Love Your Inner Athlete

What does it take to build discipline and rise to the demands of Division I hockey? In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete Podcast , host and mental performance coach Hans Skulstad sits down with Jacob Jeanette , a rising star in collegiate hockey who shares his powerful journey of personal transformation to be a disciplined, high-performance athlete at Union College . Jacob opens up about...

What separates a good player from a great one — and how can coaches foster that transformation? In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete Podcast , host and mental performance coach Hans Skulstad talks with Pat O’Leary — national champion with the Minnesota Gophers and state title-winning high school hockey coach — about the role of mental fitness in long-term success. Pat opens up about his...

How does a state champion & captain evolve into a future Navy pilot with elite mental resilience? In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete Podcast , host and mental performance coach Hans Skulstad sits down with Reagan Roloefs — 2018 state champion, six-year varsity athlete, Naval Academy graduate, and aspiring military pilot — to explore what it means to lead with clarity, train your mi...

What does it really take to develop the mental game of a professional athlete? In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete Podcast , host and mental performance expert Hans Skulstad sits down with former NHL defenseman and elite hockey skills coach Lance Pitlick to explore the mindset, routines, and mental toughness needed to succeed at the highest levels of the sport. Lance shares his journey...

Mental Fitness and Coaching Insights with Mike Schwartz In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad is joined by his long-time friend, Mike Schwartz. Mike shares his journey from playing hockey to becoming a high school and college hockey coach, eventually transitioning into a financial advising career. The discussion delves into the importance of mental fitness in s...

Resilience in Hockey: In-Depth on Goalies with Steve Carroll In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad engages in an enlightening conversation with Steve Carroll, a seasoned goalie coach affiliated with Gustavus Women's Hockey and the founder of the Carroll Goalie School. They discuss the evolution of mental fitness in sports, particularly in hockey, diving deep in...

Vision Performance Training: Unlocking Athletic Potential with Bjorn Carlson In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad welcomes Bjorn Carlson, a vision performance specialist with over 15 years of experience at the Vision Performance Center of Minnesota. Hans and Bjorn discuss the significant role of vision training in enhancing athletic performance, from youth spo...

Journey to Elite: Lauren Johnson's Path to Mental Performance Excellence In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad speaks with Lauren Johnson, former mental performance coach for the New York Yankees and founder of Elite by Choice. They explore Lauren's journey from aspiring professional soccer player to overcoming multiple concussions, shifting her focus t...

A Referee’s Journey in Hockey: Brian Thul In this episode of the 'Love Your Inner Athlete' podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with longtime friend and accomplished hockey referee Brian Thul. They delve into Brian's journey from a multi-sport youth athlete in Hutchinson, Minnesota, to becoming a referee in high-level stages including college hockey and the World Junior Championship....

Embracing Mental Fitness: Travis Thomas In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad engages in a compelling conversation with Travis Thomas, a seasoned performance coach specializing in mindset, team dynamics, and culture. They discuss Travis's diverse journey, from his early days as an athlete and improv comedian to his impactful roles at IMG Academy and with the U....

Coaching Across Generations: Thomas Johnson on Mental Fitness in HockeyIn this episode of the 'Love Your Inner Athlete' podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Thomas Johnson, a multifaceted hockey coach with over a decade of experience. They discuss the various roles Thomas has undertaken, from coaching high school hockey to running youth initiation programs and the high performance pr...

Achieving Excellence: Kelly Pannek on Mental Fitness and Coaching In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad delves into the extraordinary career and mental fitness journey of Kelly Pannek, co-head coach of the Benilde St. Margaret's girls hockey team and an accomplished player with national championships and an Olympic medal. Kelly shares her beginnings in hock...

Building Champions: Insights from UMD's Christian Koelling In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad engages in a profound conversation with Christian Koelling, the Director of Hockey Operations at UMD and an instrumental figure in the team's success over the past decade. Christian shares his thoughts on the ingredients of a successful hockey program, empha...

The Intersection of Mental Fitness and Hockey: A Conversation with Hockey Agent Pete Rutili In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad reconnects with his college friend and professional hockey agent, Pete Rutili. They discuss Pete's journey from playing minor league hockey to advising hockey players on the importance of mental fitness. The conversation covers P...

Triumph Through Adversity: A Conversation with Christian Horn In this insightful episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad engages in a candid conversation with Christian Horn, the assistant coach for the Utah Grizzlies and a former hockey player. Christian shares his journey from high school hockey through college, to becoming a coach. He discusses the impact of the 2012...

Harnessing Mental Fitness: A Coach's Journey with Ryan Humpal In this episode of the 'Love Your Inner Athlete' podcast, host Hans Skulstad sits down with Ryan Humpal, a versatile sports coach and head coach for Amory High School football. The conversation spans Ryan’s extensive coaching career, his experience winning a state championship at Luck, Wisconsin, and the vital role mental fi...

Building Mental Fitness in Sports with Coach Mike Gibbons In this episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad chats with Mike Gibbons, a seasoned hockey coach with experience at various levels, including youth, high school, college, junior, and professional hockey. Mike shares his journey and insights on mental fitness, highlighting the importance of resilience, focus, and m...

Developing Mental Fitness: Insights from Casey Dornbach In the inaugural episode of the Love Your Inner Athlete podcast, host Hans Skulstad invites his longtime friend and accomplished hockey player, Casey Dornbach, to discuss the importance of mental fitness in sports and life. Casey shares his journey, having played high school hockey at Edina, captained the Harvard team, and now playing for the...