The Athletic Mind

May is Mental Health Awareness month and is an important conversation that needs to be had continually within the athletic community from youth all the way up to the professional level. In this episode, Taylor shares some statistics on mental health and athlete mental health, the stories of Olympic, professional, and student-athletes that are mental health advocates, and how mental performance coa...

Stress has a major impact on an athletes ability to perform at peak levels. Taylor runs solo on the difference between good and bad forms of stress, provides steps on how athletes can strategically cope with these stresses, discusses what psychological stresses are and how they can impact players mental health and performance, and why mental performance coaching serves as not only a tool for incre...

The past two weeks was full of amazing performances and spectator turnout during the IIHF Women's World Championships in Brampton, ON. Taylor and Lauren get into the surprising team performances in the tournament, discuss the time old skill versus systems debate, and explore how women's hockey can continue to grow in North America and internationally to fuel more competition between countries on t...

Life is full of uncertainty. You can either get crushed by it or you can learn how to thrive in it. The choice is yours. This week, Taylor and Lauren discuss how athletes can thrive in uncertain environments (prepare for tryouts, jump to the next level, or are joining a new team) by breaking down the brain's response to these type of stressors and providing mental perfomance strategies and insight...

This week, Taylor and Lauren discuss the rise of athlete centered coaching in the sports community. This approach to coaching is a shift away from the traditional command and control style, which is quickly becoming outdated. By taking a more collaborative approach with athletes, coaches can create an environment that is conducive to learning and growth. Change is constant and the only way to keep...

This week, Taylor runs solo with a short conversation around embracing your unique growth journey. Many people perceive growth to be a constant and linear experience upwards when in reality it is full of peaks and valleys of various heights and depths. It can be easy for athletes and coaches to get caught up in the success of their peers and opponents and get discouraged. She leaves listeners off...

In this weeks episode, Taylor and Lauren break into discussion on a topic that many athletes ask about: performance pressure. This is especially highlighted as teams approach playoffs, when every game counts. Taylor and Lauren break down what performance pressure really is and how athletes can strategically combat and manage feelings of pressure in their own game.  If you find this episode of any...

This week, Lauren goes solo in a deep dive into why Mental Skills Training is the new "Cutting Edge" for athletic performance. For years, strength and conditioning was what athletes used to set themselves apart from one another at the top. While the physical side is, and always will be, important in athletics, the mental is what is starting to separate great athletes from the elite athle...

Taylor and Lauren are joined by Sun Sachs and Ed Gibbins, Co-Founders of Rewire Fitness. Rewire Fitness is a holistic performance platform designed to help athletes develop mental fitness, build resiliency, and get primed for performance. Sun and Ed share their personal stories that led them into the fields of neuroscience and sport psychology, the individualization of recovery for athletes throug...

**This episode contains potentially triggering topics. Listen at your own discretion. Seek help through the listed support links if you are struggling** This week, Taylor and Lauren are joined by Jackie Hackett, Registered Dietitian, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, and Personal Trainer. Nutrition is a topic that athletes know is highly important when it comes to performance but is often over...

The infamous, “look good, feel good, play good” is something that all athletes understand. If you take the time to look nice, you’ll show up feeling good about yourself, and when you feel good about yourself, you’ll play better. Taylor and Lauren take a deeper look at the impact that this can play on athletic performance and discuss how athletes can incorporate mental training into their routine t...

In this episode, Taylor is joined by professional basketball player and the founder & CEO of Wevolv, Jori Davis. Jori shares her experiences as a professional athlete having played in multiple countries in Europe, the power athletes hold in the direction of their careers, and the story behind the creation of Wevolv - a members only, decentralized platform for elite athletes around the world th...

Leadership. Commonly associated with being a coach or holding a 'C' or an 'A' on the jersey. But that doesn't necessarily make you a good leader. Leadership is not a role, it is a behaviour. Taylor and Lauren dig into some of the behaviours that characterize leaders and how you can strategically improve your own skills as a leader. If you find this episode of any value, please share with a friend...

It can be really easy to feel like your under performing in the midst of a losing streak or season. Taylor and Lauren chat about an extremely important skill that athletes of all ages and skill levels should have: internal validation. They discuss the difference between internal and external validation, how each impacts performance, and how athletes and teams can start to build the skill of valida...

WELCOME BACK TO SEASON 2! Taylor and Lauren are thrilled to be back in the locker room for another year of great conversations, amazing guests, and new and exciting opportunities for all our listeners (you'll get a sneak peek in this episode). Today, they recap the growth of the women's sports industry in 2022 in basketball, soccer, hockey, and for collegiate athletes and close out with the mind b...

That's a wrap on Season 1 of The Athletic Mind. Thank you to all our listeners from across the globe that have supported the podcast by listening and sharing on social and with friends! We are deeply grateful for each and every one of you because without you all there would be no show. To thank you, Taylor and Lauren have put together a special Christmas gift for any athlete that wants to hone in...

Taylor and Lauren are joined by special guest and naturopathic doctor, Dr. Annaleeza Caputi. Annaleeza is a naturopathic doctor and women's health advocate dedicated to helping her clients achieve the life they deserve and in this episode she is sharing everything women's health - from PMS symptoms to hormones to  training/competing during menstruation.  If you found this episode to be of value pl...

This week Taylor and Lauren are talking all about rest and recovery going into the holiday season and how athletes can best optimize this down time whether they have a short or long break from sport. If you liked this episode, share us on social and/or leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify to help the podcast grow and reach new audiences! Book a free 30 minute call ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Let's connect! ⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Taylor and Lauren are back in the locker room together for this weeks episode all about tracking and measuring progress while pursuing your goals. They talk about why it is important to track progress, knowing your self-worth when falling short of a goal/intention, leave you with a tool to help you build self-accountability while you work towards your goals. If you liked this episode, share us on...

This week, Taylor runs solo with a short and sweet chat about the growth versus fixed mindset, why it is so important for athletes to operate from a growth mindset if they want to progressively work toward achieving their goals in sport, and leaves listeners with a few book recommendations that can be found below in the show notes. If you liked this episode, share us on social and/or leave a ratin...

This week, Lauren is joined by returning guest and fellow assistant coach, Megan Myers, where they talk about everything from having 18 freshman to how their experience as freshman in college has helped them in their current roles as coaches in a NCAA program. If you liked this episode, share us on social and/or leave a rating and review on Apple or Spotify to help the podcast grow and reach new a...

This week Taylor is running solo and talking all about how to successfully rehab injuries. She disucsses her experience and process recovering from MCL reconstructive surgery, the importance of goal setting during rehab, holding yourself accountable to your intentions, and the role that visualization can play in the rehab process. If you are currently struggling to cope with injury, feel free to r...

Today, Lauren is running solo with special guest, Tara Watchorn. Lauren and Tara discuss maintaining motivation over long periods of time through career ups and downs and the mindset that has helped Watchorn transition seamlessly from elite level player to coach on the college and international stages. If you liked this episode, share us on social and/or leave a rating and review on Apple or Spoti...

A bit of a change up this week and moving forward - welcome back to The Athletic Mind podcast! In today's episode, Taylor and Lauren open the floor to discuss how athletes can manage stress and expectations - both external and internal. They talk about the importance of taking care of yourself in the process of achieving your goals, knowing when to take time to rest and recover, and share some tip...

Taylor runs solo in this weeks quick hit episode on focusing on the controllable factors of your performance. We've all heard that what you focus on expands and that could not be more true - especially in sport. Taylor touches on what exactly is within (and not within) an athlete's control and shares a tool that can help athletes track and shift their focus towards those controllable factors. Book...