Closer Mentality

In Episode 34, late model race car driver Christian Rose joined me on the podcast. He worked through his experience finding racing, his introduction to the industry, how to fund this part of his life, and the strides that NASCAR has made to ensure that its drivers are mentally and physically safe. Christian Rose Racing: https://www.christianroseracing.com/ Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www...

Episode 33 welcomed Dr. Mike Clark, currently a sport psychologist at the University of Arizona. As a crucial component of the student-athlete "sphere of influence", Dr. Clark worked me through his normal session structure, non-verbal cues to look for when working with a client, and how to create a visualization script. Clark Performance Consulting: https://www.clarkperformanceconsulting.com/servi...

Sam Cary, a defender for the University of Iowa's Women's Soccer team, came on Episode 32 of Closer Mentality. She talked about what drew her to Iowa City, how to redefine "mental toughness", cultivating tenacity, sport-specific triggers for performance anxiety, and the importance of seeking help. Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 31 welcomed Toronto Blue Jays minor leaguer Spencer Horwitz. We talked about external validation, panic attacks, the Cape Cod League, playing at Radford University, baseball as a trigger, and staying where your feet are. Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA Donate to Save the Turtles: https://saveturtles.org/donate-save-sea-turtles-conserva...

In Episode 30, Marcoux and Rodgers discussed how their relationship has grown over the past two years, cue terminology during runs, how to visualize the courses, off-season workouts, and preparing for the 2022 Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA "Blind Faith": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuEfpIcNDFA

In Episode 29, two-time Paralympian Mac Marcoux and his current guide, Tristan Rodgers, joined me to talk about the Winter Paralympic Games, Para-Alpine skiing with Team Canada, and what it means to be diagnosed with Stargardt Disease. This is Part 1 of a two-part series with Mac and Tristan! Listen in next week to hear them work through a pre-race morning and all the offseason work required to sp...

In Episode 28, Andy Harris joined me to talk about teaching mental skills to youth athletes, the lasting impact of Simone Biles' exit from the Tokyo Olympics, what it takes to coach the physical vs. teach the mental, and a few tips for youth athletes trying to focus their mental reps. Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

In Episode 27, we welcomed Steve Fisher to the podcast. Fisher, a two-time X Games gold medalist, worked through his experience with US Ski and Snowboard, getting to the X Games, the years of dedication it took to win gold medals, the inequities of snowboarding media coverage, and life post-extreme sport. Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 26 welcomed Q Williams. We talked about his time at Northwestern, the stresses of playing two sports at a Division 1 university, Post-Concussion Syndrome, and the work he now does with former athletes. Life After Athlete Archetype Quiz: https://www.q-williams.com/quiz Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 25 welcomed Dr. Joan Steidinger. A pioneer in the sport psychology landscape, Dr. Steidinger and I talked about her distance running experience, intrinsic motivation, ultra-marathons, becoming an AASP Fellow, and advocacy for female sports in the decades following Title IX. "Sisterhood in Sports: How Female Athletes Collaborate and Compete.": https://www.amazon.com/Sisterhood-Sports-Athlet...

Episode 24 welcomed Dr. Alex Auerbach, the Director of Wellness and Development for the Toronto Raptors. We worked through the current sport psychology landscape, the nature of the Raptors' team stance on mental wellness, and how we, as spectators and fans, can all change the way we approach talking candidly about our mental struggles. NBA's Mind Health program: https://mindhealth.nba.com/ Closer...

In Episode 23, Natalie Allport, a former Canadian national team snowboarder and social media marketer, works through her experiences with professional snowboarding, the inherent injury risk, what happens post-sport, becoming a TEDx speaker, and the impact of the NIL legislation on current student-athletes. "Failure: What Not Making the Olympics Taught Me": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8e2z5WP6...

In Episode 22, Anne O'Neil came on to talk about becoming more than an athlete, what it takes to be a 3D human, her journey to the WNBA, translating life lessons learned from sports into business, and what to do once the labels synonymous with sport participation disappear. Closer Mentality: UNCENSORED: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJuZfwIP9ny-WIqpcUaQnWA

Episode 21 of Closer Mentality welcomed Misty Buck, a mental health coach and contributing writer for the Hall of Fame's Behavioral Health program. We talked about her hope for the program, the reach of its services, and how coaches, teammates, and parents can cultivate safe spaces to talk about mental health struggles. Pro Football Hall of Fame Behavioral Health Program: https://www.hofbh.com/hom...

Jack Beer, a former forward for Georgetown University's Men's Soccer Team, joined us for Episode 20. We talked through his experience with anxiety, the impact of having a coach who understood and prioritized his players' emotional well-being, and winning a National Championship. Beer's The Hidden Opponent article: https://thehiddenopponent.com/jack-beer-overcoming-anxiety-depression-on-the-road-to...

For the 19th episode of Closer Mentality, I sat down with Jimmy Krupka, who currently represents US Ski and Snowboard on the Alpine Ski Team. We talked about the issues with unavoidable sports injuries, his rehabilitation, mid-race thought processes, how to "send it", and what it really takes to train for the Winter Olympics. The link to listen to Arc City: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ar...

On the 18th episode of Closer Mentality, we welcomed Malcolm Lemmons. His story includes professional basketball in Japan, leaving organized sport, student-athlete brand management, and Name-Image-Likeness. Athletes Unheard: https://blog.athletesunheard.com Athletes Unheard Text Line: (202) 918-3450 "Lessons from the Game": https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-Game-Malcolm-Lemmons/dp/1544941447 "Impact...

The 17th episode welcomed Mykal Manswell to speak on walking onto a Division 1 football team, watching hard work pay off, strength and conditioning at IMG Academy, sport psychology principles and their implementation outside of sports, and how to deal with adverse situations within the sport realm. Hope you all have had a wonderful Mental Health Awareness Month! If you have an idea for an episode...

The 16th episode welcomed Cory Camp! In this episode, we talked about athlete identity surrounding a sport that you still have access to, the mental six pack, visualization, and how to deal with changes in your body's workout capabilities. Your Life Scorecard and Camp's Newsletter: https://www.corycamp.com/offers/wAF8KVGa/checkout

Closer Mentality is a peak performance documentary podcast aimed at opening the dialogue regarding athletes and the intersection of mental health and peak performance. The fifteenth episode welcomed Dillon Shije! In this episode, we talked about the connection between Native American populations and distance running. We also touched on running post-collegiately and how to pivot your life course po...

Closer Mentality is a peak performance documentary podcast aimed at opening the dialogue regarding athletes and the intersection of mental health and peak performance. The fourteenth episode welcomed Levi MaVorhis! In this episode, we talked about minor league baseball, playing at the Division I level, and the repercussions of letting a sports injury progress unchecked. Athlete Center in the App S...

Closer Mentality is a peak performance documentary podcast aimed at opening the dialogue regarding athletes and the intersection of mental health and peak performance. The thirteenth episode welcomed Mallory Souliotis! In this episode, we talked about the women's professional hockey landscape, media coverage of women's sports, and what it meant for her engineering job to embrace the advancement of...

Closer Mentality is a peak performance documentary podcast aimed at opening the dialogue regarding athletes and the intersection of mental health and peak performance. The twelfth episode welcomed Mackenzie St. Onge! In this episode, we talked about the cycle of disordered eating, what student-athletes can watch for if they suspect a teammate is experiencing disordered eating, how therapy addresse...

Closer Mentality is a peak performance documentary podcast aimed at opening the dialogue regarding athletes and the intersection of mental health and peak performance. The eleventh episode welcomed Matt Rieger! In this episode, we talked about which aspects of a person's mindset contribute to mental toughness, how to embrace neutral thinking, and what to expect from one-on-one mental performance c...

Closer Mentality is a peak performance documentary podcast aimed at opening the dialogue regarding athletes and the intersection of mental health and peak performance. The tenth episode welcomed Jon Toth! In this episode, we talked the NFL Draft, becoming a brawn model, financial advising, and free agency.