Closer Mentality

Episode 134 welcomed on professional soccer player, Gianna Merigliano. Merigliano has played professionally in Italy, Israel, and the United States, as well as for Team Puerto Rico. She spoke to the trials and tribulations of playing abroad, the inequities of sport psych resources in these spaces, and how OnRise has helped her use her story to assist others in their mental health journeys. Let our...

Episode 133 brought on professional certified coach, Quinn Harwood! Drawing from a journey that includes professional basketball, more than two decades in corporate leadership, and thousands of coaching sessions, Coach Q helps emerging and established leaders break through barriers and lead with bold confidence. His mindset is rooted in faith, resilience, and the belief that growth happens when in...

Episode 132 welcomed on former Team USA para-alpine skier Staci Mannella! Mannella detailed how para-alpine skiing helped inform her worldview, how she fought back against Dartmouth University, her experiences at two Paralympic Games, and the impact of sport psychology for disabled athletes! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your ow...

Episode 131 brought on IMG Academy Mental Performance Coach Dr. Emily Wright to speak on youth athlete coaching, parenting youth athletes, and what mental skills should be at the forefront of skill-building for middle and high school-aged student-athletes! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closerm...

Episode 130 brought on Boston Red Sox talent acquisition specialist, Chris Calciano! Calciano detailed his experience playing professional baseball, coaching talented youth and college athletes, dominating the recruitment trail, and what characteristics pro scouts are actually looking for outside of a box score. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from t...

Episode 129 brought on Jess Lapachinski, associate director of athletics at Amherst College. Lapachinski spoke to the importance of the intersection of mental health, physical health, and sport administration as it pertains to supporting student-athletes at all levels of competition. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home....

Episode 128 brought on former Team USA Bobsled athlete, Will Person! Person was gracious enough to detail his tumultuous relationship with bobsled and Team USA, as well as traumatic brain injuries, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, and the lasting ramifications of repeated head trauma. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit...

Episode 127 brought on collegiate sprinter-turned mental health speaker, Ivy Watts! Watts detailed her experience running for a Division II university, receiving recognition by the NCAA, combatting deeply-ingrained mental health struggles, perfectionism, and viewing mental health as public health. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of y...

Episode 126 welcomed on neuroscience Ph. D candidate and Team USA bobsled hopeful, Nate Roy. Roy worked through the impact of sport on his determination, the neuroscience of concussions and TBIs, trying out for Team USA Bobsled, and his mental health tech company, Cortex Flex! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit b...

Episode 125 welcomed on Dr. Charron Sumler, Assistant Director of Sport Psychology and Wellness Services at Ohio State University. She detailed the role of trauma-informed counseling within the confines of sport performance, who college recruits should look for within support staff, and how emotional triggers have shifted in a post-COVID, NIL-driven sport landscape. Let our sponsor BetterHelp conn...

Episode 124 welcomed on Kent State Women's Volleyball assistant coach, and former UNLV defensive specialist, Liv Setla. In this episode, she spoke about the recruitment process, being diagnosed with depression and anxiety, reframing her relationship with perfectionism, and how she managed to restructure volleyball's impact on her life. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can...

On Episode 123 of Closer Mentality, Aidan Connolly joined the podcast to talk about his experience with junior hockey, injuries, how rehab helped him find psychology, and the endeavor of bring hockey to Ireland! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermentality and enjoy a special discount on your...

Episode 122 brought on sport psychologist, Dr. Seth Swary! Dr. Swary detailed his extensive research on music integration in elite sport and how athletes can use pre-game playlists to directly increase performance! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermentality and enjoy a special discount on y...

Episode 121 brought on performance coach and SportsBiz EVP for International Strategy, Isabel Delgado! Delgado spoke to her time coaching at the Rafa Nadal Academy, what coaches get wrong in facilitating positive team culture and communication, and the impact of artificial intelligence on sports marketing and branding. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all...

Episode 120 welcomed on 3x Deaflympic medalist, Dr. Becky Clark, and University of Western States professor and CMPC, Dr. Gily Meir. Drs. Clark and Meir highlighted the new partnership between the USA Deaflympics team and UWS, set to provide Team USA athletes with appropriate communication avenues and sport psychology services ahead of the Tokyo 2025 Deaflympic Games! It's the first such partnersh...

Episode 119 welcomed on Dre Baldwin, CEO of Work On Your Game and former professional basketball player! He spoke to the degree of dedication that it took to play Division III, cultivating his internal drive, getting scouted to play overseas, and the 12 Work On Your Game Commandments. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home....

Episode 118 welcomed on former University of Arizona springboard diver, Brooke Earley. Earley explained how she ended up diving for the Wildcats, sustaining four concussions, battling proprioception issues, and the mental health practices that she found most useful! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.c...

Episode 117 welcomed on Team USA BMX racer Payton Ridenour. Ridenour's story included her introduction to BMX racing, making her first Olympic team, implementing visualization, and learning to rely on herself for success! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermentality and enjoy a special discou...

Episode 116 welcomed on neuroscientist and founder/CEO of i-BrainTech, Dr. Konstantin Sonkin. Dr. Sonkin explained how artificial intelligence and sport performance can coexist for good, and the implementation of data-driven visualization exercises! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermentalit...

Episode 115 welcomed on Colorado Rockies' Mental Skills Coordinator, Dr. Colt Olson. Dr. Olson worked through how his passion for psychology developed, how he helps professional baseball players craft their mental routines, and the Closer Mentality! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermentalit...

Episode 114 brought on former English rugby player Will Hooley! Hooley addressed his rugby upbringing, representing his national team, playing within the Major League Rugby organizations, and what the sport needs to do in order to expand successfully. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermental...

Dr. Ross White, a professor of clinical psychology at Queen's University Belfast, joined Closer Mentality this week to speak on psychological jiu-jitsu, cultural acuity in mental wellness, and his new book, "The Tree That Bends". Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermentality and enjoy a specia...

Episode 112 brought on University of Washington sport researcher Dr. Julie McCleery! She spoke to her experience rowing with Team USA and how research she conducts can inform the way coaches and support staff interact with female athletes! Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit betterhelp.com/closermentality and enjo...

Episode 111 brought on USA Team Handball captain and Wheelchair Handball Director of Operations, Dr. Sarah Gascon. Dr. Gascon talked through her time on both the USA Volleyball and Baseball teams, as well as her introduction to handball and the opportunity to join USA Wheelchair Handball's inaugural season. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the co...

Episode 110 featured UCF long jumper Hayley Manners! Manners spoke to growing up with Canadian track and field competition, getting recruited in the United States, entering the transfer portal, navigating a major injury, and found family in the form of fellow mental health-focused student-athletes. Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of...