The Sideline Perspective Podcast

Anyone who's had a career in competitive sports knows the journey isn't linear. We can go from the highest highs to the lowest lows in an instant - but it's not about how high or low we are, it's about how we respond to it. Kaitie's story is one of perseverance, self-reflection, and the courage it takes to discover who you are beyond your sport. She's been through all...

What does it mean to be "All In" - to commit yourself wholeheartedly to something and then to have to shift gears and re-orient? For Natalie it's about backing yourself, having confidence in your abilities and your values, and always believing the risk will be worth the reward. Today's episode covers Natalie's journey from hockey player, to snowboarder, to crossfitter, all...

"Even if you’re in the back of the line, lead yourself and you’ll be surprised who follows." Coming from a family full of football players, Ky can't remember a time when he wasn't surrounded by the game. It wasn't a straightforward path to achieving his dreams of playing college football but with grit and perseverance he walked on to Dartmouth's Division 1 program and...

Kim is a former NCAA Division I swimmer where she competed at The University of North Carolina. In her athlete career, she struggled with depression in retirement and has since dedicated herself to dig deep into what it means to be an athlete so she can help others who may be struggling on their own journey. She founded Everything Athletes, an online refuge for competitors, where she offers the re...

Dan Nycholat is the founder of Gelvio, an online marketplace for snacks and drinks. Prior to starting Gelvio, Dan attended Dartmouth college where he played ice hockey and studied economics. After graduating, he spent 2 years playing professional ice hockey, 3 years working in finance, and then finally jumped to the world of startups.    Learn More About Dan & Gelvio: Instagram: @gelvio_us @dn...

What happens when it's time to move on from a high flying adrenaline sport like aerials skiing? How do you ensure that you land on two feet on the other side of the transition? Alex Bowen's answer: planning ahead, staying connected with friends, and not taking life too seriously (just yet). Alex did his first backflip at 15 at the one and only Buffalo Ski Club and has been hooked on air...

Leeann Passaro played elite club soccer throughout her childhood and into high school before continuing on to play at Washington & Lee University. The Division 3 athlete experience allowed Leeann to dive into other passions, as well as study abroad for a full semester in Australia, where she picked up the sport of rugby. After graduating this past May, Leeann began a full-time teaching job at...

Today's episode is a conversation with Nikki Bondura all about her transition from competing in Golf to working in sports media. Her story reminds us that success is not always linear and good things come with hard work, patience, and perseverance... Nikki played golf at Sacramento State, where she was also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and Host of Go Green Army TV. Upon...

The "bigger, faster, better" athletic mindset around training is something that helps us to be successful at our sport. But what happens when we're no longer in that competitive zone or required to perform? What does strength and fitness look like then? As a strength coach and former competitive athlete, Deacon advocates for finding a sustainable lifestyle around training after spor...

"I had not intentionally chose the sport because I loved it, but because I happened to be good at it.  As this phase of my life drew to a close, looking forward to what lay in store next felt both exhilarating and agonizingly scary. This time I knew I had to be intentional about searching for a purpose, but I had no idea where to begin..."  - Amy This episode is a Story Session - where a...

Hanna played Division I hockey at Bemidji State University, and graduated as a senior captain with a BSc in Business Administration, Emphasis in Marketing. Following graduation, she played professional hockey in Sweden (SDHL) for HV71 while completing her Master of Business Administration (specialization International Marketing). As she holds dual citizenship with Canada and Sweden, she was also f...

Welcome back to The Sideline Perspective podcast! We kick off Season 2 with Amanda Johanson, a former gymnast and aerials ski jumper. She competed at the University of Denver from 2007-2011 on a full ride scholarship. After graduation she moved to New Zealand and coached elite gymnasts to the Commonwealth games, World Championships, and Pacific Rim. She has her bachelors in graphic design and is c...

Mac and Sam talk about the behind the seasons of creating Season One of The Sideline Perspective Podcast. They touch on highlights from both a host and listener point of view and even reveal some exciting previews of Season Two and other developments at TSP. A note from Mac: "Thank you to all the listeners and subscribers that make this show such a rewarding experience! The conversations I&ap...

It can be hard to navigate our bodies as they change throughout our athletic career. In some cases body image relates to performance... and in other cases it doesn't. We have to dodge societal expectations, personal narratives, expectations of coaches and teammates, and more - it can get a little overwhelming. What happens to that athlete-body relationship when we leave our sport? In Ellen&ap...

Every athlete in the world right now is sidelined due to COVID - how are we coping with it? How are we finding opportunities to train, to learn, and improve in our sport while balancing concerns for our mental health and physical safety. It's a fine line, one that Frankie dives into in this week's episode. Frankie graduated from Dartmouth College in 2018, where she played on the D1 Varsi...

"As competitive athletes we're not here to just have a good time, we're here to push ourselves, to see how good we can be. I believe it's that tension, that time whether felt in the last 10 meters of sprints or during slow motion rehab exercises, that makes us actually better." - Jules This episode is a Story Session - where athletes who have written for The Sideline Persp...

No matter what our sport, our competition status, or our current day to day looks like, one thing is for sure: we could all use more recovery in our life. Whether focused on physical recovery from an injury or mental recovery from the stress of life, Team USA Kayaker and health expert Anna Terry encourages us all to find little ways to slow ourselves down and tune in to what our minds and our bodi...

Sports bring people from everywhere together - let's not take that for granted. Let's not shy away from the tough conversations when it comes to uncovering the stories and the experiences of the people we call our teammates. It may be uncomfortable, but learning to lean in to these dialogues can be one of the most valuable skills you gain in athletics and in life. Trajuan resides in Dall...

Cletus Coffey is a former professional and world champion athlete. After a career playing football in the CFL and Arena Football Leagues, Cletus won a Master Track and Field World Championship for Team USA. He has coached football and track & field on all levels, and has trained high performance athletes for over 20 years. He currently uses his experience as an athlete, coach, and entrepreneur...

"We often underestimate our capacity to reinvent ourselves. That’s it. It’s that simple. We are not the people we were 1 year ago, 2 years ago, 10 years ago…heck, even 2 days ago! And yet, a major life change can knock us off of our feet and make us feel like everything is over. But what if it wasn’t? What if reinventing ourselves is something we already know how to do? What if realizing that...

Being sidelined is a mental battle - one that life asks you to show up for every day during recovery. During rehab the reps count, but so does the fight against the voice in your head saying “is this worth it?” If we look at the whole journey at once, our answer might be “no,” BUT if we look at it day by day, if we embrace the process and pull from our reservoirs of patience and discipline, we fin...

Quitting gets a lot of shame in the sports world but this episode with Molly O’Connor flips that idea on its head. What if instead of shaming the individuals who walk away from their sports, we acknowledge the courage and independence it takes to move on to a future of the unknown. When our sport is so closely tied to our identity, that choice can be crippling to make, but what else do we do when...

Lani is a former division 1 basketball player from the university of vermont and was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. She is a mom of two girls, wife, teacher, coach, and recent cancer survivor. She is passionate about supplying people with the tools to thrive combining sport and positive psychology and particularly passionate about empowering girls through sports and mental...

James Leath is a mental performance coach and the founder of Unleash the Athlete. With a bachelors in communication, a masters in Performance Psychology, and almost 20 years of coaching experience, James teaches leadership, character, and mental resiliency to elite performers in sport, theater, and business through keynotes, workshops, and online courses. He has worked with many organizations, inc...

Former Ohio State football player Jarrod Barnes reflects on authenticity and what it's meant in his athletic, personal, and professional career. Jarrod’s knowledge and love of sport started at a young age and ultimately allowed him the opportunity to compete and coach at the highest levels in college football. Following his athletic career, he used this same passion to launch a startup called...