Mindful Sport Performance Podcast

In this episode, our Season 4 finale, professional soccer player Jack Beer joins the conversation. Jack currently plays for NYCFC II in  MLS NEXT Pro. He starred at Georgetown University where he won the NCAA Championship in 2019. Inspired by his own experiences with anxiety and depression, Jack serves as a mental health advocate and aims to transform the narratives surrounding mental health and a...

In this episode, sport psychiatrist Dr. Sarah Pospos joins the conversation. Sarah completed her psychiatric residency as a Chief Resident at UCLA-Kern. As a sports psychiatrist and former student-athlete, she is devoted to helping aspiring, current, and former athletes with depression, performance and general anxiety, insomnia, and psychiatric challenges associated with injury, concussion, retire...

In this episode, elite golfer and therapist Matt Sughrue joins the conversation. Matt was a successful insurance executive and business owner in the Washington, DC metro area for 25 years. Then, in 2008, at the age of 49, he took a major life detour and trained to become a psychotherapist and performance consultant. Among his varied clientele are amateur and professional golfers - across several p...

In this episode, professional rugby player Marcel Brache joins the conversation. Marcel was born in the United States and moved to South Africa at age 4. It was there that he discovered and fell in love with the game of rugby, and he became a professional rugby player at the age of 23. Marcel played rugby in South Africa for 3 years before moving to Australia, and playing there for 8 seasons. He h...

In this episode, Drs. Adam Wright and Nick Holton join the conversation. Dr. Adam Wright is a peak performance coach who supports a broad range of performers including elite athletes, Fortune 400 corporate leaders, professionals in military and law enforcement, and creatives from the entertainment world. Adam's work is dedicated to exploring how individuals in teams can leverage and build the...

Welcome to A Mindful Take! This is a sub-series of the Mindful Sport Performance Podcast, hosted by Dr. Keith Kaufman, Dr. Tim Pineau, and our producer and colleague Taylor Brown.  Tired of the endless stream of sports "experts" screaming at each other? Us too! We're offering a fresh perspective on current sports news rooted in mindfulness. This may be different than anything you&ap...

In this episode, Rachael Adams, Olympian and mentor, joins the conversation. Rachael is a 2016 Olympic Medalist and 2014 World Champion in volleyball. She joined the U.S. Women's National Team after graduating from The University of Texas at Austin and was a member of that team for 10 years. She has played professionally in Poland, Italy, Turkey, Brazil, and recently moved to Japan. Rachael i...

In this episode, Loudoun United FC Head Coach Ryan Martin joins the conversation. Ryan Martin joined Loudoun United FC in June 2019 as the second head coach in the club's history after becoming the director of DC United's academy program in 2017. Prior to overseeing all youth development at DC United, the Columbus, Ohio native coached and was the recruiting coordinator at Wake Forest Uni...

In this episode, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn rejoins the conversation. Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn is internationally known for his work as a scientist, writer, and meditation teacher engaged in bringing mindfulness into the mainstream of medicine and society. He's a Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School where he founded it's world-renowned mindfulness-based stre...

In this episode, Dr. Amanda Wilding joins the conversation. Amanda qualified as a sport and exercise scientist in 2005 and became an HCPC registered sport and exercise psychologist in 2012. During her career, she has worked with a range of athletes from world champions to grassroots in sports such as football (soccer), track and field, hockey, fencing, and powerlifting. She has worked as a perform...

In this Thanksgiving episode, Keith, Tim, and Taylor reflect on their experiences of gratitude. Tim begins with an authentic gratitude practice, and then we discuss: 7:45 - The misconception that gratitude can only exist in the presence of "relentless" positivity, and how authentic gratitude is not mutually exclusive with more painful emotions. 17:31 - How mindfulness and acceptance can...

In this episode (our 50th!), Keith, Tim, and Taylor answer frequently asked questions about mindfulness and sport performance. Tim begins the episode with a self-compassion mediation, and then we discuss: [8:54] – Keith and Tim reflect on their experience hosting 50 episodes of the Mindful Sport Performance Podcast [14:16] – Kayla Hightower’s question: How does increased mindfulness enhance sport...

In this episode, Olympian and rowing coach Bruce Beall joins the conversation. Bruce rowed at the University of Washington, earning three varsity letters. He competed on the U.S. National Team in three World Rowing Championships, two Pan American Games, and the 1984 Olympics. He has coached at the University of Washington, Boston University, Harvard, and Cal Berkeley. Bruce was the Executive Direc...

In this episode, Dr. Ashley Kuchar joins the conversation. Dr. Ashley Kuchar is the founder of Fail Better Training, and is passionate about helping athletes learn to respond to challenging situations in ways that foster resilience rather than relying on self-criticism. She completed her Ph. D. in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin working alongside Dr. Kristin Neff. While...

In this episode, Dr. Zindel Segal joins the conversation. Dr. Segal is a distinguished professor of psychology in mood disorders at the University of Toronto - Scarborough. He has pioneered the use of mindfulness meditation  for promoting wellness in the area of mood disorders and been funded continuously through the National Institute of Mental Health and the Canadian Institute of Health Research...

In this Season 4 premiere episode, two-time Olympic gold medalist, supermom, and aspiring mental health professional Natasha Hastings joins the conversation. Natasha is an Olympic, World, and U.S. National Champion track & field sprinter. She founded the Natasha Hastings Foundation, which empowers young female athletes to gain confidence in their voice in sports and life. Tim begins the episod...

In this episode, co-host Tim Pineau returns to the pod and Ketih and Tim have a conversation about grief. Tim stepped away from his co-hosting role for our last few episodes to manage a family crisis, which is what Tim and Keith are talking about in our final episode of Season 3.  Tim's daughter, Inayaa, died in February 2022 at 4 and a half months old after being diagnosed with a rare heart...

In this episode, Maggie Malone  joins the conversation. Maggie Malone is a two-time Olympian (Rio and Tokyo), NCAA Champion, and American and collegiate women's record holder in the javelin throw. Keith begins the episode with a brief intention setting practice. Then, he and Maggie discuss: 10:50 - Maggie's evolution in mindset throughout her career. 14:10 - The meditation practices that...

In this episode, Dr. Tim Herzog  joins the conversation. Dr. Tim Herzog is a Licensed Psychologist in Virginia and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Montana. He works with athletes nationally and internationally, and his practice, Reaching Ahead, is located in Annapolis, MD. Dr. Herzog is a Fellow with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and...

In this episode, Chrissy Horan joins the conversation. Chrissy Horan is a public health professional turned freelance writer and runner. After almost 20 years of studying and promoting healthy behaviors like nutrition, physical activity, and sleep in academic, government, and non-profit organizations, she changed career paths to pursue a long-term interest and hobby: writing. She has since spent h...

In this episode, Dr. Amishi Jha joins the conversation. Dr. Amishi Jha is the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and a Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. With grants from the Department of Defense and several private foundations, she leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and per...

In this episode, Tony Mazurkiewicz, Chaplain for Georgetown University Athletics, joins the conversation. Tony Mazurkiewicz serves as the Georgetown University Chaplain for Athletics and the Senior Advisor of the Georgetown John Main Center for Meditation and Interreligious Dialogue. Prior to his current positions, Tony served as a member of the Carmelite Order as a brother and priest for 15 years...

In this episode, Drs. Jen Schumacher and Kat Longshore join the conversation. Jen is the Assistant Director of the Performance Psychology Program at West Point where she works with cadets and Division I athletes on the psychological aspects of elite performance. She is a professional speaker and provides individual training for elite performers, ultra-endurance athletes, and Fortune 100 executives...

In this episode, Véronique Prouhet Annerino joins the conversation. Véronique has practiced and studied mindfulness for 20 years and has taught mindfulness meditation for the past four years to tens of thousands of people across 44 countries.  As a behavioral health and mindfulness trainer to global experts and executives in engineering, research, health care, and multinational corporations, she p...

In this episode, Dr. Ross White joins the conversation. Dr. White is a professor of clinical psychology at Queens University in Belfast and an expert on global mental health. He has active research collaborations with the World Health Organization and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees investigating the efficacy of psychosocial interventions for reducing distress in the aftermath of...