earned the WIM title in 2018 and represented India in international competitions, earning medals on the World, Asian, and Commonwealth podiums. She also received the Shiv Chhatrapati Rajya Krida Puraskar, a state award for sports excellence, in 2019.
Her professional interests focus on mental performance, behavior change, resilience, and the psychological experiences of sportspersons, with particular interest in chess and other performance settings. She has worked with collegiate, professional, and youth athletes and has provided mental skills coaching to athletes recovering from injury. At UIC, she has also conducted research within the Applied Sports Injury and Research Education (ASPIRE) Lab.
Education
MS, Kinesiology: Performance, Sports, and Exercise Psychology concentration, University of Illinois Chicago, 2025
Post-Graduate Diploma in School Psychology, Pune University, 2023
BA, Psychology, Fergusson College, Pune University, 2020